The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c31.s1.23

c31.s1.23

In the reign of Ralpachan a severe struggle with China took place, which was terminated by a peace recorded (822) in bilingual inscriptions at Lhāsa. In subsequent ages Tibetan relations with the Chinese empire varied much from time to time, but whatever they might be, they did not concern India. The final attainment of supremacy by China over Tibet was deferred until 1751. Since that date the Chinese government has always endeavoured to keep Europeans out of Tibet, and has generally succeeded in doing so. Tibetan affairs, consequently, long remained completely apart from Indian history. Contact between the politics of India and those of China had ceased in the eighth century,¹ owing to the growth of Tibetan power at that time. It was not renewed until the conquest of Upper Burma in 1885, which made the Indian and Chinese empires conterminous. In these latter days, Tibet, which had been a dependency of China in greater or less degree for several centuries, has again come within the purview of the Indian government, and its affairs have been the subject of Anglo-Chinese diplomacy.²