Imperial Records


General Resources

  • Wilkinson, Endymion.Chinese History: A Manual, Revised and Enlarged. Cambridge: Harvard-Yenching Institute, 2000.
    Pages 483-538 (Historical Genre); 939-943 (50.4 Official Historical Works); 949 (50.6.4 Edicts and Memorials), pp. 900-921 (50. 1 Central Archives; 50.2.1 Yishiguan; 50.2.2. General Publications); [optional: 50.2.5 Documents Relating to Taiwan and 50.2.6 Documents in Manchu].
  • Ye Wa and Joseph W. Esherick. Chinese archives: an introductory guide. Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California : Center for Chinese Studies, 1996.
    Gives archives addresses and describes holdings in Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, Beijing (for Qing materials) and Nanjing (for Republican era materials).
  • Zhang Yuxin张羽新, ed. Qing chao zhi Zang fa gui quan bian 清朝治藏法规全编.Beijing : Xue yuan chu ban she, 2002. 5 vols.
    Collection of laws and regulations of Qing-controlled Tibet.

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/4094229

  • Yuan yi lai Xizang di fang yu zhong yang zheng fu guan xi yan jiu. Duojiecaidan; Deng Ruiling, eds. 2 v. [Beijing] : Zhongguo Zang xue chu ban she. 2005.
    Topical essays in chronological order from Yuan dynasty to Republican China. Excellent guide to the collected archives with the same initial title: Yuan yi lai Xizang di fang yu zhong yang zheng fu guan xi dang an shi liao hui bian. (see below).

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/6353907

  • Kolmas, Josef. "Ch'ing shih kao on Modern History of Tibet (1903-1912)," Archiv Orientalni 32:1 (1964), pp. 77-99.
    Survey of the Tibetan materials in the draft history of the Qing dynasty, compiled between 1914-1928, revised in 1937.
  • Ahua, Awanghuadan. Beijing diqu Zangwen Guji Zongmu. [Beijing] : Zhongguo Zang xue chu ban she, 2013. New catalogue of Tibetan texts held in Beijng. EAST ASIAN REF Z3107.B45 B458 2013 (Circulating copy also shelved in EAST ASIAN STACKS.

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/10738351

Collected Inscriptions

  • “Qingdai lama jiao beike lu.” In Qing zheng fu yu lama jiao, ed. by Zhang Xixin. Lhasa: Xizang renmin chubanshe, 1988. Appendix (p. 205-510): Collected Chinese inscriptions from the Qing dynasty regarding Tibetan Buddhism, organized by reign period.
    An amazing resource, almost untouched by Western scholars. Other books like this exist for Wutaishan, but this probably includes all relevant inscriptions.

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/3720761

  • Huang Hao. Zai Beijing de Zangzu wenwu. 1993. Beijing: Minzu chubanshe.
    Appendix (p. 92-116): Tibetan (and two Chinese) language inscriptions from Ming & Qing Beijing.

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/4404646

  • Meng, Bao. Xizang zou shu: fu "Xizang bei wen." Beijing : Zhongguo Zang xue chu ban she, 2006.

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/7190552

Collected Impressions of Seals

  • Xizang li dai zang yin. 西藏历代藏印. Lhasa: Xizang renmin chubanshe, 1991.

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/3778864

  • Nor rgyas nang pa, Dbang 'dus tshe ring [Bka' drung]. Tham deb bkod par. In Bod kyi gal che'i lo rgyus yig cha bdams bsgrigs [Xizang zhong yao li shi zi liao xuan bian]. Ed. by Tshe brtan phun tshogs, Chab spel & mi 'gyur rdo rje. Lhasa: Bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang, 1991.
    Pages 33-83: Imprints of actual seals with commentary.

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/5283956

  • Tshe brtan phun tshogs, Chab spel & Mi 'gyur rdo rje, ed. Bod kyi gal che'i lo rgyus yig cha bdams bsgrigs = Xizang zhong yao li shi zi liao xuan bian. Lhasa: Bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang, 1991.
    See Martin #587, p. 215: "illustrations and descriptions of official seals."

CLIO LINK: http://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/5283956

  • Dawson, Derrick. Some Tibetan Seals Illustrated and Described. [Vancouver, B.C.] : Geoffrey Flack, 1997. OCLC WorldCat #: 44640226
  • Dongguang Lin; Huiling Li. Xizang gu wen wu tian tie ji Zang yin = Antique Tibetan thogchags and seals. Taibei Shi: Zang chuan fo jiao wen wu. 2003.  OCLC WorldCat #: 123012825

Collected Veritable Records

  • Wu, Yanshao吴燕绍 (1868-1944), ed. Qing dai Meng Zang Hui bu dian hui 清代蒙藏回部典彙. Guo jia Qing shi bian zuan wei yuan hui wen xian cong kan 國家清史編纂委員會文獻叢刊 . Beijing Shi : Zhonghua shu ju, 2005. 75 Volumes.
  • Ming Qing liang chao bian sai hai jiang di li wen xian hui bian 明清两朝边塞海疆地理文献汇编.
    One may browse 西藏事務 (Tibetan Affairs) and more, or search in either traditional or simplified Chinese characters. 西藏事務 (Tibetan Affairs) covers these titles: 西藏志; 衛藏通志; 西藏記; 西藏考; 西藏奏疏; 籌瞻疏稿; 籌藏芻議; 欽定巴勒布紀略; 欽定廓爾喀紀略; 廓爾喀案; 平番奏議; 光緒朝藏印往來照會; 駐藏大臣日記; 藏事輯要; 西藏方輿連界暨各要隘情況; 西藏記述; 進藏紀程; 藏行紀程; 西藏問題; 班禪赴印度記略; 駐藏大臣考; 西藏六十年大事記; 西藏始末紀要. 
  • The 25 Dynastic Histories Database On-line databases are good for searching for terms, names, etc. once you know what you are looking for. Before then, the printed extracts on Tibetan related materials from the relevant dynastic histories serve as useful locating guides. 25 Histories and the Qingshilu (清實錄 Veritable History of the Qing) and more, can be accessed at Scripta Sinica 漢籍. Click on 授權使用 (Authorized Access), then browse or search in only traditional Chinese characters.
  • The Draft History of the Qing (written after the dynasty had fallen, by its predecessor) is less useful for the Qing than for previous dynasties, but can be searched in Scripta Sinica 漢籍.
    Scripta Sinica 漢籍 also includes such Buddhist canons as 大正新脩大藏經; 中華大藏經; 佛教大藏經; 高麗大藏經; 乾隆大藏經.
  • See also the Complete Chinese Buddhist canon (Taisho shinshu Daizokyo), including some translations of Tibetan texts from the Yuan dynasty at Scripta Sinica:  佛經三論
  • From the series Xizang yan jiu cong kan
    Tibetology Series: These are probably only selected entries from the relevant sources, and the original should be checked for politically motiviated omissions.
    • Qing shi lu Zang zu shi liao. Xizang yan jiu bian ji bu bian ji; [bian zhe Gu Zucheng ... et al.]. 清实录藏族史料/ 西藏研究编辑部编辑 ; [编者顾祖成 et al.]. vols. 1-9. Lasa: Xizang ren min chu ban she : "Xizang yan jiu" bian ji bu zhu Rong fa xing zhan fa xing, 1982-1983.
      Tibetan related entries from the Qingshilu, with indices.
    • Yuan yi lai Xizang di fang yu zhong yang zheng fu guan xi dang an shi liao hui bian. Zhongguo zang xue yan jiu zhong xin, Zhongguo di yi, di er li shi dang an guan, Xizang Zizhiqu dang an guan, Sichuan sheng dang an guan bian zhu. 元以来西藏地方与中央政府关系档案史料汇编 / 中国藏学研究中心,中国第一,第二历史档案馆,西藏自治区档案馆四川省档案馆编著. 7 vols. [Peking] : Zhongguo zang xue chu ban she : Xin hua shu dian Beijing fa xing suo fa xing, 1994.
      Some Tibetan related entries from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, with indices.
    • 中国藏学汉文历史文献集成 195 volume set, with four divisions as outlined below, covering from 7th -20th centuries in Chinese language historical materials collected here: i)《清代治 藏法规全编》ii)《民国治藏法规全编》 iii)《中国西藏及甘青川滇藏区方志汇编》 iv)《唐宋元明清藏事史料汇编》102 volumes; v)《民国藏史料汇编》,共五部195册.

Reference Material

  • Schuh, Dieter. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der tibetischen Kalenderrechnung. Wiesbaden, F. Steiner, 1973.
    Complete concordance of Tibetan and Western dates. A simple, though imprecise, concordance of the Tibetan and Western years (from 1027 A.D.) fits onto a single page. See also: the Phlonx Tibetan Calendar Converter
  • Spyi lo dang/ rgya bod lugs bcas rab byung lo drangs so so'i ngos 'dzin blta bde'i re'u mig
    This is a more complicated 12 page concordance of dates.
  • Dung dkar Blo bzang 'phrin las & Dar mdo Bkra-shis dbang 'dus. Bod kyi rig gnas dang lo rgyus kyi re'u mig ngo mtshar kun snang. [Chengdu] : Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang. 1997.
    Pages 7-15, includes chart of dates from 1027-2041, including reign dates of various Chinese dynasties and emperors.
  • Dong Zuobin, ed. Zhongguo nian li zong pu. Xianggang : Xianggang da xue chu ban she, 1960.
    Chronological list of the years 2674 B.C. to 2000 A.D. with Chinese equivalents. Essential for dating Chinese records. For an on-line resource (in Chinese): http://sinocal.sinica.edu.tw/lusodoc.html
  • Ellingson, Ter. "Tibetan Monastic Constitutions: The Bca' yig," in Reflections on Tibetan Culture: Essays in Memory of Turrel V. Wylie.  Lawrence Epstein and Richard F. Sherburne, Eds.  E. Mellen Press, Lewiston, 1990. 205-230.
  • Schuh, Dieter. Erlasse und Sendschreiben mongolischer Herrscher für tibetische Geistliche : e. Beitr. zur Kenntnis d. Urkunden d. tibet. Mittelalters u. ihrer Diplomatik. St. Augustin : VGH-Wissenschaftsverlag, 1977.
    Essential guide to the diplomatic literature of the Yuan dynasty.
  • ‑‑‑. Urkunden, Erlasse und Sendschreiben aus dem Besitz sikkimesischer Adelshäuser und des Klosters Phodang. S[ank]t Augustin : VGH Wissenschaftsverlag, 1978.
  • ‑‑‑. Grundlagen tibetischer Siegelkunde: eine Untersuchung über tibetische Siegelaufschriften in 'Phags-pa-Schrift. Sankt Augustin : VGH Wissenschaftsverlag, 1981.
    Essential for understanding the 'Phags pa script used on seals.
  • Poppe, Nicholas. Translated and edited by John R. Krueger. The Mongolian monuments in hP’ags-pa script. Wiesbaden, O. Harrassowitz, 1957.
  • Das, Sarat Chandra, ed. Yig kur nam shag: Being a Collection of Letters, Both Official and Private, and Illustrating the Different Forms of Correspondence Used in Tibet. Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Press, 1901.
    The preface to this work describes the editor’s sources for the three collections of documents contained herein and the contents are also given in English. Reproduces and explains government documents and their usefulness as models.