[Photo by Xi Ke, source from the Internet]

Deciding what is ancient history and what is mysterious legend is not always an easy task. Tibet is of no exception.

Legend tells us that Tibetan history starts with a monkey and a Raksasi, a female ogre, when the monkey was sent by Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezi) for the religious training on this high plateau. The Raksasi persuaded the monkey to marry her by threatening to kill thousands of people. Having the permission of Avalokiteshvara, they married and had five offsprings who are believed to be the ancestors of the Tibetan people. This legend is well known and depicted in ancient books and murals. Even the name of Tsedang, the capital city of Shannan Region where Tibetan culture is believed to have originated, means 'the place where the monkey plays'.

However, archeological and geological discoveries lead ethnologists to believe that Tibetans are descendants of aboriginal and nomadic Qiang tribes.

According to archeology, Tibetan history can be traced back to 4,000 years ago. At that time, life was simple and stone implements were used. Historical records show that not until the 7th century could Tibetans be recognized as a race of people. The rising Yarlung Dynasty (Tubo Kingdom) unified Tibet and became an aggressive power.

The first palace in Tibet, Yumbu Lakang was built by the first king of Tibet, Nyatri Tsenpo. His offspring, Songtsen  Gampo, the most powerful and intelligent king of Tubo, conquered other tribes and founded the first dynasty of Tibet, Yarlung Dynasty (Tubo Kindom).

Songtsen Gampo also made great contributions to Tibetan culture, economy, technology, religion, etc. by communicating with the outside world. The outstanding king of the Tubo Kingdom married two princesses of Nepal and of the Tang Dynasty(618-907). The Princesses brought with them advanced technology, exotic culture, tea, silk and most important of all, peace and Buddhism.

Songtsen Gampo embraced the religion and then the first transmission of Buddhism came to the snowy land. The king and the princesses built Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple to enshrine the holy statues of Sakyamuni. They also ordered the construction of the grand Potala Palace. The king's successors followed the religion and in 779, King Trisong Detsen set up the Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist temple in Tibet. The great religious teacher, Padmasambhava was invited to Tibet and Buddhism was recognized as the state religion. The Buddhist influence then spread as history rolls on.

(Source from TravelChinaGuide)