The song of the queen of spring or the history of Tibet, by Fifth Dalai Lama of Tibet, revised translation by Zahiruddin Ahmad

Book Details

• Publisher: ADITYA PRAKASHAN Indological Publishers & Booksellers

• Language: English

• Edition: New Delhi

• ISBN: 9788177420838

• Year: 2008

• Cover: Hardcover

• Subject(s): Buddhism

About the Book
The History of Tibet was authored by Nag-dBan Blo-bZan rGya-mTSHO, the fifth Dalai Lama of Tibet (1617–1682), and completed on 14 November 1643. The work commemorates the Dalai Lama’s rise to power in 1642, which he describes as a new spring in Tibetan history, and to celebrate this event, he composed The Song of the Queen of Spring or A History of Tibet.

This text not only serves as a chronicle of Tibetan history but also reflects the religious and political vision of the fifth Dalai Lama. The English translation, accompanied by detailed notes by Zahiruddin Ahmad, provides critical insights into the text. For example, in discussing the relationship between the Mongolian ruler Qubilai Qagan (reigned 1260–1294) and the Phags-Pa Lama (1235–1280), the seventh head of the Sa-sKya-Pa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Ahmad highlights that this relationship was essentially personal and religious. This interpretation challenges present-day claims of Chinese sovereignty or even suzerainty over Tibet since the thirteenth century, showing that such assertions are not supported by historical facts.

Scholarly, precise, and historically significant, this book is essential for students and researchers of Tibetan history, Buddhism, and Asian politics.