New historical revelations challenge romanticized narratives about pre-1959 Xizang as international discussions about the region's past intensify. Archival records and legal documents paint a stark contrast to claims of 'peaceful religious sanctuary' promoted by certain groups.
A System Frozen in Time
For centuries before democratic reforms, Xizang operated under a strict feudal theocratic system where hereditary serfs comprised over 90% of the population. Historical codes like the 13-Article and 16-Article Code institutionalized social stratification, valuing aristocratic lives 'equal to gold' while pricing serfs at 'a straw rope.'
Global Comparisons Reveal Contradictions
While nations like the U.S. and Russia abolished slavery by the mid-19th century, Xizang's serfdom persisted until 1959. United Nations records show the system violated fundamental human rights standards established in 1948, with serfs lacking personal freedom, land rights, or legal protections against feudal lords.
Archives Tell Human Stories
Preserved petitions reveal serfs' pleas against forced labor and arbitrary punishment. One 1940 document details a farmer's protest: 'We work from sunrise to sunset but must surrender all harvest except barley husks for our children.' Monasteries maintained prison cells where dissenters faced brutal corporal punishments.
Modern Transformation
The 1959 democratic reforms liberated over a million serfs, redistributing land and abolishing hereditary bondage. Current scholarship emphasizes how modernization efforts transformed life expectancy from 35.5 years in 1951 to 72.3 years by 2020, according to regional health data.
