Qinghai–Tibet War
The Qinghai–Tibet War (1932-1933) war erupted when the 13th Dalai Lama used a monastery dispute in Yushu as a pretext to expand Tibet's conflict with Liu Wenhui's forces in Xikang by attacking Qinghai. But Qinghai Muslim General Ma Bufang's forces, led by General Ma Biao, decisively defeated the Tibetan armies, recapturing counties controlled by Tibet since 1919 and seizing territories including Shiqu and Dege. The crushing Tibetan losses—which pushed their forces back across the Jinsha River and threatened supply lines to other fronts—compelled the Dalai Lama to seek British assistance, leading to diplomatic pressure that resulted in a Chinese cease-fire and separate truces signed by Ma and Liu with the Tibetans in 1933.
Since the early 8th century, Tibetans and Himalayan people have treasured "Namtars" as written or spoken narratives that demonstrate the realization of the Buddhist path by exceptional practitioners. These namtars, or spiritual biographies, serve as inspirational guides on the path to enlightenment.
Today, Namtars Foundation aims to record, preserve, and freely offer the world a written and electronic treasury of the oral wisdom of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism.
