Monastic politics and the local state in China: authority and autonomy in an ethnically Tibetan prefecture

In: The China journal: Zhongguo yan jiu, Heft 54, S. 29-52

Abstract

This article investigates the changing nature of relations between a Tibetan monastery and local government since the revival of monasticism in the 1980s. It demonstrates how religious leaders and local government officials co-opt one another in the pursuit of their interests. The article argues that contemporary local government leaders have strong incentives to respond to the rise of new social forces with accommodation rather than oppression. The analysis touches upon a number of themes in contemporary Chinese politics and society including central-local relations, the impact of economic restructuring, and the increasing significance of religion and ethnic identities in local society to illuminate the complexity of forces driving political change at the local level in China today. (China J/DÜI)