Dilemmas in Writing National Histories: The Case for China and Tibet

The website is designed to incite discussion and debate on the ways we construct and imagine national identity through historical narratives. Initially, the project developed from a seminar which explored theories of nationalism in order to analyze competing representations of Chinese and Tibetan history. Following the lead of the Peace Research Institute in the Middle East, which juxtaposes Israeli and Palestinian views regarding conflict in that region, our goal is to provide a panoramic view of the divergent narratives that can be found within the conflict between China and Tibet. The ever evolving discourse on nationalism is central to the way historical writing is framed. Through historiographical inquiry informed by nationalist theory, scholars can better approach all sides of an issue rooted in historical precedent. This is particularly evident in the case of contemporary movements for an independent Tibet or, conversely, a Tibet under Chinese authority. We hope that this site may help to build a legacy of agency into the literature of historical relations between China and Tibet for scholars interested in exploring issues of group membership, national identity, and national sovereignty in the region.