Tibet is a land of secrets. They are not only in religion and mysticism - much remains hidden in its history. The book traces the history of Tibetan civilization from ancient times to the present day, telling about the life of Tibetans before and after the “peaceful liberation” - the forced inclusion of Tibet into the PRC. The author comes to the conclusion that Tibet was not previously part of other states. During the times when China was part of the Mongol Yuan Empire or the Manchu Qing Empire, Tibet remained independent; the idea that Tibet was part of China comes only from the ancient Chinese idea of global imperial power. Therefore, the inclusion of Tibet into the PRC was not legitimate, and Tibet is an occupied country. Many photographs and information relating to the last period of the history of Tibet are published for the first time. CONTENTS: Preface 5Chapter 1. Geography and origin of the Tibetans 7Chapter 2. Antiquity and the Middle Ages 14Chapter 3. The time of the Qing Empire 45Chapter 4. The last years of independence 86Chapter 5. Religion and culture 113Chapter 6. State and social structure, economy 135Chapter 7. “Peaceful liberation” and its consequences 163Chapter 8. From the People's Uprising to the Cultural Revolution 211Chapter 9. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution . Results of the Mao period 288Chapter 10. Reconstruction and modernization 348The struggle of the Tibetan people, the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees 354Religion 388Autonomy and demography 413Language, education and culture 423The state of the natural environment 428Economy 433Militarization 438Standard of living and health care 440Chapter 11. Is Tibet an integral part of China? 444Statehood in international law and Chinese tradition 444About China and the “Chinese dynasties” 455Resolution of the national question in China 473Status of Tibet: a historical retrospective 484Chapter 12. Decline of the Tibeto-Mongol civilization? 508Literature 515Summary 543