A Tibetan principality

the long version

"Prior to the Chinese Communists' take-over of Tibet, the principality of Sa sKya was a politically autonomous unit of about 16,000 people in west-central Tibet. This study, based on firsthand information from members of its ruling family, presents a detailed account of the political system of Sa sKya, one of the very few "traditional" societies that survived virtually untouched by modern influences until the middle of the twentieth century. The book describes the organization and operation of Sa sKya's governmental institutions, showing how the structure and policies of the government were correlated with the physical, social, and economic environment. It explains the relevance to government of the Tibetan belief system, the religion of the people, and the pattern of social deference among them. In addition to analyzing the political system and comparing it with other such systems, the book contains many details of Tibetan life hitherto unavailable. The material for the book was obtained during approximately 750 hours of discussion-interviews, in the Tibetan language, with four Tibetans of high station. They were two sons of the royal family of Sa sKya, the wife of the elder son, and the official tutor to the royal family, who were among a group of refugees brought to this country by the Far Eastern and Russian Institute of the University of Washington, with the help of the Rockefeller Foundation. Their story provides a unique record of a vanishing society." -- from dust jacket.