Hor States

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The Hor States (Tibetan: ཧོར་དཔོན་ཁག་ལྔ།, Wylie: hor dpon khag lnga; Chinese: 五霍爾; lit. 'Five Hors'), also known as the Horpa States, were a group of principalities located in the Tibetan region of Kham that existed from the 14th century to the mid-1900s.

Today, the historical territory of the Hor States comprises Garzê County, Luhuo County, and part of Dawu County.

The name "Hor" is usually considered to be Turkic or Mongolic; because the Hor states were Tibetic in culture, their population is thought to be Mongols that were influenced by Tibetic culture.^[1]

The Hor States located in the region traditionally called Tré or Tréshö (Tibetan: ཏྲེ་ཤོད།, Wylie: tre shod) in northern Kham on the upper portion of the Yalong River. Under the rule of the Hor States, the region also gained the names of Tréhor and Horkhok (Tibetan: ཧོར་ཁོག, Wylie: hor khog).

The traditional five states were:

The Chinese also included two other states as Hor States, but they were not included in the Tibetan list^[2]:

According to the rGya bod yig tshang, at the time of Trisong Detsen (755–797), there was an ancient kingdom in the lands of lDan, sGa and Tre bo, whose descendants founded the house of Sharkhapa in Gyantse. It may be identified as the Kingdom of Khrom of King Gesar.^[3] Another tradition claimed that in the same period, Tréshö was ruled by the clan of Achak Dru (Wylie: a lcags 'bru), centered in Draku (Wylie: brag u) within the modern Luhuo County (Wylie: brag mgo). In the 8th century, the Achak Dru ruler Trewo (Wylie: kre bo) patronized the great translator Cogro Lü Gyaltsen (Wylie: cog ro klu’i rgyal mtshan) to establish the first monastery in the region called Cogro Monastery (Wylie: cog ro dgon). It was later converted to Gelug and renamed as Cogri Monastery (Chinese: 覺日寺).

During the era of fragmentation, the area was notable as the birthplace of several religious figures, including the 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa (1110–1193), founder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

In the early 13th century, a member of the Achak Dru family, Trewo Alu (Wylie: tre bo a klu) travelled westwards to the area of Surmang. His son later founded the Kingdom of Nangchen.

In the 1260s, when Phagpa passed through the region, he visited the Cogri Monastery and was welcomed by Nyé ganden (Wylie: gnye dga' ldan), descendant of Trewo. Kublai Khan decided to send his son Horsé Gyalpo (Wylie: hor sras rgyal po) ("Mongol Prince") and the lama Ga Anyen Dampa (Wylie: sga a gnyan dam pa) to establish a monastery in this region, called the Dé Gönpo (Wylie: sde mgon po), later known as the "Chinese Chapel" (Wylie: rgya lha khang, (Chinese: 漢人寺).^[4]

During his stay, the Mongol prince had an affair with a local woman, giving birth to a son called Hor Namgyal (Wylie: hor rnam rgyal. Hor Namgyal subjugated the neighboring tribes of Khartsé Trung Tsang (Wylie: khar rtse khrung tshang), Naro Aru Tsang (Wylie: na ro a ru tshang), Kalak Kartra Tsang (Wylie: ka lag dkar bkra tshang), and Drongjang Shyangtsé Tsang, laying the foundations of the Hor States (Wylie: grong byang zhang rtse tshang).^[5]

In the early 8th Rabjung (1447–1506), the male line of the local clan of Achak Dru went into extinct. Namkha Gyaltsen (Wylie: nam mkha' rgyal mtshan), descendant of Hor Namgyal, arranged a marriage between his son Ngawang Drakpa and the daughter of the Achak Dru ruler, thus established a kingdom spanning from Dzakhok (Wylie: rdza khog (within modern Garzê County) in the west to Draggo and Dawu in the east. After the death of Namkha Gyaltsen, the kingdom was partitioned among his sons, giving rise to the Hor States.

Namkha Gyaltsen had six sons:^[6]

• Wanglu (Wylie: dbang lu): son of the first wife Jamyang Palmo (Wylie: vjam dbyangs dpal mo), founder of Mazur. A branch of his descendants established the principality of Khangsar.
• Hor Chöjé Ngawang Püntsok (Wylie: hor chos rje ngag dbang phun tshogs): son of Jamyang Palmo, disciple of the 5th Dalai Lama
• Ngawang Drakpa (Wylie: ngag dbang grags pa): son of the second wife; also called Uching Noyön (Wylie: u cing no yon), founder of Trehor
• Abbot Ngawang Palzang (Wylie: mkhan po ngag dbang dpal bzang): son of the second wife
• Norbu (Wylie: nor bu): son of the third wife, founder of Draggo
• Unnamed son of the third wife

Beri, despite also included among the five Hor States, was generally not considered to be of Mongolian origin. Some claimed that it was founded by Döndrub Norbu (Wylie: don grub nor bu), a member of the ancient clan of Lhadong Beri (Wylie: lha ldong be ri). The clan was best known for the Beri King Dönyö Dorjé, who was defeated and executed by Güshi Khan in 1639.^[7]

Another tradition claimed that all five Hor States were founded by sons of Namkha Gyaltsen. His eldest son died falling off from horse during a pilgrimage, and was venerated as a deity called "Sharchok Dralha" (Wylie: (shar phyogs dgra lha). The second son stayed with his own mother, and his principality was known as "Mazur" ("beside mother"). The third son established a new house, so his principality was known as "Khangsar" ("new house"). The fourth son founded Trehor, the fifth son founded Draggo, and the sixth son founded Beri.^[8]

In 1639, Güshi Khan conquered the Kingdom of Beri, ensuring the spread of the Gelugpa sect in Kham. Hor Chöjé, disciple of the 5th Dalai Lama, was said to have founded the Thirteen Hor Monasteries (Wylie: hor gyi dgon khag bcu gsum) in the region, including the Dargye Monastery; this connected them to the Ganden Podrang elite and amplified the region's prosperity.

In 1728, a few years after the Qing expedition to Tibet, the Hor states were formally bestowed titles of "Pacification Commissioners" (Anfusi, 安撫司)^[9] .

In the mid 18th century, a war broke out between Khangsar and Mazur. Khangsar was allied with the Kingdom of Derge, the Gyalrong Kingdom of Geshitsa, and Upper and Middle Nyarong, while Mazur was allied with Chuchen and Trokyap.^[10] On September 26, 1755, forces of Derge captured Mazur, forcing the 12-year-old Mazur ruler Tendzin Wangpo into exile in Nyarong. In response, the Qing general Song Yuanjun [zh] led a force to Kandze and expelled the Derge troops. Song Yuanjun then summoned the chieftains to settle the dispute. The resolution was documented, that 11 Qing soldiers should be stationed at Mazur, and 10 soldiers at Jiaoluosi (角洛寺), a strategic pass between Dartsedo and Chuchen in the Geshitsa region.^[11]

In 1847, Gonpo Namgyal of Middle Nyarong unified the region of Nyarong and emerged as a new power in Kham. In the fourth month of 1848, forces of Khangsar, Mazur, Trehor, Draggo, Derge, Chakla and Lithang allied against Gonpo Namgyal, but eventually suffered a tough defeat and were forced to retreat. After this victory, Gonpo Namgyal gradually subdued the neighboring states. Gonpo Namgyal first conquered Draggo, then sieged the fortresses of Mazur and Khangsar in 1859. By 1860, Gonpo Namgyal completely occupied the Hor States. After the joint troops of Qing and Ganden Phodrang defeated Gonpo Namgyal in 1865, the Hor States were restored, and a Lhasa-appointed official was stationed in Nyarong.^[12]

The official in Nyarong provided means for Lhasa to directly intervene in Kham, which led to increasing tension between Lhasa and Qing officials. In 1883, a dispute arise when the Draggo ruler Wangchen Dradul decided to have his son married to the daughter of the Trokyap ruler, instead of Trehor. Trehor allied with Khangsar and Beri to attack Draggo, which had the support of Mazur and the Lhasa official in Nyarong. When Trehor forces besieged the Draggo residence, Qing Chinese troops intervened to stop the conflict.

Wangchen Dradul of Draggo died in 1893. Despite intentions to be succeeded by his younger son, his elder son Tashi Wanggyal seized the throne. Previously, Tashi Wanggyal was adopted by the Mazur family and already gained the throne of Mazur, thus uniting the two crowns. Draggo soon attacked and defeated Trehor. This time, Draggo was supported by Mazur, Chakla, Beri, Khangsar, as well as the Qing Dynasty, while Trehor was supported by the Lhasa official in Nyarong.^[13]

The Sichuan governor general Lu Chuanlin [zh] strongly advocated to expel the Lhasa official in Nyarong, in order to establish direct Chinese rule in Kham. He sent forces to takeover Nyarong, Trehor and Draggo in 1896, but he was forced to abort his centralization plans by higher authorities upon the petition of the 13th Dalai Lama.

In the early 1900s, Zhao Erfeng began another series of centralization reforms in Kham. In April 1911, he revoked the Tusi titles and seals of all Hor rulers, but further centralisation reforms were halted due to the breakout of the Xinhai Revolution.

During the republican era, the former land of the Hor States was governed by Han Chinese officials under the Ganzi, Luhuo and Daofu Counties, but beyond the county seats, four among the five Hor States continued to exist with certain extent of autonomy, except for Draggo, which was disintegrated after the death of Tashi Wanggyal in 1899.

Dekyi Lhatso (c. 1880–1933), consort of the previous ruler of Trehor, continued to share power with her nephew Jamyang Khyenrab Wangchuk (d. 1933). Ngödrub Tendzin Jikme (1887 – 1924), ruler of Khangsar, established a personal union with Mazur and Beri after their rulers died heirless, while securing a marriage alliance with Hor Tongkor. However, he also died without male heir, and was succeeded by his 7-year-old daughter with the Beri princess, Dechen Wangmo. Beri regained independence soon afterwards, enthroning a bastard son of the Beri princess called Wangdü.^[14]

Meanwhile, the Hor States became a critical frontline of the Sino-Tibetan border. In 1917, a battle in Riwoche triggered the First Kham-Tibet dispute [zh] (1917–1918). Tibetan troops gradually captured important towns on the western shore of the Jinsha river, and advanced towards the Chinese garrison in Rongbatsa, near the Dargye Monastery, one of the Thirteen Hor Monasteries. A ceasefire was achieved such that the Chinese troops should withdraw to Kandze. Sershul, Derge, Palyul came under Ganden Phodrang control, while the Hor States remain under Chinese jurisdiction.

Tension again escalated in 1930, with the occurrence of the Dargye-Beri Incident (大白事件). In the early summer, a conflict occurred between the Beri Monastery, patronized by the Hor Beri ruler, and the Ngarak Monastery (Wylie: nga rag dgon), another monastery under Beri jurisdiction supported by the Dargye Monastery. The militants of the Dargye Monastery quickly occupied a large portion of Beri territory, and the Beri ruler asked for support from the Sichuan warlord Liu Wenhui. In turn, the Ganden Phodrang intervened, sending an army under Khémé Sönam Wangdü [zh] to occupy Kandze and Nyarong. The Chinese army eventually defeated the Tibetan forces, and sieged Dargye Monastery in July 1932. The Ganden Phodrang thus lost the region on the eastern bank of the Jinsha River.^[15]

During the conflict, the Trehor Ruler Jamyang Khyenrab Wangchuk provided military support to the Ganden Phodrang. In fear of persecution by the Kuomintang, he travelled to Lhasa in August 1931, but eventually returned to Trehor in 1933. In the 28th of the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar, a Kuomintang force of two hundred sacked Trehor and beheaded the Trehor ruler. Dekyi Lhatso, his maternal aunt and regent, died in captivity a few days later. A Chinese commissioner was appointed to govern Trehor.

In 1936, during the Long March, the Chinese Red Army established the short-lived Tibetan People's Republic in Kandze. Dechen Wangmo, ruler of Khangsar, alongside with her half-brother Wangdü, ruler of Beri, were elected to be Vice Chairperson of the Republic. In 1938, forces of Liu Wenhui sieged Khangsar and placed Dechen Wangmo under home arrest. In the next year, with Kuomintang support, the Mazur headman Jamyang Tsenpo (降雍澤辟) broke free from Khangsar and became the ruler of Mazur.^[16] Dechen Wangmo escaped to Qinghai in 1940, and only returned to Khangsar in 1948. Her husband Yeshe Dorjé became the last ruler of Khangsar.^[17]

After 1949, major leaders of the Hor States, including Yeshe Dorjé of Khangsar and Wangdü of Beri, were granted significant government positions in the administration of Kandze. Small scale rebellions continued to break out in the Kandze county for some years, until the final rebels were crushed in 11th October, 1971^[18].

• Horpa language