清末藏事改革对西藏建省论的回应及其实践选择

The Response and Practical Choice of the Governance Reform of Tibetan Affairs in the Late Qing Dynasty to the Suggestion of Provinciating Tibet

在英俄竞相侵藏,尤其是英国发动两次侵藏战争,致使西藏形势岌岌可危,西南边疆危机空前的清末时局中,西藏建省论者无疑为清廷筹藏固边提供了一种改革思路。然而清末藏事改革者选择了不求建省虚名,但求“以治行省之道而治之”的改革进路。这一实事求是的改革思路与实践,既着眼于应对西藏严峻的边疆危机,同时兼顾西藏的特殊性,兼具原则性与策略性,体现出一定的政治智慧。清廷对西藏建省与否的纠结,实际上是在西藏出现反对分裂、维护主权新情况时,对治藏路径选择的一种艰难探索。清廷的探索及失败表明:随着西藏反对分裂、维护主权这一新问题的出现,传统的治藏体制已不能适应,必须打破政教合一的封建农奴制,建立新的治理体系。同时,西藏具有边疆、民族及宗教等多重特殊属性,与内地划一的省治模式在此并不适合。清末藏事改革进路及建省探索,给后世治藏以深刻启示。

the British and Russian invasion of Tibet,especially the two invasive wars British launched,resulted in the situation in Tibet is in jeopardy.China faced the unprecedented crisis in the southwest frontier during the late Qing period,in while the suggestion of provinciating Tibet was made,which undoubtedly offered the Qing Government an idea to consolidate its governance of Tibet.However,in the late Qing dynasty,the reformers of Ti⁃betan affair governance thought the Qing government could governed Tibet as a province,but there was no sub⁃stantive differences to provinciate Tibet or not,so they chose not to do it.The decision was both principled and strategic as the practical reform thinking and practice not only focused on dealing with Tibet's severe border cri⁃sis,but also took into account the particularity of Tibet,and reflects a political wisdom.The hesitation of the Qing Government over whether to provinciate Tibet or not is in fact the government's exploration of the path to govern Tibet when the Qing Government met the crisis of national unity and sovereignty.The exploration and failure of the Qing’s Government reflect that the traditional system of governing Tibet did not work well when new problems emerged,and it was necessary to break the feudal serfdom system with political and religious pow⁃ers combined,and to establish a new governance system.However,Tibet had many special features since it is a frontier and ethnic region,and has its own religion,so it was inappropriate to govern Tibet with the model of gov⁃erning the provinces in inland.The reform of the late Qing dynasty on the governance of Tibetan affairs and the exploration on whether or not to provinciate Tibet gives profound enlightenment to the later generations in the governance of Tibet.