Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme

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Lore & Background

Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme was born in Karma Gorge of Lhasa as the son of a leading Tibetan aristocratic family descended from former kings of Tibet, the Horkhang. His father was governor of Chamdo in Eastern Tibet and commander of the Tibetan armed forces. After studying traditional Tibetan literature, he went to Britain for further education. He was married to Ngapoi Cedain Zhoigar, Vice President of the Tibetan Women's Federation, hence his name Ngapoi. Upon returning in 1932 from his studies in Britain, he served in the Tibetan army. He began his career as a local official in Chamdo in 1936. As a cabinet member of the former government of Tibet under the Dalai Lama, he advocated reform. In April 1950 he was appointed governor-general (commissioner) of Chamdo, but took office only in September, after the previous governor, Lhalu, had left for Lhasa. While serving as governor-general of Chamdo, he also became commander-in-chief of the Tibetan Army. His predecessor Lhalu had made elaborate military plans and fortifications and asked the Kashag for more soldiers and weapons to stop the People's Liberation Army from entering Tibet. Ngapoi had the fortifications removed, refused to hire Khampa warriors and to install two portable wireless sets as he thought it was better to negotiate. In October 1950, his forces confronted the People's Liberation Army. The battle was quickly over. As he had warned before his departure for Chamdo, 'the Tibetan forces were no match for the PLA who [...] had liberated the whole of China by defeating several million Kuomintang soldiers.' Ngapoi surrendered Chamdo to the Chinese. The PLA surprised him by treating him well and giving him long lectures on the New China's policies toward minor nationalities. Within a year, he was the deputy commander-in-chief for the PLA forces in Tibet.

Reader's Guide

Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme's key act was heading the Tibetan delegation to the Beijing peace negotiations in 1951, where he signed the Seventeen Point Agreement with the Chinese Communist government, accepting Chinese sovereignty in exchange for guarantees of autonomy and religious freedom. The validity of his acceptance has been questioned: the Tibetan exiled community claims his signature was obtained under duress and exceeded his powers as only governor of Chamdo. The Dalai Lama, in his biography My Land and My People, claims that in 1952 the acting Tibetan Prime Minister Lukhangwa told Chinese representative Zhang Jingwu that the Tibetan 'people did not accept the agreement.' However, according to Sambo Rimshi, one of the Tibetan negotiators, the delegation went to Beijing with the Dalai Lama's authorization and instructions. The Dalai Lama's instruction stated: 'Here are ten points. I have faith that you will not do anything bad, so you should go and achieve whatever you can.' The young Dalai Lama also told the negotiators to use their best judgment and report back to the Kashag in Yadong. According to historians Tom A. Grunfeld, Melvyn C. Goldstein and Tsering Shakya, the young Dalai Lama did ratify the Seventeen Point agreement with Tsongdu Assembly's recommendation few months after the signing. In 1959, the Dalai Lama on his arrival in India repudiated the agreement as having been 'thrust upon Tibetan Government and people by the threat of arms.' Ngapoi was instrumental in solving food problems of the PLA in 1951–1952 by creating a Kashag subcommittee tasked with inventorying grain stores to sell some to the PLA per point 16 of the agreement. He was appointed by the Tibetan government to head the newly formed Reform Assembly. He was the Kashag minister (Kalön) most trusted not only by the Chinese but also by the Dalai Lama. In 1953–1954, the Reform Assembly crafted new laws reforming interest rates, old loans, and the administration of counties. After 1951, he served as leader of the Liberation Committee of Chamdo Prefecture until 1959, Deputy Commander of the Tibet Military District between 1952 and 1977, and was appointed lieutenant general and awarded the 'Order of Liberation' first class in 1955. He was Secretary General of the Preparatory Committee for the Tibet Autonomous Region from 1956, became acting chairman in 1964, and chairman of the People's Committee of the newly established Tibet Autonomous Region in 1965. He represented Tibet in seven National People's Congresses as a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee from the 1st in 1954 to the 7th in 1988.

Did You Know?

• Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme was born in Karma Gorge of Lhasa as the son of a leading Tibetan aristocratic family descended from former kings of Tibet, the Horkhang.
• He went to Britain for further education after studying traditional Tibetan literature.
• He was married to Ngapoi Cedain Zhoigar, Vice President of the Tibetan Women's Federation, hence his name Ngapoi.
• He was appointed as lieutenant general and awarded the 'Order of Liberation' first class in 1955.
• He died at 16:50 on December 23, 2009, from an unspecified illness in Beijing at the age of 99 (or 100 according to East Asia's custom of counting age).