Toban

The name used to refer to Tibet in historical documents written in Chinese. Today, this name is often used to refer to the Tibetan dynasty that was in conflict with the Tang Dynasty. There are various theories, from one that the original word corresponding to "Tubo" was "Takubatsu," which has the same etymology as "Tibet," to another that says that "Tu" is replaced with lho (south) and that the name of the tribe of the Tibetan ruling class, Phyva, which is written in Chinese as "no night," was changed to "ban."

The ancestor of the Tubo dynasty moved from the northern border of Kailasa in northwestern Nepal to Kham in eastern Tibet around the middle of the 4th century, and established his base in Yarlung in southern central Tibet in the second half of the 5th century.A century later he gained control of central Tibet and eventually conquered the entire country.

King Songtsen Gampo, who came to power at the end of the 6th century, stopped the defection of the Kham region by controlling the Sumpa people of Sichuan, and approached the Tuyuhun, who had fled to southern Qinghai after being defeated by the Sui dynasty, learning about their systems and cultural artifacts. In the 620s, he established 12 ranks of officials, unified and controlled the various clans, and established a kingdom. In 638, he fought against the Tang, made some of the Tuyuhun his vassals, and in 640, welcomed Princess Wencheng from the Tang and made peace with them. Utilizing the military state organization that was completed after the death of this king, he asserted the legitimacy of the Tuyuhun, whom he had made his vassals, and the inheritance of their rights and interests. In 659, he began fighting the Tang, expanding the front line from Nanzhao to Central Asia, and gained the upper hand after the second half of the 8th century. From that time, he introduced Buddhism in earnest, and gradually came under the control of the new intellectual elite, monks, and in 822, he signed a peace treaty with the Tang. Later, crushed by the burden of building an ideal Buddhist nation, the ruling class split and perished in 843.

[Zuiho Yamaguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

漢文史料でチベットをさしていう場合に用いられた名称。今日では唐と対立したチベット人の王朝をこの名称でさす場合が多い。吐蕃に対応する原語として「チベット」と共通の語源「拓跋(たくばつ)」をあてる説から、「吐」にlho（南）をあて、チベット支配階級の部族名Phyva、漢字で「不夜」などと写されるものが「蕃」に変えられたとする説まである。

　吐蕃王朝の遠祖は、ネパール北西にあるカイラーサの北辺から4世紀なかばごろに東部チベットのカムに移り、5世紀後半に中央チベット南部のヤルルンに拠(よ)って、1世紀後に中央チベットを掌握し、やがてチベット全土を制覇した。

　6世紀末にたったソンツェンガンポ王は、四川(しせん)のスムパ人を掌握することによってカム地方の離反を食い止め、隋(ずい)に討たれて青海南部に亡命していた吐谷渾と接近して、制度、文物を学び、620年代に官位12階を定めて諸氏族を統合支配し、王国を建てた。638年に唐と戦い、吐谷渾の一部を臣属させ、640年に唐から文成公主を迎えて和親した。この王の没後に完成した軍事国家組織を活用して、臣属させた吐谷渾の正統性とその権益の継承を主張し、659年から唐と戦い始め、戦線を南詔から中央アジアまで広げ、8世紀後半以後優位にたった。そのころから仏教を本格的に導入して、しだいに新しい知的エリート、僧の支配を受け、822年には唐と和平条約を結んだ。その後仏教による理想国建設の負担に押しつぶされて843年に支配階級が分裂し、滅んだ。

［山口瑞鳳］

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