The People of Tibet

The present book is an attempt to speak about the life of the Tibetan people in their own homes. The contents are left on the author's first-hand knowledge of Tibetan life during a residence of nearly twenty years from conversations with his Tibetan acquaintances in their own language not through interpreters. In order to keep this volume within moderate limits, he had to exclude from it many aspects of Tibetan life. Shut off from the outer world by their immense mountain barriers Tibet still presented a virgin field of enquiry. There has been little change in the inner life of the people during the last thousand years. As the area is very large and the intercourse of one part with another is restricted, the manners and customs vary in different districts and provinces.