Morpheusa day agoWhat about the raising of over 6,000 monistaries in tibet by china...?
Yes, you're quite right. The Red Guards were vandals too, and how interesting that many were young Tibetans (mainly from the lower socio-economic groups). I'm not so sure about the figure of 6000 monasteries. No-one knows for sure how many Tibetans there were in 1960, I suggest maybe 2,000,000. On the count of 6000 monasteries "razed," that would mean one large or small monastery for every 330 people. Most were re-built after Mao died. I counted 87, on this Wikipedia list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tibetan_monasteries
But I believe there were/are many more than that.
BTW, we have descriptions of certain aspects of Tibetan life, that were provided by the British invasion force of 1904. Peter Fleming, in his book "Bayonets to Lhasa," includes some of these descriptions P.232,233 -edition published by Rupert Hart-Davis, 1961).
"The Potala, Fleming writes (citing Candler), was surrounded by a nauseous squalor ... it was in fact, an insanitary slum. ... The houses were mean and filthy ..." Younghusband (the British Supervisor of the invasion), described the monks, as "lazy and sensual and effete."
How much those sort of conditions, likely unchanged in 60 years, led to the actions of young Tibetan Red Guards, is hard to judge.
And, of course, throughout China, the Red Guards vandalised many antiquities, in their campaign to destroy the four "olds" (customs, culture, habits, ideas).
This graphic, captures (I think) the attitude of the Red Guards across China:
Or the huge loss of historical and cutural history by the peoples liberation army of china...?
That's a harder general question for me to answer, as I don't know what you're referring to. US General Joe Stillwell judged the PLA troops as better disciplined and organised than those of the KMT (Chiang's).
I'm sure that in a civil war things can and do, getout of hand. But if you could be more specific, I can discuss your claim.