The Treasury of Lives

Jago Tobden (bya rgod stobs ldan) was born in the Hakhok (hya khog) district of Derge in 1898. His father was Tashi Namgyel (bkra shis rnam rgyal) and his mother was Tsewang Dolma (tshe dbang sgrol ma).

The Jago family had been a prominent member of the Derge aristocracy since Jago Tobden's grandfather, Jago Pema Ledrub (bya rgod padma las grub) played a role in protecting of the Derge capital during the Nyarong War and in defeating Gonpo Namgyel (mgon po rnam rgyal, 1799-1865).^[1] He was given the position of chief steward (gnyer chen) by Queen Choying Zangmo (chos dbyang bzang mo), who was acting as regent for her son, Pelden Chime Takpai Dorje (dpal ldan 'chi med rtag pa'i rdo rje, 1851–1898), and, according to oral accounts, was later poisoned on her order after revealing her affair with a subordinate headman.^[2]

Jago Tobden's father, Tashi Namgyel, inherited the position of chief steward and served during a fractious period of Derge history in which the forty subordinate headmen of Derge's traditional political structure rejected the king's authority, China invaded, and the king and his wife, Tseten Dolkar (tshe brtan sgrol dkar, d. circa 1898), died in custody in Chengdu in 1898. The king's two sons, Dorje Sengge (rdo rje seng ge, 1877–1926), popularly known as Aja (a 'ja') and Ngawang Jampel Rinchen (ngag dbang 'jam dpal rin chen d. 1819), known as Baba (ba ba), each vied for the throne, throwing the entire kingdom into civil war. Jago Tobden's father, Tashi Namgyel, sided with Jampel Rinchen, and was poisoned by the opposing side in 1906 or 1907. His mother inherited her husband's office and continued to place her family's considerable resources, including the men of the households they controlled, behind Jampel Rinchen.

In 1907 Jampel Rinchen was temporarily defeated and placed under house arrest in the Sokmo Palace ( sog mo pho brang) in the Mesho valley. Tsewang Dolma sent men to free him, and brought her family with the prince as he fled to Sershul, from where he mounted a successful campaign to take control of the capital. Dorje Sengge fled with his supporters, leaving his younger brother to occupy the palace and take possession of the seals. Tsewang Dolma and her family were rewarded for their participation.^[3]

When Zhao Erfeng invaded Derge the following year, Jampel Rinchen and his supporters, including Tsewang Dolma and her children, were forced to flee north. Zhao's and Dorje Sengge's soldiers pursued them all, driving them out of Sershul and into Golok, where they sought refuge with Chinese warlords in Tsolho. Zhao quickly deposed Dorje Sengge, sending him into exile in Batang.

With the assistance of the Fourth Jamyang Zhepa ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 04, 1856–196), Jampel Rinchen and the Jago family gained the patronage of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876–1933), who was then returning to Lhasa from Beijing. They settled in Nakchu, where Jampel Rinchen was given the title of taiji of the fourth rank, and the Jago family was given the title of headman (mgo pa) of Janggyab (byang gyab). Tsewang Dolma continued to support Jampel Rinchen, and in 1910 sent men to Gyantse to join his efforts to  counter the Chinese invasion of Tibet. For their bravery the Jago family was given estates near Sera Monastery (se ra dgon) and over a dozen indentured families (khol pa).^[4]  

Having thus gained status for her family in Tibet, Tsering Dolma sent her two sons to the Potala School (rtse slob grwa) which trained the children of the aristocracy to serve in the Ganden Podrang government. Jago Tobden and his brother spent several years at the school, making invaluable connections with other aristocrats and learning the intricacies of Tibetan governance.^[5]

In 1917 the Dalai Lama's government sent an army to Kham and drove the Chinese from most of the region, including Derge, advancing all the way to Kandze and ending with a treaty, negotiated by British Consul Eric Teichman (1884–1944) in August 1918, that restored the Drichu as the border between Tibet and China, but preserved Derge as a Tibetan protectorate.^[6] The shifting leadership in China never fully endorsed the treaty, but Tibet proceeded as though it were now the law of the land. Dorje Sengge was allowed to return, and was nominally restored to the throne of Derge, although the Tibetan governor the kingdom (sde dge spyi khyab), Dapon Tethong Gyurme Gyatso (mda' dpon bkras mthong 'gyur med rgya mtsho) held actual power.^[7] Dorje Sengge was brought to Lhasa in 1919, where he passed away. As his son, Jigme Tsewang Dudul ('jigs med tshe dbang bdud 'dul, 1915/16–1942/45), was only four years old at the time, the Eleventh Tai Situ, Pema Wangchok Gyelpo (ta'i si tu 11 padma dbang mchog rgyal po, 1886–1952) was assigned to serve as regent, although real power continued to be in the hands of the Tibetan governor.

The absence of real local authority provided the perfect opportunity for Jago Tobden to restore his family's status in the kingdom. His mother initiated the process soon after Tibetan troops occupied Chamdo, asking the Thirteenth Dalai Lama to have the Tibetan governor of Kham (mdo smad spyi khyab), Kalon Jampa Tendar (bka' blon byams pa bstan dar, d. 1921) restore the Jago family to its former status, and to also exempt them from corvée labor and taxes, two things that could present a family of means with debilitating responsibilities.

The Jago family initially resided on the west bank of the Drichu river, not yet confident about returning to the capital after supporting the losing side in the civil war. Nevertheless, by 1921 Jago Tobden had been installed as headman, backed by the Tibetan administration, which likely viewed him, a Lhasa-educated aristocrat, as an ally in their rule.^[8]

Despite the 1918 treaty between Tibet and China, skirmishes continued across Kham, and the Tibetan military authority remained committed to preserve Tibetan authority in the region. In 1929 a Lhasa acquaintance of Jago Tobden, a man named Kheme (khe smad),^[9] was appointed regimental commander (mda' dpon) of the Tibetan army. Kheme assigned Jago Tobden to handle some affairs in Sershul and Pelyul and was pleased with his performance. The following year he was elevated to the office his grandfather and father had occupied, chief steward, under the young king Tsewang Dudul (tshe dbang bdud 'dul, 1916–1942), Dorje Sengge's son, who was officially enthroned in 1926. Jago was initially loyal to the king, despite his family's previous support for the king's uncle, having suppressed rebellions in Horpu and Pelyul on his behalf.^[10]

In 1929 Jago Tobden participated in settling a dispute at Dzongsar Monastery (rdzong sar) over which incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse'i dbang po, 1813–1892) would control the Khyentse Labrang there, effectively running the monastery. One claimant for the position was Khyentse Chokyi Wangchuk (TOLP13654 'jam dbyangs chos kyi dbang phyug, 1909–1963), whose previous incarnation, Jamyang Chokyi Wangpo ('jam dbyangs chos kyi dbang po, 1894–1909), had been installed at the monastery soon after Khyentse Wangpo's death. His early death had resulted in Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse chos kyi blo gros, 1893–1959) being brought over from Katok (kaH thog) to fill the leadership vacuum. Both men had considerable supporters who wanted them to remain at Dzongsar. Jago, alongside Khenpo Jamyang Gyeltsen (mkhan po 'jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan, 1870–1940), decided that Chokyi Lodro would continue to run Dzongsar, while the younger Chokyi Wangchuk would relocate to Lhundrubteng (lhun grub steng) in the capital, also known as Derge Gonchen (sde dge dgon chen). He was henceforth known as Gonchen Khyentse.^[11]

In 1930 a conflict between the Tibetans and Chinese broke out near Kandze, which originated as a dispute between the monks of Dargye Monastery (dar rgyas mgon) and the chieftain of Beri. Beri called in the Chinese, which at the time meant the Sichuan warlord and Nationalist general Liu Wenhui (劉文輝 1895–1976), while Dargye, a powerful Geluk monastery with close ties to the Tibetan government, notified Lhasa. Although the Tibetan army advanced as far as Nyarong, while the Republican government in Nanjing scrambled to mount an effective response, a sudden invasion of Jyekundo and Nangchen by the Muslim warlord of Qinghai, Ma Bufang (馬步芳1903–1975), destroyed the Tibetan advantage. On April 10, 1933 the Ganden Podrang and the Qinghai provincial government signed the Kamtok Agreement (kam thog gros mthun) reasserting the border, essentially formalizing the reality on the ground, as the Tibetan army was forced by Liu Wenhui back to the west bank of the Drichu.^[12]

With the Ganden Podrang no longer a power in the region, and the Chinese under Liu Wenhui now controlling most of Kham, Jago began to lead opposition to Tibet's lingering presence. He mobilized an uprising against Tibetan taxation in Jomda, on the west bank of the Drichu. He also refused to aid the Ninth Paṇchen Lama, Tubten Chokyi Nyima (paN chen bla ma 09 thub bstan chos kyi nyi ma, 1883–1937), who was battling Chinese forces under Liu for control of Kandze, Nyarong, and Drango, apparently disinclined to see a prominent Tibetan hierarch gain a foothold in Kham.^[13]

Jago also made two significant marriage alliances that illustrate his interest in establishing a local powerbase. Rather than cementing his place in the Lhasa aristocracy with a Tibetan wife, in 1933 he married Sonam Chomtso (bsod nams chos mtsho), the daughter of Kelzang Puntsok (bskal bzang phun tshogs) the chieftain of Yilhung, a wealthy region in northeast Derge. He ultimately married her sister as well, and when the chieftain's only son died, Jago became the head of the family.^[14] At the same time, he helped arrange the marriage between Tsewang Dudul and Jamyang Pelmo ('jam dbyangs dpal mo), a princess of Nangchen also known as Tseyang Pelmo (tshe dbangs dpal mo), as well as several other strategic marriages between families of his supporters.^[15]

In turning away from Tibet, Jago also, at least for a time, opposed the Chinese Nationalist presence in Kham as well. In the early 1930s he took note of the "Khampa rule of Kham" movement of Riwoche Monastery's (ri bo che dgon) Gara Lama Sonam Rabten (mgar ra bla ma bsod nams rab brtan, 1865–1936). In 1935 he participated in a meeting he called in Dartsedo, in which reformist ideas such as equality, abolishing the corvée system, and regional autonomy were discussed. Inspired by both Communist and Nationalist rhetoric, Jago pursued Kham autonomy with Gara Lama, Pangda Tobgye (spang mda' stobs rgyas, 1904–1972/73), and a Beri headman known as Dondrub Namgyel (don grub nam rgyal), among other regional elites.

In 1936 the Communist Red Army reached Kandze, a spur of their Long March. The Derge king, Tsewang Dudul, sent Jago and the Wokma treasurer Sonam Tsering ('og ma phyag mdzod bsod nams tshe ring) and others with a battalion of troops, many of whom were monks from Lhundrubteng, to drive them out. Jago was defeated in a surprise nighttime attack while Wokma and the others fled back to Derge. Jago was injured and captured, but he was treated kindly by the Red Army, and had several conversations with its leadership, including the future president of China, Li Xiannian (李先念 1909–1992), and Zhu De (朱德 1886–1976), the commander-in-chief who would go on to be a founding member of the People's Liberation Army. Jago was inspired by what he learned from the Communists, and sent a letter to the king arguing the Communists were a beneficial force. He later signed a nonaggression pact on Derge's behalf with Li's representative, Wang Weizhou (王維舟), who would be the founding president of the Southwest Nationalities University in Chengdu.^[16] Jago arranged for considerable provisions to be sold to the Red Army, such as grain and animals, as well as guides and interpreters.^[17]

In May, 1936, the Tibetan People's Central Government of the Chinese Soviet was established in Kandze with Jago Tobden as the head of the military affairs department. Tibetan historian Yudru Tsomo argues that Jago and the other Kham elites who joined the new Communist institutions did so primarily to gain support in opposition to Liu Wenhui, and perhaps because they believed in the Communist rhetoric of ethnic autonomy. Once the Red Army had left the region though, Liu reasserted his dominance of the region, and in 1937 Jago prepared to flee. Liu sent word to the king of Derge, however, that he would not retaliate against Gara's supporters nor those who had aided the Red Army, and the king convinced Jago to apologize to Liu in person.^[18]

The following year Jago participated in a meeting in Dartsedo called by Liu Wenhui to bring the Kham elite into the administrative bureaucracy of Xikang Province, the Nationalist administrative body that would be instituted in 1939 under Liu's leadership. Liu gave Jago the office of deputy commander of the Xikang Special Security Brigade (xikang tezhong jingwei fu duizhang 西康特種警衛副隊長), and quickly added additional assignments, including the Councilor of Xikang Province (xikang sheng canyuyuan 西康省參議員) and Head Councilor of Derge County (dege xian canyizhang 德格縣參議長). Although the young Derge king Tsewang Dudul also received offices in Liu's new provincial government, Jago's position was stronger, as he moved to increase the number of his patrons within the Nationalist Party, which he also joined.

Jago's fellow Kham native, Baba Puntsok Wanggyel ('ba' pa phun tshogs dbang rgyal, 1922–2014) attempted to convince Jago, whom he recognized as one of the most powerful men in Kham at the time, to withdraw his support for Liu Wenhui. Puntsok Wanggyel was then advocating for an independent unified Tibet, and Liu, he argued, was only guaranteeing Derge's autonomy while he was busy elsewhere. Puntsok Wanggyel himself had been educated by the Nationalists but would soon embrace the Communist cause and serve as the founder of the Tibetan Communist Party. Jago, however, responded with contempt for Tibetans, telling him,

You know a lot about political theory, but you don't know much about Tibetan aristocrats. When the Tibetan government's soldiers came to Derge, the officers exacted heavy taxes from the people. They whipped anyone who couldn't pay, and a lot of people said that they were worse than the Chinese. The Chinese acted as our lords, but they didn't steal from the people.

Jago also expressed his skepticism that Liu could be overthrown, and acknowledged that he and his family were doing quite well under the current regime.^[19]

Jago's good standing with Liu did not last long, however. In 1942 Tsewang Dudul passed away, leaving his wife, Jamyang Pelmo, and two-year-old son Orgyen Rigdzin Jigme Garwang Dorje (o rgyan rig 'dzin 'jigs med gar dbang rdo rje, 1940–1992) known also as Orgyen Kyab (o rgyan skyabs) and Woga (o dga'). Seeking a way to place a puppet on the throne of Derge, Jago proposed that Kelzang Wangdu (bskal bzang dbang 'dul, 1912–1984), the son of Jampel Rinchen, be brought from Lhasa to marry Jamyang Pelmo and be declared king. The scheme had the additional appeal of realizing a cause his parents failed to achieve by bringing to power the son of the man his father and mother had dedicated their careers to backing.

The proposal was naturally opposed by the Derge faction loyal to Dorje Sengge, and Liu Wenhui rejected the idea of a Lhasa aristocrat taking the Derge throne. Dorje Sengge's supporters put forward the Eleventh Tai Situ, who had served as regent during Tsewang Dudul's infancy, a solution opposed by Jago. Ultimately it was decided that Jamyang Pelmo herself would take the regency.^[20]

Two years later, in 1944, Jago arranged for the assasination of a rival, the Atub chief Wangga (dbang dga') of Kandze, a man who had been appointed to office by Liu Wenhui. Liu was now convinced that Jago was too hungry for power and insufficiently loyal, and ordered his execution. Jago was warned by a Chinese official in Derge and escaped.^[21]

The queen, Jamyang Pelmo, also suspected Jago of disloyalty and also ordered his assassination. Jago's colleague, Wokma Sonam Tsering, who had fought alongside Jago against the Communists several years earlier, had Jago invited to a feast at which he planned to poison him. Jago was once again warned and was able to avoid the second attempt on his life. The assasignation attempt came alongside growing opposition to Jago from other chieftains of Derge, and ultimately Jago left Gonchen and moved to his wife's estate in Yilhung.^[22]

By 1947 Jago was openly advocating for overthrowing the Derge royal family, adopting the populist language of reform while also declaring himself the king of Yilhung. When a rival was forced to flee the region due to conflicts with other families, Jago distributed their land to their tenants. Jago's status rose with his power, and he would host both Chinese and Tibetan dignitaries. Within several years Jago's territory eclipsed that of the Derge queen.

Both the queen and Liu Wenhui were assembling their military forces to move against Jago in 1949 when the Communists defeated the Nationalists and the political landscape changed radically. Jago Tobden sent a representative to Beijing to congratulate the Communists on their victory and to request the "liberation" of Tibet.^[23] He also wrote to congratulate Zhu De, whom he had met earlier, on his victory in Xining, and offer his services.^[24]

The Number 18 army of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) arrived in Derge in June, 1950. Most elites immediately wrote to officials to pledge their support. Jago, Pangda Tobgye, and others wrote to General Liu Bocheng (劉伯承 1892–1986), the chairman of the Southwest Military and Political Commission, promising to support the Communist Party and requesting local autonomy. Jago also corresponded with Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平, 1904–1997) and He Long (賀龍 1896–1969); in one letter Jago referenced their stated desire that he put aside his differences with Jamyang Pelmo and work for the common good of the region. The Communists initially sought to work with local leaders in the border regions as they implemented their social and economic policies. Both Jago and the queen were given titles: Jago first became a member of the Southwestern Military and Political Commission and vice chair of the People's Government of Xikang Provincial Tibetan Autonomous Region, while Jamyang Pelmo was deputy director of the Chamdo Regional Liberation Committee, among other offices.^[25] Jago went on to be appointed a member of the National People's Congress, vice-chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Political Consultative Conference, deputy-governor of the Kandze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and vice-chair of Kandze Tibetan Autonomous Prefectural Political Consultative Conference.^[26]

His titles reflected his importance in the region. Puntsok Wanggyel, then rising in status among the Communists, describes several instances in which he relied on Jago Tobden. For example, on the eve of the PLA's invasion of Chamdo, Jago was put in charge of transporting supplies from Gandze to Derge, one of two fronts in the assault. Because the Chinese were paying with silver coins, they were able to hire over a hundred thousand animals; many Tibetans, Puntsok Wanggyel reported, made quite a bit of money, including the elites who skimmed profits from the transactions.^[27]

Despite the initial promises of autonomy, Communist policy in Kham was implemented without broad support of the populace, and unrest grew quickly. How Jago Tobden responded is not well known, but it appears he neither joined the active resistance nor was arrested by the Chinese, possibly content with the region's new rulers so long as it was beneficial for him. Nevertheless, Puntsok Wanggyel reported that Jago and Panda Tobgye both told him that "the reforms in Kham had been done poorly and in a rush. There was inadequate planning and no careful discussions with upper-strata Tibetans."^[28] Puntsok Wanggyel also claimed that in the late 1950s Jago borrowed three trucks from the PLA and sent his daughter and grandson, named Namgyel Dorje (rnam rgyal rdo rje) to Lhasa. They were ostensibly on pilgrimage, but Jago secretly sent his most valuable possessions with them and had them continue on to India.^[29]

Jago Tobden died of an illness in 1960.

 

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