Page Thirty-One

Records of Foreign Lands

original: "吐蕃" (Tǔbó). This is the historical Chinese name for the Tibetan Empire and its people, used from the Tang Dynasty through the Ming Dynasty.

The Tubo are also called the "False Western Fan."
original: "假西蕃" (Jiǎ Xīfān). "Fan" was a generic term for groups on the borders of imperial China. The prefix "False" likely serves as a taxonomic distinction used by Ming geographers to differentiate this specific group from other "Western Fan" peoples closer to the border.
They were originally of the Western Qiang original: "西羌" (Xīqiāng). An ancient ethnic group in western China; Chinese historians traditionally viewed the Tibetans as descendants of these nomadic tribes. and lived along the Zhi River original: "支水" (Zhī Shuǐ). Likely referring to the Yarlung Tsangpo River or its tributaries in the Tibetan heartland.. Their ancestral surname was Bosuye original: "勃窣野" (Bósùyě). A phonetic transcription of an early Tibetan clan or lineage name..
In their customs, "strong and heroic" is called Zan; "great man" is called Pu.
Therefore, they call their sovereign ruler the Zanpu.
original: "贊普" (Zànpǔ). This is the Chinese transcription of the Tibetan title "Tsenpo," the term for the Emperor or King of Tibet.
Among their later rulers were those called Lunzan and Nongzan.
original: "論贊" (Lùnzàn) and "弄贊" (Nòngzàn). These refer to early kings of the Yarlung Dynasty. "Nongzan" is a common historical Chinese transcription for Songtsen Gampo, the famous 7th-century ruler who unified Tibet and married the Chinese Princess Wencheng.

Illustration: A man of the Tubo people. He is depicted wearing a heavy, layered robe with a thick fur collar and sturdy boots, reflecting the cold climate of the high-altitude plateau. He stands in a respectful posture with his hands clasped. At his feet is a small, spotted feline, possibly a lynx or a mountain cat native to the region.
In Ming-era encyclopedias, foreign peoples were often depicted with animals or objects associated with their region's tribute or environment.