Ani Pachen
Encyclopedia
Ani Pachen (1933–2002) was a Tibetan Buddhist
nun who led her clan in armed rebellion against China.
. She was the only child of Chieftain
elder son Pomda Gonor of the Lemdha clan. Her father had a younger brother, Pomda Yonten. Pomda yonten had a daughter, Tashi Choedon, who died in Kalimpong, India in the 1980s. At 17, she fled to a monastery
after overhearing plans to marry her off. The monastery
was three days away on horseback.
for the next 18 years. She inherited the leadership of the Lemdha clan, returning to the outside world when her father died in 1958, .
She led her clan in rebellion
against the Communist Chinese. She led a guerrilla campaign of 600 fighters on horseback against Chinese
tanks until her capture in late 1959.
in January 1981, Ani Pachen went on resisting the Chinese
remaining in Lhasa
.
She fled for the border when she learned she was to be arrested again, and wandered for four days in deep snow before chancing upon a friendly villager. She then walked for 25 days to Nepal
. Her dream to meet the Dalai Lama
came true when she was granted a personal audience
soon after her arrival. She settled in Dharamsala
in India
.
. In 2001, she visited the United Kingdom
at the invitation of the Tibet Society, and led the annual march through central London
to commemorate the Lhasa Uprising
.
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
nun who led her clan in armed rebellion against China.
Early life
Pachen Dolma was born around 1933 in Gonjo, Kham, Eastern TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. She was the only child of Chieftain
Chieftain
Chieftain may refer to:The leader or head of a group:* a tribal chief or a village head.* a member of the 'House of chiefs'.* a captain, to which 'chieftain' is etymologically related.* Clan chief, the head of a Scottish clan....
elder son Pomda Gonor of the Lemdha clan. Her father had a younger brother, Pomda Yonten. Pomda yonten had a daughter, Tashi Choedon, who died in Kalimpong, India in the 1980s. At 17, she fled to a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
after overhearing plans to marry her off. The monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
was three days away on horseback.
The Tibetan Joan of Arc
Now known as Ani Pachen (translated "(Nun) Great Courage"), she lived in the monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
for the next 18 years. She inherited the leadership of the Lemdha clan, returning to the outside world when her father died in 1958, .
She led her clan in rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
against the Communist Chinese. She led a guerrilla campaign of 600 fighters on horseback against Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
tanks until her capture in late 1959.
Release
After her release from prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in January 1981, Ani Pachen went on resisting the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
remaining in Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
.
She fled for the border when she learned she was to be arrested again, and wandered for four days in deep snow before chancing upon a friendly villager. She then walked for 25 days to Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. Her dream to meet the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
came true when she was granted a personal audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
soon after her arrival. She settled in Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Autobiography
Ani Pachen's autobiography, Sorrow Mountain: the journey of a Tibetan warrior nun, was published in 2000, and she toured the US and EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 2001, she visited the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at the invitation of the Tibet Society, and led the annual march through central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to commemorate the Lhasa Uprising
1959 Tibetan uprising
The 1959 Tibetan uprising, or 1959 Tibetan Rebellion began on 10 March 1959, when a revolt erupted in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which had been under the effective control of the Communist Party of China since the Seventeen Point Agreement in 1951...
.
See also
- Political prisonerPolitical prisonerAccording to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s