page_title: Tsarong
section_title: Involvement in economy in Tibet (1933–1950)
hierarchical_section_title: Tsarong / Involvement in economy in Tibet (1933–1950)
caption_attribution_description: English: Rai Bahadur Norbhu Dhondhup, Trimon and Tsarong Dsaza (accorging to: Clare Harris &amp; Tsering Shakya (2003) Seeing Lhasa, page 93)Nederlands: Rai Bahadur Norbu Döndrup, Trimön en Tsarong Dsaza
context_page_description: Tsarong Dazang Dramdul commonly known simply as Tsarong or by his title Tsarong Dzasa, was a Commander General of Tibet, a Tibetan diplomat, economist, civil engineer and close aide of the 13th Dalai Lama. He was an important figure in the early twentieth century conflict with the Chinese and was active in protecting Tibet militarily as the Commander in Chief of Tibet. Eager to accelerate economic progression and pursue the modernisation of Tibet, Tsarong believed that the old order in Tibet had to be broken by hierarchical reforms to prepare the way for a more modern society which would be compatible with the outside world. In his efforts to build up Tibet's defense systems and relations with European powers as well as to facilitate trade and strengthen the Tibetan currency, he made a series of diplomatic visits to British India.
context_section_description: Tsarong was prominent in the economic affairs of Tibet throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Following the death of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1933, Tsarong was appointed the Head of the Arsenal-Mint, the Grwa bZhi dNgul Khang (གྲྭ་བཞི་དངུལ་ཁང). This department had a number of functions, including to improve the quality of paper currency, stock pile arms, and to introduce electricity into Lhasa. In 1947, Dzasa along with ministers Trunyichemmo Cawtang and Tsipon Shakabpa spearheaded the Tibetan Trade Mission of the mint which sought to strengthen Tibet's currency and to increase hard gold reserves against paper.
  Dzasa was notably concerned about the weakness of the financial situation and Tsipon Shakabpa recounted the economic situation in Tibet and Dzasa's aims at this time;
  "In 1947 there was little of either grain reserves or gold. Tsarong was worried about this situation since we continued to print new paper currency. He always used to say that the paper money had to have some hard backing; that a currency note means that the government guarantees the value of the note in gold or some other commodity. He also used to talk about a foreign country where all the people suddenly came and asked to change paper money into silver and gold and the government had nothing, so the finance minister had to commit suicide." 
  During this period Tsarong was also an active figure in civil engineering works and buildings in Tibet. In 1937 for instance he supervised the construction a steel bridge over the Trisum River, about eight miles from Lhasa, on the main trade route from Lhasa to India and western Tibet. Immediately after its completion, Tsarong began planning a more ambitious structure across the Kyichu, the Kyichu Bridge which was to be located east of Lhasa. The project was given the seal of approval from the Tibetan government and Tsarong had organised the purchase of steel girders from Calcutta to be used to construct it.  However, growing concerns over the Chinese meant the project had to be abandoned. Later after the Chinese successfully annexed Tibet, they would finance a notable bridge at Perong, close to the original site.
caption: Rai Bahadur Norbhu Dhondhup, Trimon and Tsarong
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