U-Tsang Empire

## Info

The U-Tsang Empire, also called the Tibetan Empire, controls the Great Snow Mountain Holy Land, a land of snow-capped mountains, located west of the Great Tang, the U-Tsang Empire and divided into various clans.

The Ü-Tsang empire operated on a feudal system, where the various regions were governed by powers chosen by the royal family. In the capital Luosuo, power was centered in the hands of Me Agtsom, and he distributed the power of governance via the Four King Lineages, which were ruled by his four younger brothers. Me Agtsom lorded over the Four Imperial Factions governed by his four younger brothers, namely Ngari Faction, Lhasa Faction, Yatse Faction, and Yarlung Faction.

U-Tsang had four Royal Lineages, four Great Ministers, and one Prime Minister.

## Great Generals

We Tadra Khonglo

Dusong Mangpoje

Huoshu Huicang

## Clans

*Clan Dusong*

*Clan Dayan*

## Kingdoms

Around the U-Tsang Empire, there are numerous small kingdoms.

*Greater Balur*

*Lesser Balur*

*Shi Kingdom*

*Kang Kingdom*

*Tukhara Kingdom*

(Ch.727)

the U-Tsang Empire has a smaller Metallurgical production than that of the Great Tang

U-Tsang empire becomes Great Tang's greatest rival empire ...

U-Tsang's Empire threatens to launch a major invasion of the central plains with a large cavalry army ...

*Wang Chong possessed some knowledge of Tibetans. It was true that the Tibetans were shorter than most Han, but that did not hinder the ferocity of their soldiers. Their men practiced the celestial burial and considered it an honor. Their greatest trademark was the scimitars they wielded, which allowed them to slice any opponent in two from the top of their steeds.*

*Very few armies in the world could withstand the Tibetan cavalry as they charged from the highest altitude of their plateau wave after wave.*

*Not even the strongest halo of war in the fortifications could guarantee that an army would be able to withstand the furious charge of the Tibetans.*

*However, it was fortunate that the Tibetans shared an extremely Han-like trait ... a deep passion for their homeland.*

*They always thought the plateau was superior to any other land, even though the Han thought the environment there was dangerous.*

*So even if the Tibetans managed to destroy a city, they would still quickly return to their plateau. This was also the reason why, even though there were Hu, Arab, Persian, Sindhi, Goguryeon and Nanzhao men here, there were simply no Tibetans in this region.*

(chapter 328)

In the U-Tsang Empire, there are four Royal Lineages (Four Imperial Factions).

*Ngari Faction, Lhasa Faction, Yatse Faction, and Yarlung Faction.*

## ***Military Forces***

Cavalry troops of the U-Tsang Empire are much feared, even by the troops of the great Tang ...

The Tibetans had different armies according to the different terrains, dividing their army into the Plains Army, the Steppe Army, and the Mountain Army. Of these, the Mountain Army was the most formidable. (Ch.766)

*Plains Army*

*Steppe Army*

*Mountain Army*

*White Lion Cavalry*

of all three Tibetan armies, the Mountain Army and the strongest and most powerful army ...

The average strength of the Mountain Army was far greater than that of the other armies, and they were not only extremely strong. The horses that they rode had undergone special training. Not only were they more muscular than the normal highland steed, they could run even faster, and their flesh was tougher, able to endure intense pursuit and collisions.

Most importantly, all the soldiers of the Mountain Army had participated in attacks on other countries. They were all richly-experienced veterans.

Everyone in Qixi knew that the Mountain Army of Ü-Tsang had once detoured around Qixi and entered the steppe, where they defeated a force of Western Turkic cavalry that far outnumbered them.

But when fighting the Mountain Army, the Qixi Protectorate army would often have a casualty ratio of eight to ten. To put it another way, for every eight Tibetan deaths, at least ten Qixi Protectorate soldiers would have to accompany them to the grave.

Of the armies of the Tibetan Plateau, the Mountain Army was the one that made the Qixi Protectorate army most apprehensive.

The U-Tsang Empire raises Vultures, using them as military birds, which in the skies fight against Eagles, used as military birds by the Great Tang Empire

## ***Martial Techniques***

in the U-Tsang Empire martial techniques are never handed down orally, in these lands, martial arts are handed down through secret manuals ...

The method that Tibetans used to pass down their martial arts was completely different from the Central Plains. They would inscribe the techniques on a very special and refined material, utilizing golden and silver powder, thick with the aura of Buddhism. In Ü-Tsang, these items that passed down their techniques through the ages were called *'Bon Kha*'. All their martial arts were written on these *'Bon Kha*'.

And given that Batunlu was a commander, he had to have obtained a Bon Kha to learn the techniques that he had learned, or else once had access to one. (Ch. 504)

## ***History***

Faced with the rise of the empire of the great Tang, caused by Wang Chong, the U-Tsang Empire decided to sign an alliance with the Khaganate Empire, overcoming years and years of rivalry and divergences, creating a common front, to fight the empire of the Great Tang, which every day became stronger and more powerful ...

Ü-Tsang and the Turks had never been a unified whole. Long before the Great Tang had entered the Western Regions, the two sides had been locked in a fierce struggle. If not for the fact that a third party, Great Tang, had invaded and taken control of the entire Western Regions, taking the focus of both the Tibetans and the Turks, the two parties would still have been fighting.

Although there were no longer many conflicts between Ü-Tsang and the Western Turks, if they succeeded in defeating the Great Tang, the two sides would once again be enemies. (Ch.898)

## ***Characters***

*Dayan Mangban*

*Dusong Mangpoje*

*Batunlu*

*We Tadra Khonglo*: Tibetan General, the commander of White Lion Cavalry

*Namri Songtian*