Abstract

The Revolution in 1911 marked China’s political transformation from an empire to a modern nationalist country. Any regime established after the revolution devoted itself to the same cause of building a modern nationalist country. From 1911 to 1958，the national governing bodies at basic levels strongly influenced the evolution of the political system in Tibetan-inhabited areas in Southern Gansu. The national governing system finally replaced the system of combination of politics and religion in the area. Meanwhile this political revolution transformed Gannan Tibetan area from a traditional society to a modern society.

The political system of Gannan Tibetan area was nourished in a peculiar environment. Combined with the ideology of the Tibetan-transmitted Buddhism and based on the local political and religious system，it gained a mature development at the end of Qing Dynasty. The Raxisereng Temple and the Yamen of Zhouni Tusi were the two systems of combination of politics and religion，playing the role of a local government and opposing the penetration of the national regime. From 1911，the very environment was changed，in which，the system of combination of politics and religion in Gannan Tibetan area was born and developed. Besides，the establishment of a national regime posed a big threat to that system. In 1911，a conflict erupted between the Ninghai troops and the Raxisereng Temple and continued for about ten successive years. Another example is the Boyu Incident. In the name of reconciling，governing bodies representing the national regime penetrated into the area，which had adopted the system of combination of politics and religion. In 1927，the governing body of Raxisereng was established（replaced by Xiahe county in 1928）. The governing body of Zhuoni was established in 1937. The penetration of a national regime into the Tibetan area was of significance. The prominent political figures in the system of combination of politics and religion and were later strongly influenced by the secular values and initiated a series of reforms，thus quickening the transformation of the political system and the social life in Gannan Tibetan area.

The years from 1937 to 1949 witnessed a fierce struggle between national governing bodies at basic levels and the local system of combination of politics and religion. Because of the long existence and prevalence of the system of combination of politics and religion，the governing bodies representing the national regime was disadvantaged in the struggle. As a result，the efforts to legalize the national governing bodies in these areas failed and the national governing bodies were highly marginalized. Under such a circumstance，the governing efficiency of these institutes was weakened. They just played a very limited role in transforming the society because of the prevalent influence of religion in these Tibetan areas. On the other hand，the existence of the national governing bodies at basic levels popularized the idea of nationalism and helped to build a general framework of a modern society. All these laid a solid foundation for the later politicians to build a modern national country and quicken the transformation of the society.

From 1949 to 1958，acknowledging the legality of the system of combination of politics and religion and basing its policies on the real situation，the Chinese Communist Party successfully established a new political system in the autonomous region and finally completed the construction of a national regime in Tibetan areas by educating the local upper class and training a great number of minority people as the officials. Later when the policy of autonomous rule was adopted and the socialist reform was completed，the level of productivity and the prosperity of the Tibetan-inhabited areas were enhanced.

The transformation of the political system and social life in Gannan Tibetan area was characterized with separation of religion from politics and the expansion of national regime at basic levels. In the process of transformation，the modernization of Gannan Tibetan area went through outer influence，insertion and natural growth. Meanwhile the local political transformation from 1911 to 1958 became a driving force of the modernization in Gannan Tibetan area in Southern Gansu. Therefore，the political features of the transformation were evident.

Keywords：Gannan Tibetan Area；Local Political System；Social Transformation