 Through the 7th to 9th centuries in Tibet, southwest China, there existed a famous regime -- the Tibetan Regime. Its first ruler, King Songtsen Gambo (617-650), was an accomplished leader. Unifying all the tribes in Tibet, he made Lhasa the capital. He then developed production, created a Tibetan language, made laws, set up official and military systems, and established a Tibetan slavery system.
In order to absorb central China's advanced culture, Songtsen Gambo married Tang Dynasty's Princess Wen Cheng in 641, sent Tibetan aristocratic children to Chang'an for study, invited Han people to take charge of his official documents and letters, dispatched his people to learn central China's production techniques and technology, and otherwise promoted economic and cultural exchange between the Han and Tibetan areas.
In 649 the Tang regime granted him title "Commandant-escort." Songtsen Gambo made great contributions to the social, economic and cultural development of the Tibetan region, to good relations between Han and Tibetan people, and to formation and development of a multi-national China.
According to such Tibetan history books as Grand Ceremonies of the Wise, Chronicle of Tibetan Kings and Officials and Chronicles of Tibetan Kings and Clansmen, there were altogether 35 tombs of Tibetan Kings and concubines, divided into groups, with each group centered in a separate area.
The largest group of known tombs was located on Mure Mountain at the southern bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River, southwest of the Zongsam Mountain and beside the Yarlung River (today under the jurisdiction of Qongyai County in the Tibetan Autonomous Region). Surrounded by open ground and benefiting from moderate weather, rich soil, and beautiful landscape, this area with its favorable natural conditions was the birthplace of the ancient Tibetan nationality and the old home of the founding King, Songtsen Gambo.
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