In 1532, Said Khan, ruler of a sizable Muslim sultanate in Central Asia, decided to launch a holy war for Tibet. The khan was under the misconception that Lhasa was some sort of Mecca for Buddhism - and, after all, what could be greater than destroying the Mecca of idolatry?
For some strange reason Said Khan and his chief general Mirza Haydar decided to attack Tibet in September, meaning the war would be fought in winter on the highest plateau in the world. Mirza Haydar easily conquered Ladakh in western Tibet, proclaiming that "there is a general invitation to Muhammad's religion" and killing the "wretches" who dared resist the invasion. Unfortunately Haydar soon learned that Said Khan, who was invading Tibet from the north, had fallen unconscious due to altitude sickness. Soon enough, winter forced the Muslims to abandon the campaign.
The next year, when spring came, Said Khan and Mirza Haydar returned to Tibet. Apparently the invaders did not strike a very imposing image, since one Tibetan village supposedly gave gifts to them out of pity. Another village resisted the invasion with stones and was totally wiped out. Said Khan then collapsed to altitude sickness once more and finally quit Tibet, ordering Haydar to "tuck the shirt of endeavor into the belt of holy war and proceed with the destruction" of the infidels on his own. The only aid the khan could offer was to "help you [Haydar] by praying for your welfare."
On July 4, 1533, Mirza Haydar marched towards Lhasa. He explicitly ordered his troops to not attack any of the impregnable Tibetan forts, then rode out with a small vanguard of cavalry to check the terrain. By the end of August Haydar had won a small victory, destroying a camp of nomads and capturing hundreds of thousands of sheep and yaks. So he waited for the rest of his army to come.
They never came. His troops had decided to attack one of the forts after all. While the Muslims were busy trying to take the fort, an Indian ally of the Tibetans sent three thousand Hindu infantrymen to Tibet. The Muslims were outnumbered and every man was killed, including Haydar's brother.
Haydar wanted to carry on. But winter was coming while all his horses, accustomed to the dry plains of Central Asia, had died of cold and altitude sickness. He decided to retreat and finally returned to Ladakh in January, by which point every one of the Muslims were suffering from severe frostbite. By that point Said Khan had died of asthma and his successor ordered Haydar to return. So the "Great Lhasa Jihad" ended in abject failure.
Could it have succeeded?
If so, what would the repercussions of a Turko-Muslim Tibet be?
For some strange reason Said Khan and his chief general Mirza Haydar decided to attack Tibet in September, meaning the war would be fought in winter on the highest plateau in the world. Mirza Haydar easily conquered Ladakh in western Tibet, proclaiming that "there is a general invitation to Muhammad's religion" and killing the "wretches" who dared resist the invasion. Unfortunately Haydar soon learned that Said Khan, who was invading Tibet from the north, had fallen unconscious due to altitude sickness. Soon enough, winter forced the Muslims to abandon the campaign.
The next year, when spring came, Said Khan and Mirza Haydar returned to Tibet. Apparently the invaders did not strike a very imposing image, since one Tibetan village supposedly gave gifts to them out of pity. Another village resisted the invasion with stones and was totally wiped out. Said Khan then collapsed to altitude sickness once more and finally quit Tibet, ordering Haydar to "tuck the shirt of endeavor into the belt of holy war and proceed with the destruction" of the infidels on his own. The only aid the khan could offer was to "help you [Haydar] by praying for your welfare."
On July 4, 1533, Mirza Haydar marched towards Lhasa. He explicitly ordered his troops to not attack any of the impregnable Tibetan forts, then rode out with a small vanguard of cavalry to check the terrain. By the end of August Haydar had won a small victory, destroying a camp of nomads and capturing hundreds of thousands of sheep and yaks. So he waited for the rest of his army to come.
They never came. His troops had decided to attack one of the forts after all. While the Muslims were busy trying to take the fort, an Indian ally of the Tibetans sent three thousand Hindu infantrymen to Tibet. The Muslims were outnumbered and every man was killed, including Haydar's brother.
Haydar wanted to carry on. But winter was coming while all his horses, accustomed to the dry plains of Central Asia, had died of cold and altitude sickness. He decided to retreat and finally returned to Ladakh in January, by which point every one of the Muslims were suffering from severe frostbite. By that point Said Khan had died of asthma and his successor ordered Haydar to return. So the "Great Lhasa Jihad" ended in abject failure.
Could it have succeeded?
If so, what would the repercussions of a Turko-Muslim Tibet be?