Due principesse cinesi alla corte imperiale tibetana: il ruolo diplomatico e politico della principessa Wencheng e della principessa di Jincheng tra i secoli VII e VIII

Résumé En

In classical Tibetan historiography it is possible to find numerous mentions of the two Sino-Tibetan marriages that took place during the imperial period (circa 620-850 AD). However, what do we know about the diplomatic and political role that Princess Wencheng (tib. 'Un shing kong jo, cin. 文成公主) and Princess of Jincheng (Tib. Kim Sheng kong co, Cin. 金城公主) played during their presence at the Tibetan court? Tibetology seldom speaks about the role that the two princesses married to the Tibetan btsan po had during the VII th and the VIII th centuries. This preliminary research provides, by combining the use of ancient Tibetan sources and Chinese documents, details on the functions and influences exercised by both princesses at the court of the btsan po. Princess Wencheng and Princess of Jincheng played a direct and an indirect part in diplomatic and political relations between the Chinese and the Tibetan court, often determining the outcome: for example, Princess Wencheng acted as an intermediary in a demand for a matrimonial alliance addressed to the Chinese court by the Tibetan emperor and Princess of Jincheng played a key role in setting the terms of a Sino-Tibetan peace treaty. Besides this direct involvement in specific events, Princess ofJincheng played also an important indirect part in diplomatic and political relationship by actively participating in Sino-Tibetan correspondence or asking, on behalf of the Tibetan court, a certain number of Confucian Classics to the Chinese court.