Collections : [C.V. Starr East Asian Library]

Collection of nearly 100 documents, mostly handwritten in Tibetan, produced or gathered by the Neighborhood Committee Number Three (Tib. Grong lhan ang gsum pa) in Lhasa, primarily from 1959-1972. About one-third of the materials are handwritten registries from 1959-1961, listing residents, personal property, and alleged crimes. A second set of materials include four notebooks and other statements documenting struggle sessions against Lhamon Yeshe Tsultrim (Tib. Lha-smon Ye-shes-tshul-khrims, 1913-77), a senior secretary for the Panchen Lama at Tashilhunpo Monastery. In sum, these papers constitute primary resources for the study of the Democratic Reforms campaign (Tib. Dmangs gtso bco ʼgyur ; Ch. Min zhu gai ge), as implemented in Tibet. The remaining materials date to the Cultural Revolution, particularly 1966-1972, and include the personal files of previous landowners, transcripts of self-criticisms, and several other autobiographical statements. The collection also includes a handful of published documents (handbills, study-books, and speeches).

The Tharchin Collection consists primarily of correspondence, publications and drafts, photographs, daybooks and financial accounts, and autobiographical materials. The geographic coverage of the collection spans both sides of the Himalayas, in particular, the activities of intellectuals, officials, missionaries, and other historical figures in India, Sikkim, and Tibet.