Miserable lives of serfs in old Tibet

Source: CCTV.com | 03-28-2009 13:47

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March 28th marks the 50th anniversary of democratic reform in Tibet. As Li Xiang discovered, the miserable lives led by serfs were a direct result of the feudal serfdom system of theocracy in old Tibet.

Miserable lives of serfs in old Tibet

Serfs in old Tibet were originally farmers, who had no land to farm.

One major reason was that virtually all the land was owned by government officials, nobles, and senior monks, a group that accounted for less than five percent of the total population.

Farmers then had no choice except to rent fields from the three groups who did own land.