歷史記載

背景

唐貞觀八年（634年），松贊幹布遣使出使唐朝，唐太宗遣行人馮德遐出使吐蕃。松贊幹布得知突厥和吐谷渾都迎娶了唐朝公主為妃，便再次派人到唐朝，提出要娶一位唐朝公主。唐太宗認為吐蕃無足輕重，便拒絕了這一要求。由於當時吐谷渾王諾曷缽入唐朝見，吐蕃特使回來後便告訴松贊幹布，聲稱吐谷渾王從中作梗，致使唐朝拒絕這個婚約。638年，松贊幹布遂以此為藉口，出兵大破吐谷渾、党項、白蘭羌，直逼唐朝的松州（今四川松潘），又派使者前往長安威脅唐太宗，聲稱若唐朝不答應和親，吐蕃便要大舉入侵唐朝。唐朝的松州都督韓威率軍迎戰，被吐蕃擊敗。闊州（位于今松潘縣北黃勝關北）刺史叢臥施、諾州（位于松潘縣北）刺史把利步利以闊、諾二州歸附吐蕃，周圍的羌族部落也紛紛倒戈投向吐蕃，並引誘吐蕃入侵唐朝，唐朝西部邊境為之震動。吐蕃的強盛引起唐太宗的重視，唐太宗以吏部尚書侯君集為當彌道行軍大總管，以右領軍大將軍執失思力為白蘭道、左武衛將軍牛進達為闊水道、左領軍將軍劉簡為洮河道行軍總管，率唐軍出擊。西藏方面的文獻一致表示此戰吐蕃獲勝。如班欽·索南扎巴的《新紅史》就強調唐太宗原本並不願意嫁公主，是在武力威脅之下才同意和親。唐朝方面記載牛進達率領唐軍先鋒部隊，趁夜間不備，擊敗吐蕃軍。吐蕃死傷千餘人，松贊幹布率大軍後撤以避其兵鋒。吐蕃的數位大臣請求返回，松贊幹布不聽。八名大臣通過自殺的方式來勸諫，使得松贊幹布最終決定撤軍，並退出占領的吐谷渾、党項、白蘭羌地區，此時侯君集率領的唐軍主力尚未到達。唐朝的強盛令松贊幹布大為震驚，松贊幹布遣祿東贊前往長安，獻「獻金五千兩，自余寶玩數百事」以謝罪，並多次催促和親。貞觀年間，由于唐朝過于強大，吐蕃還完全不足與之抗衡。

和親

傳說布達拉宮是松贊幹布為迎娶尺尊公主和文成公主所建。貞觀十五年（641年），江夏郡王、禮部尚書李道宗護送文成公主入吐蕃，以釋迦牟尼像、珍寶、經書、經典360卷等作為嫁妝。松贊幹布從邏些（今西藏拉薩）趕到柏海（柏海在烏海西南，烏海在青海西南2000多里）迎接。唐封他為駙馬都尉、西海郡王。此後，吐蕃與唐朝成為盟友，松贊幹布曾遣貴族子弟赴長安學習詩書，後又出兵天竺救出唐使，不過這一盟友關係在松贊幹布死後不久便宣告破裂。文成公主在拉薩城北建立小昭寺，以供奉其帶至吐蕃的佛像。

根據敦煌出土文獻《吐蕃大事記年》記載，文成公主與松贊幹布結婚後不久，松贊幹布便親自征討象雄，花費了三年時間將象雄兼併。文成公主和松贊幹布僅生活了數年，兩人之間並未生育子女，之後文成公主在吐蕃寡居了三十年。她得到了吐蕃人的尊重。永隆元年（680年），文成公主在邏些城病逝。根據《于闐教法史》683年，吐蕃進行公開祭祀並下葬，唐朝遣使臣赴吐蕃祭奠。

根據《舊唐書·吐蕃傳》的說法，文成公主不喜歡吐蕃人「赭面」（以紅顏料塗面），松贊幹布下令廢除這項習俗。但事實上這一習俗仍長期風行于吐蕃，青海都蘭出土的吐蕃墓木板畫上存在赭面的吐蕃人，便是此習俗仍舊存在的証明。後來赭面的習俗甚至傳入唐朝，白居易有詩作「元和妝梳君記取，髻椎面赭非華風」說明吐蕃的赭面之風傳入唐朝。

後世的吐蕃贊普在與唐朝來往時，往往自稱文成公主的後代，對唐朝皇帝聲稱是「甥舅關係」。例如赤德祖贊致唐玄宗的國書就稱：「外甥是先皇帝舅宿親，又蒙降金城公主，遂和同為一家。天下百姓，普皆安樂。」

西藏鎮魔圖

根據藏傳佛教文獻的說法，文成公主精通占卜之術，認為吐蕃地形如羅剎女仰臥之形，有不少厲鬼、精靈和非人。為了壓制魔鬼，松贊幹布先後興建了邊壓寺、再壓寺、四壓肢寺、九對治寺，以及昌珠寺等佛教寺院，以壓制魔鬼。朗達瑪滅佛期間，文成公主曾被反佛派的大相韋·甲多熱污衊為羅剎女。

傳說

藏傳佛教徒對松贊幹布及其二妃十分尊崇。根據藏傳佛教的傳說，觀世音菩薩體內射出四種光芒，松贊幹布是其胸口光芒投胎于卓薩妥噶王妃（一譯「赤薩兌嘎」）而應運出生的。此後，觀世音菩薩左眼之光化身為泥婆羅的赤尊公主，右眼之光化身為唐朝的文成公主，口中之光芒化為法身要義六名。另一種說法是，觀世音菩薩因為見到吐蕃人民的痛苦，流下兩滴眼淚，成為度母，化身為兩位公主，至吐蕃來解除人民的苦難：其中白度母變身為尺尊公主，而文成公主為綠度母的化身。藏傳佛教文獻多聲稱松贊幹布迎娶二妃的目的是為了弘揚佛教。在舉行坐床儀式的時候，被認定為祖古的轉世靈童都要向如來佛祖、松贊幹布、文成公主、蓮花生大師、白朗木女神以及宗喀巴大師等藏傳佛教重要人物的塑像進獻哈達，以表示尊敬。

大昭寺原本供有文成公主與松贊幹布、尼婆羅公主的泥胎塑像。文革中被毀，今日復元重修。

相關作品

• 1962年，話劇《文成公主》，由田漢編劇。

• 1981年，笙協奏曲《文成公主》，由高揚、張式功、唐富共同創作。

• 2000年，電視劇《文成公主》（20集），由中國內蒙古電影製片廠、山東煙臺渤霖經貿公司聯合製作，李琳飾演文成公主。

• 2001年，電視劇《文成公主》（20集），由中國中央電視台製作，曹穎飾演文成公主；本劇在史實基礎上進行了大量改編。

• 2006年，京劇藏戲《文成公主》，由中國國家京劇院與西藏自治區藏戲團共同創作，鄧敏飾演文成公主。

• 2016年，唐美雲歌仔戲團《文成公主》，許秀年飾演文成公主。

• 2020年，中國中央電視台綜藝節目《國家寶藏 (第三季)》第3期（12月20日），楊紫飾演文成公主。與之合作表演的，是擁有「當代文成公主」美譽的西藏大學原副校長——張廷芳。

注釋

Chinese accounts of Princess Wencheng

Life

According to Chinese accounts, in the spring of 634 on an official state visit to Imperial China, Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo fell in love at first sight and had relentlessly pursued the princess hand by sending envoys and tributes but was refused.

Allegedly, in 635/636, Royal Tibetan forces were deployed, attacking and defeating the peoples of Tuyuhun who strategically lived near the Lake of Koko Nor in present-day Qinghai, impeding a trade route into Imperial China. News of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo's attack on Songzhou quickly spread from the ground to the Royal Courtiers, and Emperor Taizhou despatched his Militia and defeated Songtsen Gampo's army, causing Songtsen Gampo's retreat. He then sent a written expressed apology to the Tang Emperor. The Tang Emperor upon seeing Songtsen Gampo's sincerity, then agreed to marry the princess to the Tibetan king.

Tibetan sources (and Chinese sources not aligned with the PRC government), by contrast, say Songtsen Gampo sent an envoy to Luoyang, the Tang capital demanding (rather than requesting) a Chinese bride and insisting he would lead 50,000 battle-hardened Tibetan troops to the sparsely defended capital and slaughter the inhabitants if he was not given this tribute. According to historian Pan Yihong, the Tang emperor refused this demand and Gampo's army marched into China, burning city after city until they reached the walls of Luoyang, where the repeatedly-crushed Tang Army finally defeated the Tibetans in a single minor skirmish, thus enabling the Tang Emperor to save face by presenting his daughter as a "truce" rather than the tribute of the vanquished to the vanquisher.

Legacy

According to the Tibetan history, the Songtsen Gampo's and Princess Wencheng's union brought hopes of promoting a harmonious, matrimonial relationship between the peoples of Tibet and China.

Princess Wencheng's life is depicted in novels such as the Maṇi bka' 'bum and the famed historiographies of Rgyal rabs Gsal ba'i Me long.

Tradruk Temple in Nêdong allegedly commemorates Princess Wencheng: a thangka embroidered by the Princess is kept in one of its chapels.

Two traditional days, the fifteenth day of the fourth month and the fifteenth day of the tenth month of each Tibetan year, are marked by singing and dancing in honor of Princess Wencheng.

Historical relics such as the statues of Songtsen Gampo with Princess Wencheng are still worshiped and displayed for all to see along the trail of their wedding trip as well as in the Potala Palace at Lhasa.

Chinese claims of influence

Allegedly, Princess Wencheng brought with her promises of trade agreements, maps on the Silk Road and a substantial amount of dowry which contained not only gold, but fine furniture, silks, porcelains, books, jewelry, musical instruments, and medical books.

Also, Princess Wencheng allegedly arrived with new agricultural methods. This possibly included the introduction of seeds of grains, and rapeseed, other farming tools and advice on how to increase Tibetan agricultural productivity in the region.

Chinese sources credit Princess Wencheng for introducing Tibet with other skills in metallurgy, farming, weaving, and construction. However, at least one of these is questionable because the Tang Historian Du Fu notes Tibet's metallurgical skills in terms suggesting they surpassed those known to Tang China. The Tang Annals report that Songsten Gampo wrote to Emperor Taizong in 648, requesting paper, ink, and other writing utensils. This has been taken by some modern Chinese sources to mean that the princess was involved in the request, and thereby introduced the methods of Chinese ink and paper production to Tibet. However, archaeological evidence indicates that papermaking technology was known in Tibet before the princess' arrival, likely spreading through southern trade routes.

Princess Wencheng is revered in China for being one of the brides who brought Chinese culture to the peoples beyond their borders - expanding their civilization with culture and knowledge.

Princess Wencheng as propaganda

Since the 2000s, the Chinese state has been presenting an historical drama in Tibet which outlines the history of Tibet and especially the history of Chinese influence in the region. The drama seems to focus on the life and legacy of Princess Wencheng, depicting her relationship with King Songtsen Gampo and all of the cultural influences which she allegedly had on Tibet.

Footnotes

References and further reading

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