Elliot Sperling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elliot Sperling
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Sperling at PEN America/ Free Expression Literature, May 2014.
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| Born | January 4, 1951 |
| Died | January 29, 2017 (aged 66) |
| Alma mater | Queens College |
Elliot Sperling (born January 4, 1951 – died January 29, 2017) was a very important historian. He was known for his deep knowledge of Tibet and its relationship with China. He also received a special award called the MacArthur Fellowship.
Most of his career was spent as a professor at Indiana University. He taught in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies. For seven years, he even led the department as its chair.
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About Elliot Sperling's Life
Elliot Sperling grew up in New York City. His family taught him how important education, hard work, and helping others were. Because of this, he cared about social issues from a young age.
Early Travels and Discoveries
In the early 1970s, Sperling went to Queens College. This was during a time of big social changes. It made him even more eager to make a difference in the world. While in college, he loved to travel.
He took a long trip from Istanbul to Delhi. Along the way, he visited amazing cities like Erzurum and Tehran. This trip made him even more excited to learn about faraway places. He especially loved India and its culture. He visited India many times later in his life.
A New Path of Study
When he returned from Delhi, he met Tibetans who were living outside their home country. This meeting changed his mind about what to study. He decided to focus on East Asian studies.
Sperling learned Chinese very well, even studying the language in Taiwan. Then, he went to Indiana University. This university became a very important place for his career. The department he joined was famous. This was partly because Taktser Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama's older brother, was a professor there.
Sperling learned both modern and old Tibetan languages. He also improved his Chinese skills. In 1983, he finished his PhD paper. It was about China's early policies towards Tibet. This paper became a very important study on the topic.
Teaching and Mentoring
Elliot Sperling started his teaching career at the University of Southern Mississippi. Soon after, he received the famous MacArthur Fellowship. This award helps talented people pursue their work.
In 1987, Sperling returned to Indiana University as a professor. He was a beloved teacher there until 2015. He also taught as a visiting professor at other universities, like Harvard. Over the years, he guided many students. These students went on to have successful careers all over the world.
After he retired, Sperling moved back to Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City. This area is known for its lively Tibetan community. Elliot Sperling passed away in January 2017.
Elliot Sperling's Research Work
Elliot Sperling's research mainly used old writings in Tibetan and Chinese. He studied big questions about who controlled certain lands and how different groups of people lived together. He also looked at how China treated Tibet and the complex roles of Tibetan officials.
He wrote about many different people, including government workers, monks, and messengers. His research covered many time periods, from the ninth century up to recent times.
Sperling was especially known for his studies on the Tangut people. He also researched how the Mongols influenced Tibet. He wrote about important leaders like the 5th Dalai Lama. His work helped us understand Tibet's situation under the Qing dynasty.
A Fair and Honest Voice
Elliot Sperling was known for being a fair and honest voice. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
- He criticized the Chinese government for its harsh rules in Tibet. He even did this when he was in China.
- He also criticized the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. He felt they sometimes didn't understand China's true intentions.
- He didn't agree with people who thought Tibet was a perfect, untouched spiritual place.
- He didn't like scholars who just followed popular academic trends.
In 2014, a special book was published to honor him. It was called Trails of the Tibetan Tradition: Papers for Elliot Sperling.
Standing Up for Human Rights
Elliot Sperling was also a strong supporter of human rights. He showed this by helping Ilham Tohti. Tohti was a professor from China who was supposed to visit Indiana University. However, he was arrested at the airport and later sentenced to life in prison. Many international groups said the charges against him were false.
Sperling became one of the loudest voices arguing that Ilham Tohti was innocent. He worked hard to get Tohti released. This wasn't new for Sperling. He had worked with the U.S. Department of State on religious freedom. He also spoke to many important groups around the world. These included committees in the French Senate, the British Parliament, and the U.S. Congress.
His knowledge was especially helpful for issues about human rights in Tibet. He also advised on relations between Tibet and China, ethnic groups in China, and U.S.-China relations. His opinions were published in major newspapers like the New York Times. After he passed away, many people praised him. They called him a true friend of the Tibetan people and a strong fighter for Tibetan freedom.
