The local government of Tibet, known as Gaxag, represented the will and interests of the two large groups in Tibet, monks and noble laymen. At the same time, it was on of the major estate-holders itself. Together, the three of them owned all the land of Tibet. The Gaxag government was supposed to be the highest administrative body. Its power, however, was limited to administration of secular affairs; religious affairs were administered by monk officials. Sovereignty over both religious and temporal affairs was in the hands of the Divine King. i.e. the Dalai Lama, or his representative the regent. From the Gaxag government down to the county governments, monk and lay officials shared the administrative posts, with the former higher than the latter in rank. Under the Gaxag government and the religious organs, there were various bodies in charge of the administration of finance and taxation. The office of the Gaxag was usually on the second floor of the Jokhang Monastery, but some of its functions were carried out in the Potala Palace or in offices called Shol at the foot of the Potala Palace, and in the Norbu Lingka. The monk and lay officials wore different robes. There were rules, going into minute detail, stipulating the different colors and materials of robes for the different ranks of officials, as well as the different kinds of precious stones which they were allowed to wear in their hair. However, all officials wore an earring in their left ear, which hung down over the shoulder. The earring differentiated them from commoners. Interestingly, each official carried a small cloth bag at his waist, containing a pair of chopsticks and a bowl. The date for changing into summer robes was the eighth day of the third month by the Tibetan calendar, while the date for changing into winter robes was the 25th day of the 10th month. This regulation was strictly followed.

In the city of Lhasa, there were parks known as lingka where lay and clerical officials gathered for parties. The Lingka Festival (World Incense Day) was held annually, hosted and funded by officials in turn. In summer, the officials would make appointments to go to a lingka with their whole families, all in their best clothes, especially the women. Tents were erected in clearings in the woods, segregated according to rank and sex. There was a great deal of ostentation in the ornaments and decorations for the tents, and it was not uncommon for a host to spend his life savings on one such party. Fortunately, since there were so many officials, the duty to host such a party would normally only come round once in a lifetime.

The party hosted by the Gagax government at the annual Lingka Festival was, of course, the most sumptuous. Professional dancers and singers were hired, at enormous expense. The feast was hosted in turn by the four Kalons. Each would try to outdo his predecessor of previous year. There were so many temporal and religious festivals, that it was said that officials spent half the year celebrating festivals. After the Lingka Festival, there came the seven-day Shoton (Yogurt) Festival. Officials spent most of the summer at leisure out in the open. Old Lhasa was indeed a paradise for those who had power or money, but today the ordinary people of Tibet can enjoy such parties too, as they are entitled to a one-week Shoton Festival holiday, apart from statutory public holidays. Another long holiday is the Tibetan New Year, which again lasts for seven days.

The Gaxag is regarded as a local government because its nature and function were similar to that of a government. But it would be very difficult to consider it a government by either Chinese or Western standards as far as the structure of the organization or roles of officials are concerned. Except for those of the Dalai Lama, who was also known as the Divine King, and the regent, who was regarded as the governor of Tibet for a limited period of time, the duties and responsibilities of the officials are not clear. For instance, Lonchen and Srid-blon are translated "prime minister" by some Western Tibetologists. Both were new positions created by the 13th Daial Lama for the purpose of striking a balance of power. In practice, they had no real power. Likewise, it would be quite impossible to put the organizations of the Gaxag in the perspective of a government of today because of differences of political systems, structures and duties. Its function was a combination of religion and politics.

What is particularly strange about the Gaxag was that it was sometimes not in a ruling position when it came to political affairs, not to mention religious affairs. Administration of monasteries was not within its jurisdiction. Very often, it was only one part of a triangular power relationship formed together with the organized monasteries and the army. Sometimes, it allied with monasteries to contain and oppose the army; sometimes, it collaborated with the army in a struggle against the monasteries. When a Dalai Lama or a regent managed to exercise autocratic rule, the role of the Gaxag was even more limited. Then its functions were confined to handling documents.

Besides, because all the land and the people who worked on it belonged to their masters, the government's administrative work was extremely simple. Its primary work involved collection of taxes, and arrangement of corvee labor and religious activities, and related expenses.

One peculiar task of the Tibetan government was the investigation and collection of all sorts of information about strange happenings and mysterious signs. There are a large number of such reports and instructions stored in the Tibet Archives. For example, it had to be reported if a sheep gave birth to a litter of lambs, or a mule became pregnant. A sheep giving birth to two lambs or more was regarded as an auspicious sign, and the owner would be given a reward. A mule giving birth was regarded as a bad omen, and monks had to be invited to chant Buddhist scriptures to drive away the bad luck. In 1859, the Fiery Dragon Year by the Tibetan calendar, a couple in Xegar County gave birth to a son whose face was black on the right side and fair on the left. In addition, the baby had hair all over his body. A report about this baby was submitted to the Gaxag. Regent Reting thought it a bad omen, and instructed that a Buddhist ceremony be held to ward off any calamity. Another case was a report made by Sox County to the Gaxag that a newly born baby had white hair and white eyebrows. The Gaxag held that it was a bad omen, and instructed that the Kangyur Scripture must be chanted at a Buddhist ceremony to dispel the evil influence.

Officers and men of the Tibetan army and young aristocrats were quick to pick up new things in the early years of the 20th century. They learned how to play football from British visitors, and playing football became somewhat fashionable-until the Gaxag issued a decree banning the sport. The reason? Some monk had noticed that the ball resembled the head of Sakyamuni, and deemed the kicking of such a diving image sacrilegious.

Another strange custom was that only the sun, the moon and the constellations were allowed to look down upon the supreme ruler, the Dalai Lama. One year, a British official in Lhasa fell ill, and the British government of India wanted to evacuate him to a hospital by helicopter. But the Tibetan government would not hear of it: No person was permitted to fly over the head of the Dalai Lama. As a result, the Briton died of illness. A similar incident occurred during World War II, when a U.S. Air Force plane lost its way when flying over the Himalayas. The pilot and co-pilot parachuted to safety, and were escorted to Lhasa by representatives of the government of the Republic of China. But on the way they narrowly escaped lynching at the hands of mobs of Tibetans, incensed that they had dared to look down on the Divine King from the sky.

Whenever an important decision, political or religious, was to be made, oracles would be consulted. A sorcerer's mumbling words or some arcane gesture would be regarded as infallible....