Under circumstances of extreme duress, artistic culture suffers greatly as survival becomes peoples most pressing priority. The disruptive events of the 20th century in Tibet destroyed much of the nation's cultural wealth accumulated over 12 centuries. More than the physical expressions of this great civilization were destroyed, for the upheavals that shook Tibet from 1949 to 1978 also eliminated many of the heirs and practitioners of the great artistic traditions, as well as their supporting institutions.