Eventually. The conquest of Scotland was not swift and not easy, and arguably only happened because the Scots failed to adapt and modify their tactics when military technology advanced. In general, the introduction of firearms usually gave the more civilized side a big advantage. And possibly even more important than improved weapons was the paved roadway.
I agree with what’s been said about mountainous regions being both easier to defend and more used to factional fighting. As far as plains regions go, a distinction has to be made between agricultural areas and grasslands. Grasslands and semi-arid regions have historically been categorized by semi-nomadic peoples who follow their herds, especially on horseback when horses became introduced. Strategically, the only way to fight and win wars in such conditions is to use a “range war” strategy of swift attacks, massacres and retreats. In farming regions by contrast, the purpose of war is to seize farmland, and indigenous populations can be controlled by essentially holding their farms hostage.
So mountain peoples and steppe dwellers are more likely to be what in an agricultural region would be called “yeomen”: independently holding the means of their living by their own armed force. Agricultural regions tend to be categorized by a large majority of relatively unwarlike farmers, with a small number of either a warlike aristocracy in the feudal model or a caste of professional soldiers in the state model.
I think this is basically it (Papua New Guinea is a dramatic example), although I will add that other kinds of geographic conditions can have similar result, causing people to live in fairly small groups with limited contact (nomadic desert tribes). It’s not mountains, per se.
Parts of Tibet are extremely mountainous. In fact, you could argue that all of greater Tibet is ringed by rugged mountain chains including the Himalayas, Karakorum, Kham, etc. Even within Tibet proper and on the tibetan plateau, it is still very mountainous.
As for the big monastery estates worked by serfs. I definately subscribe to the school of gross over exaggeration by the Chinese based on my first hand experience in Tibet and research on Chinese claims. Agreed that it existed but differ on the size and scope. YMMV
Korea is not part of China explicitly because the mountains in the north are easier to defend than attack. Tibet, specifically the enormous Kunlun plain, is a part of China because it’s easier to attack than defend.
Krokodil - you’re confusing the Qinghai borderlands with Tibet proper. That said, one has to first get over the Kunlun Mountains to reach the Kunlun plains. We’re talking 15,000 feet elevation mountain passes. I would say that qualifies as mountainous country.
Qinghai-Tibethighway climbs over the Kunlun, Hoh Xil and Tanggulashan mountains and the beautiful Zangbei Plateau with the ***average ***elevation of above 4,500 meters (14,763 feet).
That new fangled railway to Tibet goes through Qinghai, and by the way: Passes through the place from the Qinghai-Tibet railway in the elevation curve, we may see the train oversteps three stairs. The first stair is the elevation 3500 meters to 3680 meter Riyue and closes the Hornberg section, the second stair is elevation 4800 meters (15,748 feet) about Kunlun Mountainto the Tanggula shankou section, the third stair is the elevation 5072 meter (16,640 feet) Tanggula shankou.