Tibet: A Brief History
Tibet has had a long and eventful history, and has been both independent and occupied at various stages of its past. However, either independent or occupied, Tibet has always maintained a distinct and unique identity which remains a unifying force for Tibetans today.
602
Namri Songtsen, lord of Yarlung, becomes the first king of Tibet. He unites the Tibetan central states at the beginning of the 7th century.
602–649
Reign of King Songtsen Gampo. Tibet grows into an empire and Lhasa becomes the capital city.
821
China-Tibet Peace Treaty is concluded, acknowledging the relationship between Tibet and China after two centuries of conflict. The treaty is engraved on a stone pillar in front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.
1261
Tibet is reunited, with the Grand Lama of Sakya as king.
1717
Dzungar Mongols invade Tibet.
1721
The Qing emperor declares Tibet a tributary state and sends the first Amban, the official Qing representative, to Lhasa.
1854–1856
Nepal defeats Tibet, and the ensuing peace treaty requires Tibet to pay tribute.
1904
British troops under Colonel Younghusband enter Tibet and occupy Lhasa.
1910–1912
A Qing army led by General Zhao Erfeng invades and occupies Tibet, causing the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government officials to flee.
1912
The last Qing emperor abdicates. Chinese troops surrender and are removed from Tibet by the end of the year. The Dalai Lama returns to Tibet.
1913
The 13th Dalai Lama proclaims Tibet independent. Mongolia and Tibet conclude a treaty of mutual recognition.
1914
The Simla Conference involving Tibet, China, and Britain takes place in India concerning Tibet’s status.
1918
The Tibetan army defeats the Chinese army. Tibet and China sign a peace treaty, which China refuses to ratify.
1933
The 13th Dalai Lama dies, and Reting Rinpoche is selected as Tibetan regent.
1940
The 14th Dalai Lama is enthroned.
1947–1949
A Tibetan Trade Mission travels to India, Britain, the United States, and China.
1949
The People’s Republic of China is proclaimed by the Chinese Communist Party.
1950
The People’s Liberation Army enters Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama assumes full political authority at the age of fifteen.
1951
China imposes the 17-Point Agreement, which the Tibetan side signs under duress.
1959
A major Tibetan uprising is brutally suppressed. The Dalai Lama leaves Tibet for exile on March 17, 1959. Thousands of Tibetans follow him into exile.
1965
China establishes the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, while other Tibetan areas are incorporated into neighboring Chinese provinces.
1966
Thousands of Buddhist monasteries are destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.
1987–1989
A new wave of Tibetan protests takes place. In 1989, His Holiness the Dalai Lama receives the Nobel Peace Prize.
1995
Six-year-old Gendun Choekyi Nyima, recognized by the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, disappears with his family.
2008
Large-scale protests erupt across the Tibetan plateau, marking the largest wave of protests in Tibet since 1959.
2011
His Holiness the Dalai Lama devolves his political authority. Dr. Lobsang Sangay takes over as Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration.
2009–2013
A severe period of repression continues in Tibet, with numerous Tibetans undertaking self-immolation protests. Governments, parliaments, and international organizations call on China to end repression and resume dialogue with the Tibetan side.