in
Lhasa.
Background Altan Khan of the
Tümed Mongols chose the
Gelug order of
Tibetan Buddhism as his
Buddhist faith. In 1577 he invited the leader of this order,
Sonam Gyatso, to come to Mongolia and teach his people. He designated Sonam Gyatso as "Dalai" (a translation into Mongolian of the name Gyatso, meaning "ocean"). As a result, Sonam Gyatso became known as the
Dalai Lama. Since this title was also posthumously given to
Gendun Drup and
Gendun Gyatso, who were considered Sonam Gyatso's previous incarnations, Sonam Gyatso was recognized as being already the 3rd Dalai Lama.
Mongol protectorate The
5th Dalai Lama (r. 1642–1682) is known for unifying the Tibetan heartland under the control of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, after defeating the rival
Kagyu and
Jonang sects and the secular ruler, the
Tsangpa prince, in a prolonged civil war. His efforts were successful in part because of aid from Güshi Khan, the
Oirat leader who established the
Khoshut Khanate. With Güshi Khan as a completely uninvolved patron, who had conferred supreme authority on the Dalai Lama for the whole of Tibet at a ceremony at
Tashilhunpo Monastery in
Shigatse, the 5th Dalai Lama and his intimates established a civil administration which is referred to by historians as the
Lhasa state. All power and authority lay in the hands of the Dalai Lama right up to his death and Güshi Khan did not interfere in the administration nor tried to control its policies. The core leadership of this government is also referred to as the "Ganden Phodrang" or "Ganden Podrang", derived from the name of the estate of the Dalai Lamas at
Drepung Monastery. The 5th Dalai Lama initiated the construction of the
Potala Palace in
Lhasa on the site of the Red Fort, and moved the centre of government there from
Drepung. It remained the chief residence of the
Dalai Lama until the
14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the
1959 Tibetan uprising. From 1679 to 1684, the Ganden Phodrang fought in the
Tibet–Ladakh–Mughal War against the
Namgyal dynasty of neighboring
Ladakh, with the 5th Dalai Lama overruling the advice of his Prime Minister. agreed on the 1684
Treaty of Tingmosgang with the King
Delek Namgyal of Ladakh to end the war. The original text of the Treaty of Tingmosgang no longer survives, but its contents are summarized in the
Ladakh Chronicles. The
Dzungar–Qing Wars (1687–1757) between the
Dzungar Khanate and Qing China had a major impact for Tibet. While the military landscape of
Inner Asia in the late 17th century was dominated by the conflict between the Dzungars and the Qing, the Ganden Phodrang regime was also involved in the war because of its religious role, which was sometimes disingenuous. In 1705, the Qing conspired with a Dzungar faction to kidnap the
6th Dalai Lama, after the murder of his regent and government official. Due to these actions, Tibet's relationship with the Mongols declined in popularity. The
Kashag, the governing council of Tibet that lasted in Lhasa until the 1950s, was created in 1721 by the Qing. The council was to govern Tibet under the close supervision of the Chinese garrison commander stationed in Lhasa, who quite often interfered with the decisions of the Kashag, especially when Chinese interests were involved. Soon after 1727 the skilful and politically astute Tibetan
leader Pholhane reorganized the administration and army with Qing's support. The first Europeans to arrive in Tibet were the Portuguese missionaries
António de Andrade and Manuel Marques in 1624. They were welcomed by the King and Queen of
Guge, and were allowed to build a church and to introduce the Christian faith. The king of Guge eagerly accepted
Christianity as an offsetting religious influence to dilute the thriving
Gelugpa and to counterbalance his potential rivals and consolidate his position. All missionaries were expelled in 1745.
Post-Qing era After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, which ended
Qing rule over Tibet, the
13th Dalai Lama declared himself ruler of an
independent Tibet. It was considered by the
Republic of China as a part of the new republic, which gave Tibet the status of an "
Area". With its proclamation of independence and conduct of its own internal and external affairs in this era, Tibet is regarded as a "de facto independent state" during this period. This would last until 1951, when Tibet was
annexed by the People's Republic of China. The
Kashag state structure remained in place for a few years but was formally dissolved in 1959 after the
1959 Tibetan uprising. The
Tibet Autonomous Region was established by China in 1965 out of a part of the
Tibetan ethno-cultural area. The
Central Tibetan Administration was established by the
14th Dalai Lama and based in
McLeod Ganj India since 1959. ==See also==