History

The early Tibetan empire was one of Asia’s largest, to the extent that it sacked even the Chinese capital Xian in 763 AD. The arrival of Buddhism in the eighth and ninth centuries fundamentally reshaped the nation’s psyche, transforming the warring empire into one of the world’s most spiritually advanced regions. Tibet was briefly occupied by the Mongols when they ruled China (1279-1368) and the region came under Manchu control in the 18th century. Chinese authority weakened in the last years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and almost vanished during the Republican period (1912-49).

Up until the early 20th century Tibet remained essentially a feudal theocracy under the leadership of the reincarnated Dalai Lamas, who had full control over internal affairs, with wealth, education and political power vested in the hands of powerful monasteries. Tibet had long cut itself off from the rest of the world, to its high Himalayan passes and closing the doors to foreign travellers, a policy that increased the nation’s exotic mystique abroad.

In 1951, following a military conflict, Tibet was incorporated into the newly established People’s Republic of China. A brief revolt broke out in 1959, during which the Dalai Lama fled to India. The previous Tibetan government was abolished and Tibet was organised as an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China. Under Chairman Mao, thousands of Tibetan monks were sent to labour camps, monasteries were destroyed wholesale and ancient temples were leveled

Since the death of Mao, economic and ideological reforms have partially reversed the damage done during China’s Cultural Revolution, as freedom of religion, private enterprise and traditional family-unit land-use patterns have crept back into Tibet, though political tensions remain. Violent Tibetan demonstrations rocked the region in 1987, 1989 and 2008 and the Tibet issue continues to be an international thorn in China’s side.

With modernisation and the explosion of the tourism industry, there has been enormous Chinese immigration, with hotels and resorts springing up every week to accommodate the wave of Chinese tourists. The economy is booming, and coming years will no doubt see a wave of change in Tibet.