The History of Tibet-China Relations
The first relations between Tibet and China were in the early 600's. King Song-tsen Gampo married a Chinese princess who, with the Nepali princess he married as well, is credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet. After Song-tsen Gampo's death in 650, Tibet and China went to war over territory. The Tibetan army was strong at the time and was able to take over the Chinese capital of T'ang. Chinese military expeditions were not sent to Tibet again until 1717. They had a great influence on Tibet until the Opium Wars with Britian began in 1839 and again during the Tai-ping rebellion in 1850. During this time Tibet was also having a conflict with British India and would sometimes use China as a shield. In 1904 the Dalai Lama fled Tibet with the invasion of British General Younghusband into Lhasa. The Chinese controlled the Tibetan government from 1906 to 1909. The Dalai Lama returned in 1912 when the Ching dynasty in China was overthrown. A year later the Dalai Lama declared Tibet an independent state. 31

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General Younghusband

The Conflict with Communist China
The conflict with China began in 1949 when the Chinese announced that they were going to "liberate" Tibet and secure "traditional boundaries." In 1950 the Chinese attacked eastern Tibet. Unable to hold the Chinese back with the small army that Tibet had, Tibet signed a treaty with the Chinese. China promised Tibet broad autonomy in exchange for Tibet's declaration that they were now part of China. By 1951 the Chinese had entered central Tibet and began occupying the country. Before this point in Tibetan history there were no major roads in the state. This changed when the Chinese started a "crash" program of road construction that was more strategic than economic. They also set up air communication systems and airfields. In March of 1959 there were several uprisings in Tibet against the Chinese occupation. At this time the Chinese closed many Buddhist monasteries and denied nobles (that had not been killed, imprisoned or had fled) their status in Tibet. The Chinese also placed all Tibetans on communes to supply both countries with food. In protest the nomads slaughtered almost all of their livestock. It was at this time that the Dalai Lama fled to India, where he has been in excile ever since, and the Panchen Lama became the head of state. India then imposed a trade blockade on Tibet out of their objection to Communist China. This blockade severely reduced the standard of living in Tibet due to Tibets enormous dependence on India for many of its day to day needs. In 1964 The Chinese ceased to recognize the power of the Dalai Lama and removed the Panchen Lama as head of state. General Zhang Guohua then became the head of the Tibetan government. In 1965 the Chinese claimed that Tibet was now the "Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China." A year later the Chinese Cultural Revolution swept through Tibet. Under the power of Mao Zedong the Red Gaurds rampaged shrines and monasteries throughout Tibet. They destroyed Buddhist monastic libraries and traditional Buddhist dances. The Chinese heavily controlled Tibet until Mao Zedong's death in 1976. In 1980 the Chinese made modest concessions on taxes, production quotas and the commune system. Nine years later there were mass demonstrations against the Chinese continuing occupation of Tibet. The state was then placed under martial law. 33

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Chinese Military Trucks parked under the Holy Potala in the 1950's.
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The Chinese installed a portrait of Chairman Mao at the Ramoche Monastery.