Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

Description: This brief essay, intended for the general reader, surveys the historical evidence concerning the political relationship between China and Tibet. Despite the dates referenced in the title, Ahmad actually begins his narrative with the Fifth Dalai Lama, who assumed political power in 1642. His account terminates with the 1959 exile of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. He identifies the significant events that each side sees as defining the true bond between them. It is a valuable introduction to the issue of Sino-Tibetan relations.