A brief chronology of the history ofTibet:
| Year | Notes |
|---|---|
| 173 AD | Birth ofThothori Nyantsen, 28thKing of Tibet. |
| 233 | Nyantsen receives a Buddhist scripture, marking the initial introduction of Buddhism into Tibet (Currency from this event was dated). |
| 618–650 | Reign ofSongtsen Gampo, 33nd king. He sends scholars toIndia to studySanskrit and aTibetan script is devised. |
| 640 | Tibet invades and occupies Nepal. |
| 641 | Marriage of Gampo toTang ChinesePrincess Wencheng. They spread Buddhism in Tibet and foundJokhang. |
| 645 | Gampo sends a minister to theCourt of Tang China requesting permission to build a temple onMount Wutai inShanxi Province which is granted. |
| 654–676 | Tibetan Empire conquest of Tu-yu-lun state and annexation of Chinese territories in Central Asia. |
| 704 | Tride Tsugtsen (died 755) becomes king. |
| 710 | Tsugtsen marries Tang Chinese princess Chin-Cheng. |
| 717 | The Tibetans (according to an 11th-century Chinese history) join with the Turkic Türgish to attackKashgar. |
| 720 | Tibetan troops take Uighur principality of 'Bug-cor in theDunhuang oasis. |
| 755–797 | Reign ofTrisong Detsen, Tsugtsen's son. Reconquest of Central Asia |
| 763 | Tibetans invade theTang Chinese capital ofChang'an and withdraw 15 days later. |
| 779 | Establishment ofSamye Monastery. Buddhism officially recognised as state religion. |
| 783 | Peace treaty signed with Tang China. |
| 785–805 | Tibetan army advances westward to thePamirs andOxus River. |
| 797 | Muni Tsangpo, Trisong Detsen's son, becomes king. |
| 799–815 | Reign of Sadneleg |
| 815–836 | Reign of Ralpachen, son of Sadneleg. Great translation of Buddhist texts conducted during this period. |
| 821 | Changqing Treaty of Alliance with Tang China, Tibet retains most of Central Asian territories. |
| 823 | The contents of the Changqing Treaty were engraved on a monument placed in front ofJokhang. The monument says "[Dang dynasty and Tibet] have two emperors but consult issues as one country" (舅甥二主,商议社稷如一,结立大和盟约,永无渝替) |
| 836–842 | Reign ofLang Darma, brother of Ralpachen. Supporter of the traditional Tibetan religion ofBon, he dismantles the burgeoning political power of the Buddhist establishments, but there is no evidence that he persecutes Buddhists as some Buddhist historians have alleged.[1] |
| 842 | Lang Darma ritually murdered by a Buddhist monk. Struggle for power and fragmentation ensues with constant warring and allying.[1] |
| 978 | Rinchen Zangpo, the great translator invites Indian teachers into western Tibet and a Buddhism renaissance begins, with monasteries established in the west. |
| 1040 | Birth ofMilarepa (died 1123), great Tibetan poet and mystic.Chetsun Sherab Jungnay foundsShalu Monastery which becomes renowned as a centre of scholarly learning and psychic training. |
| 1042 | Atiśa (died 1054), a great Mahayana teacher from India, arrives in Tibet and conducts missionary activities. |
| 1057 | Establishment ofReting Monastery. |
| 1071 | Founding ofSakya Monastery. |
| 1182 | Birth ofSakya Pandita (died 1251), learned scholar of the Sakya sect. |
| 1207 | Tibetans send delegation toGenghis Khan and establish friendly relations. |
| 1227 | Death of Genghis Khan. |
| 1240s–50s | Mongol invasions of Tibet. |
| 1244 | Sakya Pandita invited to meetMongol Khan and invested with temporal power over Tibet. |
| 1260 | Kublai Khan grants Pandit's nephewDrogön Chögyal Phagpa (1235–1280) the title of State Preceptor and supreme authority over Tibet, re-establishing religious and political relations with the Mongols. |
| 1270 | Phagpa received the title ofImperial Preceptor from Kublai Khan. Beginning ofYuan rule of Tibet. |
| 1354 | Fighting breaks out between the Sakyapa sect and the powerful Lang family which founds thePhagmodrupa dynasty. |
| 1357 | Birth ofJe Tsongkhapa, founder of theGelugpa sect. |
| 1391 | Birth of Gedun Truppa, disciple of Tsongkhapa and head of the Gelugpa sect, posthumously named as the First Dalai Lama. |
| 1409 | Establishment ofGanden Monastery. |
| 1416 | Establishment ofDrepung Monastery. |
| 1419 | Establishment ofSera Monastery. Death of Tsongkhapa. |
| 1434–1534 | Power struggles between the provinces ofÜ andTsang because of the religious divide between the Gelugpa andKarmapa sects. Rise of theRinpungpa dynasty. |
| 1447 | Establishment ofTashilhunpo Monastery inGyantse. |
| 1474 | Death of the 1st Dalai Lama. |
| 1475 | Birth of the2nd Dalai Lama, Gedun Gyatso. |
| 1542 | Death of the 2nd Dalai Lama. |
| 1543 | Birth of the3rd Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso. |
| 1565 | Overthrown of the Rinpungpa dynasty by theTsangpa dynasty. |
| 1578 | The Dalai Lama title was created byAltan Khan at Yanghua Monastery for Sonam Gyatso, the3rd Dalai Lama.[2] |
| 1582 | Establishment ofKumbum Monastery. |
| 1587 | The 3rd Dalai Lama was promoted to Duǒ Er Zhǐ Chàng (Chinese:朵儿只唱) by theWanli Emperor, seal of authority and golden sheets were granted.[3] |
| 1588 | Death of the 3rd Dalai Lama. Rebirth as the4th Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso, great-grandson of Altan Khan and only non-Tibetan in the Dalai Lama lineage. |
| 1616 | Death of the 4th Dalai Lama. |
| 1617 | Birth of the great5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lozang Gyatso. Under him, many construction projects begin across Tibet, including thePotala Palace. However, Ü Province falls to Tsang provincial forces and the power of the Karmapa sect grows. |
| 1624–1636 | Jesuit missionaries arrive in western Tibet. |
| 1641–42 | Güshi Khan of theKhoshut Mongols overthrows the King of Tsang and returns the territory to the Dalai Lama. Establishment of theGanden Phodrang regime by the5th Dalai Lama with his help. Beginning of Khosut Khanate rule over Tibet until 1717 |
| 1642–1659 | Consolidation of the Tibetan theocracy. Power of the Karmapa sect is reduced once more, and many monasteries handed over to the Gelugpa sect. The Abbot of Tashilhunpo is bestowed the titlePanchen Lama by the Dalai Lama. |
| 1652 | 5th Dalai Lama visits Ming China. |
| 1682 | Death of the 5th Dalai Lama, kept a secret by the regent. |
| 1683 | Birth of the6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso. |
| 1697 | 6th Dalai Lama enthroned and only now is the death of the 5th Dalai Lama made public. |
| 1705 | The last khan of theKhoshut Khanate,Lha-bzang Khan, invades Tibet and conquersLhasa. |
| 1706 | The Khan deposes the 6th Dalai Lama and sends him to Ming China but he dies on the way. The Khan declares that the rebellious 6th Dalai Lama was not a true reincarnation and enthrones an eminent monk of his selection until the real one can be found. |
| 1707 | Italian Capuchin monks arrive in Tibet. |
| 1708 | Another reincarnation of the 6th Dalai Lama is found and he takes refuge in Kumbum Monastery. |
| 1716 | Jesuit FatherIppolito Desideri arrives in Lhasa. |
| 1717–1720 | Dzungar Mongols occupy Lhasa, killing Lha-bzang Khan. The Manchu Emperor of China deposes the 6th Dalai Lama and recognizes a claimant from Kumbum namedKelzang Gyatso, who is officially recognised as the7th Dalai Lama in 1720. Beginning ofQing rule of Tibet. |
| 1733–1747 | Pholhanas (d. 1747) ends internal conflicts, and with Chinese support becomes ruler of Tibet. |
| 1750 | riots break out inLhasa after theambans assassination of the regent. |
| 1751 | The 7th Dalai Lama is recognised as ruler of Tibet, without effective political power. |
| 1757 | Death of the 7th Dalai Lama. |
| 1758 | Birth of the8th Dalai Lama, Jompal Gyatso. |
| 1774–75 | First British Mission to Tibet let byGeorge Bogle |
| 1783–84 | British Mission led by Samuel Turner. Chinese troops impose thePeace of Kathmandu following Gurkha incursions into Tibet. |
| 1793 | 29-Article Ordinance for the More Effective Governing of Tibet (欽定藏內善後章程二十九條) was issued.Golden Urn was introduced. |
| 1804 | Death of the 8th Dalai Lama. |
| 1806–1815 | The9th Dalai Lama. |
| 1811-12 | British explorerThomas Manning reaches Lhasa. |
| 1816–37 | The10th Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso. |
| 1838–56 | The11th Dalai Lama, Khedrup Gyatso. |
| 1841–42 | Dogra–Tibetan War. |
| 1842 | Treaty of Chushul betweenQing dynasty andDogra dynasty |
| 1846 | Lazarist monks, Huc and Gabet, arrive in Lhasa. |
| 1855–56 | Nepalese–Tibetan War |
| 1856–75 | 12th Dalai Lama, Trinley Gyatso. |
| 1876 | Birth of the13th Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso. Diplomatic conflict between Britain and Russia over privileges in Tibet. |
| 1890 | British Protectorate overSikkim. |
| 1904 | British military expedition underFrancis Younghusband forces its way into Lhasa, forcing the Dalai Lama to flee to Mongolia. Agreement is made with the abbot of Ganden Monastery.Treaty of Lhasa signed. |
| 1909 | Dalai Lama returns safely to Lhasa. |
| 1910 | Restoration of Chinese control over eastern Tibet and dispatch of troops to Lhasa. |
| 1911 | Xinhai Lhasa turmoil following theWuchang Uprising of October 1911 which led to the fall of the Qing dynasty. |
| 1912 | Dalai Lama returns to Lhasa from India, ruling without Chinese interference. |
| 1913–14 | Simla Convention between the British, Chinese and Tibetan delegates but the Chinese fail to ratify agreement. |
| 1920-21 | Mission of SirCharles Alfred Bell to Tibet. |
| 1923 | Panchen Lama flees to China. |
| 1933 | Death of the 13th Dalai Lama. |
| 1934 | Appointment of Regent (abbot of Reting Monastery). |
| 1935 | Birth of the14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. |
| 1940 | On 26 January 1940, the RegentReting Rinpoche requested the Central Government to exempt Lhamo Dhondup from lot-drawing process usingGolden Urn to become the 14th Dalai Lama.[4][5] The request was approved by the Central Government.[6] Enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama. |
| 1944 | Arrival of AustriansHeinrich Harrer andPeter Aufschnaiter in Tibet. They reach Lhasa in January 1946. |
| 1947 | Indian independence and end of the British Tibet Policy. |
| 1950 | 6 to 19 OctoberBattle of Chamdo. |
| 1951 | Arrival of thePeople's Liberation Army inLhasa following anagreement for liberation with theCentral People's Government. |
| 1954 | Dalai Lama attended theNational People's Congress inBeijing as adeputy and metMao Zedong.[7][8] Establishment of theNorth-East Frontier Agency inSouth Tibet,occupied byIndia. |
| 1959 | After arevolt againstacceded reform, the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet with the help ofCIA,[9] later set up anexile government inIndia.[10] |
| 1960–62 | Famine, caused byGreat Leap Forward and termination of cross-Himalayan trade with India.[11] |
| 1962 | Sino-Indian War. |
| 1964 | Establishment of theTibet Autonomous Region. |
| 2011 | The14th Dalai Lama bequeathed his political power as the head of state and temporal leader of Tibet to the democratically elected prime minister Dr. Lobsang Sangay, marking the end of theGanden Phodrang theocratic rule to Tibet which lasted for 370 years (1642–2011). |