Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1879
The 13th Dalai Lama is enthroned. In 1895 he takes his final ordination and becomes the secular
and spiritual ruler of Tibet.
1893
Tibet cedes Sikkim and opens the Chumbi Valley to trade with British India.
1904
The British mobilise over 8000 soldiers and launch an invasion of Tibet from the Sikkim frontier.
The ill-equipped Tibetan army is no match. The 13th Dalai Lama escapes to Mongolia.
1907
Britain and Russia acknowledge Chinese suzerainty over Tibet in a resolution of Great Game ten-
sions.
1909
The 13th Dalai Lama returns to Lhasa after an absence of five years.
1910
Chinese resident in Tibet, Zhao Erfeng, attempts to re-establish Qing authority and storms Lhasa.
The Dalai Lama escapes again, this time to India. On his return he declares Tibet independent.
1913
The Simla Convention between Britain, China and Tibet is held in India. The main agenda for the
conference is to delimit and define the boundary between Tibet and China.
1923
A clash with Lhasa sends the Panchen Lama into exile in China. This is to have disastrous conse-
quences for Tibet: he comes under Chinese influence and never returns.
