HistoriCity: Dalai Lama Succession: What does history tell us

For two millennia, Tibet and China have clashed for power. The Dalai Lama's role in Tibet's history and his upcoming 90th birthday spark geopolitical interest.

For the last two millennia, Tibet and mainland China have been involved in a power struggle that did not produce a decisive victory until the Communist Party of China (CPC) took over in the 1950s. Over the last five centuries, the institution of the Dalai Lama has played a role in integrating Tibet, beginning with the Mongol king Altan Khan (1507–1582 CE), who first coined the title of Dalai Lama for his Tibetan Buddhist ally, Sonam Gyatso (1543–1588 CE).

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama—and perhaps the last to be born in Tibet—is one of the most recognised spiritual leaders in the world. (AFP)

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama—and perhaps the last to be born in Tibet—is one of the most recognised spiritual leaders in the world. He describes the institution of the Dalai Lama as a manifestation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. His upcoming 90th birthday on June 6 has generated geopolitical buzz around the issue of Tibet and China, as well as the role of India, which shares historical bonds with both.

Sonam Gyatso and Altan Khan: A Foundational Alliance for TIbet

Born as Lhamo Thondup in 1935 in Qinghai province of China, the 90-year-old spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists is the representative of a nearly 500-year-old tradition that began in 1578.

It is believed that Buddhism, particularly its Vajrayana school—an esoteric form of worship replete with Tantric practices—took root on the Tibetan plateau in the 8th century. Padmasambhava, or the Lotus-Born, a legendary monk from India, built the first monastery in 767 CE near Lhasa. By the 7th century, Buddhism’s influence was already waning in India but intensifying in Central and Southeast Asia. Padmasambhava can thus be understood as the preceptor of Vajrayana in Tibet.

Over the next centuries, various schools evolved in Tibet, known as the Sukhavati or Pure Land. Among these, the oldest is considered the Nyingma, followed by Kadam, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug (also known as the Yellow Hat school). The differences between these schools are minor, though each distinguishes itself through variations in practice and focus.

The Gelug school, to which the Dalai Lama tradition belongs, began in the 14th century. It emphasises a contextualised understanding of Shunyata, often mischaracterised as “nothingness.” A better interpretation of Shunyata would be to see existence as a web of intricate connections and interdependence rather than a standalone state of being.

Founded by Tsongkhapa—who amalgamated teachings from other schools with his understanding of Madhyamaka—the Gelug school gained prominence through the alliance between Mongol leader Altan Khan and Sonam Gyatso, a 16th-century monk who was then proselytising in Mongolia. Altan Khan, a feudatory of sorts of the Ming emperor, was deeply influenced by Gyatso’s spiritual teachings and knowledge that he aided the conversion of Mongolia into a Buddhist country. His adoption of Buddhism gave religious legitimacy to his ambition of becoming the ruler of Mongolia. Key to this legitimacy was the Buddhist concept of the transmigration of souls, which allowed Altan Khan to claim he was the reincarnation of Kublai Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire.

Altan and Sonam aided each other’s aims, resulting in the construction of monasteries and the flourishing of the Gelug school in Tibet. Among the subsequent Dalai Lamas (”Dalai” means “oceanic” in Mongolian), the fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617–1682), became the first to hold both spiritual and political power. He built the iconic Potala Palace in Lhasa, formed diplomatic relations with China’s Qing dynasty, and restored Tibet’s political unity after centuries of fragmentation. He is also accused of suppressing rival Buddhist schools that had aligned with the Chinese-backed Tsangpa dynasty (1565-1642). Perhaps his most enduring contribution was the institution of the Panchen Lama tradition.

The next Dalai Lama, however, led a dissolute life, indulging in excess—an existence far removed from monasticism.

The Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama are the two most important figures in the Gelug school. Both are part of reincarnation-based lineages, and each is essential for the continuation of the other. Only the Panchen Lama can identify the next Dalai Lama. The current 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was ‘found’ by Thubten Choekyi Nyima, the 9th Panchen Lama.

Dalai Lama and China

After republican revolutionaries led by Sun Yat-sen and others overthrew the Qing dynasty in 1912, it paved the way for the emergence of Republic of China. During this phase one of the first things the 13th Dalai Lama did was to proclaim Tibetan independence. However, it was never fully recognised under international law.

HistoriCity is a column by author Valay Singh that narrates the story of a city that is in the news, by going back to its documented history, mythology and archaeological digs. The views expressed are personal