How long has tibet been under chinese rule

If Tibet is under unlawful Chinese occupation, Beijing's large-scale transfer of Chinese settlers into Tibet is a serious violation of the fourth Geneva Convention of , which prohibits the transfer of civilian population into occupied territory. If Tibet is under unlawful Chinese occupation, China's illegal presence in the country is a legitimate object of international concern.

If, on the other hand, Tibet is an integral part of China, then these questions fall, as China claims, within its own domestic jurisdiction. The issue of human rights, including the right of self-determination and the right of the Tibetan people to maintain their own identity and autonomy are, of course, legitimate objects of international concern regardless of Tibet's legal status.

China makes no claim to sovereign rights over Tibet as a result of its military subjugation and occupation of Tibet following the country's invasion in Instead, it bases its claim to Tibet solely on its theory that Tibet has been an integral part of China for many centuries.

China's claim to sovereignty over Tibet is based almost exclusively on self-serving Chinese official histories. Chinese sources portrayed most countries with whom the emperor of China had relations, not only Tibet, as vassals of the emperor. When studying Tibet's history, Tibetan sources should be given primary importance; foreign sources, including Chinese ones, should only be given secondary weight.

Tibet has a rich history dating back over 2, years. A good starting point in analysing the country's status is the period referred to as Tibet's "imperial age", when the entire country was first united under one ruler. There is no serious dispute over the existence of Tibet as an independent state during this period. Even China's own historical records and treaties Tibet and China concluded during that period refer to Tibet as a strong state with whom China was forced to deal on a footing of equality.

International law protects the independence of states from attempts to destroy it and, therefore, the presumption is in favour of the continuation of statehood. This means that, whereas an independent state that has existed for centuries, such as Tibet, does not need to prove its continued independence when challenged, a foreign state claiming sovereign rights over it needs to prove those rights by showing at what precise moment and by what legal means they were acquired.

China's present claim over Tibet is based entirely on the influence that the Mongol and Manchu emperors exercised over Tibet in the 13th and 18th centuries, respectively.

This relatively brief period of foreign domination over Tibet occurred years ago. Tibet broke away from the Yuan emperor before China regained its independence from the Mongols with the establishment of the native Ming Dynasty.

Not until the 18th century did Tibet once again come under a degree of foreign influence. The Ming Dynasty, which ruled China from to , had few ties to and no authority over Tibet. On the other hand, the Manchus, who conquered China and established the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century, embraced Tibetan Buddhism as the Mongols had and developed close ties with the Tibetan people.

On the political level, some powerful Manchu emperors succeeded in exerting a degree of influence over Tibet but they did not incorporate Tibet into their empire, much less China. The central government of the Yuan Dynasty sent officials into Tibet to set up post stations, which varied in size according to the local population, topography and resources.

These stations were linked up in a communication line extending from Tibet up to Dadu present-day Beijing. The central government of the Ming Dynasty retained most of the titles and ranks of official positions instituted during the Yuan Dynasty.

Equivalent to provincial-level military organs, they operated under the Shaanxi Itinerant High Command and, at the same time, handled civil administration.

Leading officials of these organs were all appointed by the central government. Any official of the Tibetan local government who offended the law was punished by the central government. The central government of the Ming Dynasty showed him special favor by allowing him to pay tribute. In , he was granted the title of Dorjichang or Vajradhara Dalai Lama.

In , the Qing emperor granted an honorific title to the fifth Dalai Lama and then did the same for the fifth Bainqen Lama in , officially establishing the titles of the Dalai Lama and the Bainqen Erdeni, and their political and religious status in Tibet. In , Qing government troops were sent into Tibet to dispel the Zungar forces, which had been entrenched in Lhasa for three years, and set out to reform Tibet's administrative system.

He designated four Tibetan officials renowned for meritorious service as "Galoins" to handle Tibet's political affairs. From , high commissioners were stationed in Tibet to supervise local administration on behalf of the central authorities.

Officials were also assigned about this time to survey and delimit the borders between Tibet known in Chinese as Xizang and Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai.

The Qing government held the power to confirm the reincarnation of all deceased Living Buddhas of Tibet, including the Dalai Lama and the Bainqen Erdeni.

When the reincarnate boy was found, his name would be written on a lot, which would be put into a gold urn bestowed by the central government. The high commissioners would bring together appropriate high-ranking Living Buddhas to determine the authenticity of the reincarnate boy by drawing lots from the gold urn. Both the gold urn and lots are still preserved in Lhasa. The tonsure of the incarnate Living Buddha, his religious name, the choice of the master to initiate him into the monkhood and his sutra instructor all had to be announced by the high commissioners to the imperial court for examination and approval.

The central government would send high officials to supervise the installation ceremony for the new Dalai Lama and the new Bainqen Erdeni and also the ceremony for their taking up the reins of government when they came of age. In the autumn of , revolution took place in China's interior, overthrowing the year-old rule of the Qing Dynasty and establishing the Republic of China.

The Dalai Lama returned to Lhasa on 17 August The U. Khamba tribesmen rebelled against the Chinese government in eastern Tibet beginning in August The Dalai Lama departed from Lhasa on March 17, Tibetan rebels launched attacks against Chinese government officials and troops on March 19, , and Chinese troops launched a counter-offensive against the Tibetans on March 20, Chinese government troops captured Lhasa on March 25, , resulting in the deaths of some 2, Tibetan rebels.

The Chinese government dissolved the Tibetan government headed by the Dalai Lama on March 28, , and the Panchen Lama assumed control of the Tibetan government on April 5, The Dalai Lama and some 80 supporters fled into exile in India on March 31, Some 87, Tibetans and 2, Chinese government troops were killed, and some , Tibetans fled as refugees to India, Nepal, and Bhutan during the conflict.

Some , Tibetans died during famines caused by economic reforms between and In , the PRC government ended its repression of Tibet and granted amnesty to Tibetans who had earlier been imprisoned. The Tibetan government-in-exile sent three fact-finding missions to Tibet from August to July Representatives of the Tibetan government-in-exile began a first round of talks with the PRC government in Beijing on April 24, A second round of talks began on October 19, Six Tibetans were killed during demonstrations in Lhasa on October 1, , and some individuals were arrested for their involvement in the demonstrations.