In March 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet, together with members of his family and his government. They fled the Chinese authorities, who were suspected of wanting to detain him. From Lhas
The Dalai Lama in 1942
The Dalai Lama during his flight to exile across the Himalayas
1959 Tibetan uprising
Videos
The 1959 Tibetan uprising or Lhasa uprising began on 10 March 1959 as a series of protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, fueled by fears that the government of the People's Republic of China planne
Dalai Lama's escape from China
…After the escape succeeded, the Chinese policy was to portray that the Dalai Lama had been abducted by rebels. But after the main resistance of the Tibetan uprising was crushed by the end of April, the border was sealed, preparing Tibet for an era without the Dalai Lama. In later years, Mao proclaimed a policy in…
Tsarong Dazang Dramdul and several Tibetan monks captured by the PLA during the uprising
The 14th Dalai Lama in 1956
17 March 1959: Thousands of Tibetan women surround the Potala Palace, the main residence of the Dalai Lama, to protest against Chinese rule and repression in Lhasa, Tibet. Hours later, fighting broke out and the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to safety in India. Photograph: AP
The Jokhang, on whose roof the last Tibetan rebels had placed machine guns to defend themselves against the PLA