How did China occupy the Tibetan region?
China always considers Tibet as its integral part. But is it really so?
If you look at Chinese history you will find China in different sizes. It was because Tibet, a large region in the west of China, was sometimes a part of China and other times was a separate unit sharing the border with China. Even South and North China were once separate units. The kingdom that united it was Mongol in the 13th century.
When looking at the time frame, for most of the historical period, Tibet had been an independent rather than a Chinese territory. It developed its own unique culture, far different from the Chinese.
Things changed, for the worse, when in the 1770s Qing dynasty that had been ruling over China invaded Tibet and integrated it. This was the time when China was a great power and the balance of trade was in its favour. Foreign currency flew in rather than otherwise.
But again things started changing against China’s fortune. This was in the 19th century.
Then, as it happened, foreign power grew out of proportion while the Chinese empire started declining, so much that by the end of the 19th century, foreign powers which already controlled world politics and economy, penetrated deep into Chinese politics. It virtually dominated the Manchu Empire of China, that is, the dynasty that was ruling China at that time.
At the end of the 19th century, the empire was juggling many problems, not only the foreign powers were pressurizing Chinese authorities for more and more benefits of them, but also the common Chinese people had had enough of the Chinese empire which was ever so bending on the foreign pressure. Chinese people have a very ancient and rich culture and they are very proud of it. They could never tolerate foreign domination.
So this time, the nationalist and Anti-government sentiments started growing there and in 1911, they overthrew the empire after a long struggle.
A nationalist govt formed but even they could not handle the situation, and China went into Civil war. These long power struggles among the foreign powers, the Manchu dynasty and the nationalists weakened China on many levels. The foremost was that their control over Tibet had started loosening. Now, Tibet could have easily defied Chinese authority and would have come out of its yoke. But as it turned out, it was not what had happened.
Instead of overthrowing Chinese control Tibet rather clung to it and kept accepting the nominal over-lordship of China.
Why would any country deliberately fore-sake its freedom?
To answer this we need to understand that Tibet was also from the same time. The threat of foreign power domination was as strong in Tibet as was in China. In their west Britain controlled India politically and economically and they were insecure about the Russian influence over the territory immediate east of British India. Apart from it, Tibet could have brought many advantages such as minerals, and thriving trade if Britain occupy it.
Tibet did its best to resist British invasion but it was a small and technologically backward country. It could not resist for long and was finally defeated when Lord Curzon, British Indian viceroy, sent troops to Tibet in 1904. Negotiation happened, and apart from many demands, Britain asked Tibetan authorities to not allow any foreign representative in Tibet.
So, to counter the threat of foreign power, Tibet, despite the weakening of the Chinese empire, never tried to oppose Chinese authority more than necessary and officially remained under Chinese control.
Then the tides changed quite unexpectedly. An event occurred in the early decades of the 20th century that shook the whole world. Once the great rivals became sworn allies and some allied defied each other. The great war was started in 1914 that later came to be called world war 1.
Russia and Britain joined hands against their common enemy Germany. Tibetan question both countries did not want to be caught off-guard and they still had eyes for Tibet. Both countries came to an understanding and acknowledged Chinese suzerainty over Tibet, at least for the time being. It was decided that they would indirectly deal with Tibet through Chinese authorities.
Tibet on the other hand did not lose the chance and started carving out its territory. When the world was engaged in the war and China was weakened, then a large of the Tibet region became autonomous. Even the local government was formed there.
The period of two world wars was tough for all, and no one had thought that China could be so strong soon. Tibet did not try to modernize its limited military and foreign powers did not pay much attention to it. Then in 1949, the people’s republic of China was formed under the Chinese communist party and Tibet's inclusion was its foremost agenda.
In 1951, Chinese authorities easily defeated the limited forces Tibet could have mustard. Britain tried to help Tibet but the help was halfhearted and in the end, Chinese forces won, and Tibetan leaders went into exile for example Dalai Lama sought asylum in India.
Invading forced were battle-hardened and experienced. When the Chinese authority declared its intention that it would occupy Tibet, Tibetan authorities had not had enough time to prepare for war and they had to arrange the forces rather instantly.
The defeat was total and since then Tibet has become part of China and its control was tightening ever so more.
