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Tibet history
Tibet's history can be divided into five periods:
1. The Tsanpo's Period. This period in Tibet history starts from Nyatri Tsanpo, the first of the Tsanpos, in 127 B.C (historians differ in view of the date, but this date is taken from the White Annales, a reliable book on Tibetan history) and ends in 842 A.D. at the death of Lang Dharma, the last of the Tsanpos, who was assassinated by a Buddhist monk owing to Lang Dharma's ruthless persecution of Buddhism. During this period in Tibet history some 42 Tsanpos had ruled over Tibet among which Songtsan Gampo's rule was considered as the zenith. Songtsan Gamoi was an outstanding ruler, he unified Tibet, changed his capital to Lhasa, sent Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit and promulgated a script for the Tibetan on the latter's arrival to Tibet, married Princess Wencheng of the Tang Court and Princess Bhrikuti Debi of Nepal, built the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.
2. The period of Decentralization
This period in Tibet history began in 842 A.D. the year of Lang Dharma's assassination, and ended in about 1260 A.D, when Pagpa, the Abbot of Sakya Monastery, became a vassal of Kublai Khan, the first Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. During this period a little is known in history except that Tibet became decentralized into a number of petty principalities.
3. The period of Sakya, Pagdu, and Karmapa's Rule
This period began with Sakya's rule over Tibet, followed first by Pagdu's rule in Lhaoka and then by Karmara's rule in the Tsang region (Shigatse). The sakya period was the time Tibet officially became an inseparable part of China. This period lasted from 1260 A.D to 1642 A.D during which political powers centered in the three regions of Sakya, Pagdu, and Tsang successively ruled over Tibet.
4. The period of the Gandan Podrang's Administration
This period in Tibet history is the period in which the Dalai Lama ruled Tibet. It started in 1642 A.D. when the 5th Dalai Lama overtook the ruling power from the Tsang ruler. It basically ended in 1951 when Tibet was liberated and came to a complete end in 1959 when rebellion led by the Dalai Lama was pacified and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region was set up.
5. The period of Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region was established in 1965 and Tibet leapt over several historical stages of development. Tibet’s economy and culture and the living standard of its people have been greatly improved. Particularly since the start of China’s “reform and opening up” policy, the Central Government has attached great attention to the development of Tibet and the improvement of its people’s livelihood. It has convened four conferences on Tibetan Affairs Work and formulated a series of policies and measures conducive to the development of Tibet. The Tibetan people enjoy many preferential policies and a high level of autonomy. Other provinces and autonomous regions in China also actively support the economic construction of Tibet, which has helped the rapid growth of its economy. During the 50-odd years since its peaceful liberation Tibet, like other parts of China, has gradually left poverty for prosperity, isolation for opening up, becoming a magnificent chapter in the history of 20th century social development.
