Tibetan uprising
The Tibetan uprising was a revolt against Chinese rule that began in Lhasa in March 1959 and was suppressed by Chinese forces.
Seventeen Point Agreement: The 1951 agreement under which Tibet accepted Chinese sovereignty while promising regional autonomy and protection of Tibetan institutions. Its contested terms framed disputes over Chinese authority before the uprising.
Norbulingka: A palace and park in Lhasa that served as the Dalai Lama's summer residence. Crowds gathered there on March 10, fearing Chinese plans to detain the Dalai Lama.
14th Dalai Lama: Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and the political leader of Tibet until his flight in 1959. His contested presence in Lhasa helped draw the crowds whose uprising began in March.
Tibetan diaspora: Tibetan communities living outside Tibet, formed especially through migration after 1959. The uprising and crackdown drove the diaspora's growth and political organization.
People's Liberation Army: The armed forces of the People's Republic of China, established in 1927 and responsible for enforcing state power. Its presence in Tibet intensified tensions that preceded the revolt.
10 March 1959 Tibetan uprising: The mass gathering in Lhasa on March 10, 1959, widely commemorated as the beginning of the Tibetan uprising. The crowd's mobilization marked the revolt's public starting point.
Lobsang Samten: The elder brother of the 14th Dalai Lama, who served as a Tibetan government official. His role in the Dalai Lama's circle connects the revolt to the crisis at Norbulingka.
Central Tibetan Administration: The Tibetan exile administration based in India, formerly known as the Tibetan government-in-exile. It organized political representation for Tibetans after the 1959 flight.
Kham: A historical region of eastern Tibet, now divided among parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Yunnan. Resistance and upheaval in eastern Tibet helped shape the crisis reaching Lhasa.
Dalai Lama's flight to India: The Dalai Lama's escape from Lhasa to India in March 1959 as Chinese forces suppressed the uprising. His departure turned the crisis into an exile that reshaped Tibetan politics.