The 13th Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso – Declaration of Independence and Shimla Agreements
With the fall of the Qing Dynasty in China in 1911, Tibetans expelled remnant Chinese troops and stationed Amban. The 13th Dalai Lama returned and, on 13 February 1913, issued a five-point proclamation reasserting Tibet’s independence.
Tibet entered a new era of international diplomacy. At the 1914 Simla Conference, representatives from Tibet, British India, and China negotiated a tripartite agreement. Although China later withdrew, Tibet and Britain signed a bilateral accord recognizing Tibet’s autonomy and demarcating what became known as the McMahon Line.
This marked a defining moment – Tibet was engaging in diplomacy and treaty-making as a sovereign state.
After the 1911 fall of the Qing dynasty, Tibetans expelled Chinese troops. The Dalai Lama returned to Lhasa in January 1913.
A contemporary re-creation of the 13 February 1913 declaration proclaiming Tibet’s independence.
Plenipotentiaries at the Simla Conference: Sir Henry McMahon (center), Chinese delegate Ifan Chen (right), and Tibetan minister Paljor Dorjee Shatra (left). Behind McMahon: Charles Bell and Archibald Rose.
Map showing the McMahon Line, agreed upon in March 1914, marking the eastern border between Tibet and British India.
