The Twelfth Dalai Lama

Thinle Gyatso (1857-1875) was born in Olga in South Tibet on January 26, 1857. His short reign was a time of great unrest in the surrounding territories. He ascended the throned as the Twelfth Dalai Lama on August 18, 1860, and when he assumed full power three years later on March 11, 1873 at the young age of 16, the crumbling Qing dynasty was no longer able to offer political or military support, and England persisted in its attempts to colonize Tibet. Another important development during his short reign was the treaty of1860 between China, England, France, Russia and the United which granted free passage of Christian missionaries in the Manchu empire. At this time however, Tibet still prohibited the entry of all foreigners. However, since the treaty did not distinguish Tibet from China as a sovereign nation, Christian missionaries set up a camp at Bongo near the Mekong and Salween rivers in 1865. Tibetan authorities converged upon the mission and renounced the treaty as well as the authority of the Manchu government.

Another turbulent development during the reign of Thinle Gyatso was the series of wars fought between the British and the kingdoms of the Sikkim in 1860, and Bhutan in 1864. As a consequence, the Tibetan government banned all Europeans from entry into Tibet.

In 1874, Thinle Gyatso visited the monastery at the mystical Lake Chhokhorgyal. He died soon thereafter,on April 25, 1875 at the young age of 19.