The English word “Tibet” is derived from the Arabic word Tubbat, which in turn is derived via Persian from the Turkic word Töbäd, meaning “the heights.” With an average elevation of 16,000 feet, “the heights” is an apt moniker.
Tibet has been inhabited by nomadic people for at least the past 6,000 years. Ruled by a series of kings from the 7th to the 11th centuries A.D., Tibet’s influence extended as far south as Bengal and as far north as Mongolia. In the 13th century Tibet was conquered by the Mongols, who also ruled China and large parts of Russia at the time.
Following the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century, Tibet was ruled by a succession of three secular Tibetan dynasties, but then became allied with China’s Ming Dynasty. It retains a close but rather controversial relationship with China today, and many ethnic Tibetans now live abroad in India or Nepal.
Historically, the Tibetan economy was agrarian. Raising livestock such as sheep, cattle, goats, camels, yaks and horses is the primary occupation; a few grain crops such as barley, wheat, buckwheat and rye are grown along with some fruits and vegetables. Tourism has become an increasingly important source of income; travelers come to see sights such as the Potala Palace, formerly the Dalai Lama’s winter residence, and to shop for local handicrafts like the distinctive Tibetan hats, silver and gold jewelry, wooden items, textiles and carpets.
While Persian and Chinese Muslims are also found in Tibetan society, Tibet is the traditional center of Tibetan Buddhism—a distinctive form of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism. The central religious figure of Tibetan Buddhism is the Dalai Lama. From the early 1600s the Dalai Lamas were spiritual leaders of the region, viewed as manifestations of Buddha’s compassion. From the 17th century until 1959, the Dalai Lama and his regents also held political power in Tibet. In 1949, the People’s Republic of China invaded Tibet, resulting in the flight of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, into exile in India in 1959. The Dalai Lama works for Tibetan independence and world peace, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.