The Dalai Lama is considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The name is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning "ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "guru, teacher, mentor".
Despite his humble beginnings, being born in a stable in a remote part of Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama has become the most popular world leader. As the 14th Dalai Lama he was formally enthroned on November 17, 1950, during the Battle of Chamdo with the People's Republic of China. In 1951, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government were forced to accept the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet by which it became formally incorporated into the People's Republic of China. Fearing for his life in the wake of a revolt in Tibet in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India, from where he leads a government in exile.
Despite his humble beginnings, being born in a stable in a remote part of Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama has become the most popular world leader. As the 14th Dalai Lama he was formally enthroned on November 17, 1950, during the Battle of Chamdo with the People's Republic of China. In 1951, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government were forced to accept the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet by which it became formally incorporated into the People's Republic of China. Fearing for his life in the wake of a revolt in Tibet in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India, from where he leads a government in exile.
