He offered it in appreciation to the leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism , Sonam Gyatso, who received it in at Yanghua Monastery. Sonam Gyatso became the 3rd Dalai Lama , while the first two tulkus in the lineage, the 1st Dalai Lama and the 2nd Dalai Lama , were posthumously awarded the title.
All tulkus in the lineage of the Dalai Lamas are considered manifestations of the Buddha Avalokiteshvara , [ 2 ] [ 1 ] the bodhisattva of compassion. Since the time of the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century, the Dalai Lama has been a symbol of unification of the state of Tibet. From and the 5th Dalai Lama until and the 14th Dalai Lama , the lineage was enjoined with the secular role of governing Tibet. The Ganden Phodrang government officially functioned as a protectorate under Qing China rule and governed all of the Tibetan Plateau while respecting varying degrees of autonomy.
The 13th Dalai Lama declared that Tibet's relationship with China had ended with the Qing dynasty's fall and proclaimed independence, though this was not formally recognized under international law. In , he revoked the agreement. He initially supported the Tibetan independence movement, but in , he rejected calls for Tibetan independence. It describes the historical alliance between Tibetan Buddhist leaders and secular rulers, such as the Mongols, Manchus, and Chinese authorities.
In this relationship, the secular patron yon bdag provides political protection and support to the religious figure, who in turn offers spiritual guidance and legitimacy. Proponents of this theory argue that it allowed Tibet to maintain a degree of autonomy in religious and cultural matters while ensuring political stability and protection. But critics, including Sam van Schaik , contend that the theory oversimplifies the situation and often obscures the political dominance more powerful states exert over Tibet.
Historians such as Melvyn Goldstein have called Tibet a vassal state or tributary, subject to external control. Similarly, under the Qing Dynasty, which established control over Tibet in , the region enjoyed a degree of autonomy, but all diplomatic agreements recognized Qing China's sovereign right to negotiate and conclude treaties and trade agreements involving Tibet.
