1935- . Spiritual and temporal head of the 
Tibetan state until 1959, when he went into 
exile in protest against Chinese annexation 
and oppression. Tibetan Buddhists believe 
that each Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of 
his predecessor and also of Avalokitesvara.
Enthroned 1940, the Dalai Lama temporarily
fled 1950-51 when the Chinese overran Tibet,
and in Mar 1959 - when a local uprising
against Chinese rule was suppressed - made a
dramatic escape from Lhasa to India. He then
settled at Dharmsala in the Punjab. His
people continue to demand his return, and the
Chinese offered to lift the ban on his living
in Tibet, providing he would refrain from
calling for Tibet's independence. His deputy,
the Panchen Lama, has cooperated with the
Chinese but failed to protect the monks.
Nobel Peace Prize 1989 in recognition of his
commitment to the nonviolent liberation of
his homeland.