Tibet's history stretches back thousands of years, with many interdependencies as well as long periods of isolation. In the early centuries AD Tibet and India began a long friendship; the introduction of Buddhism from India led to the establishment of numerous monasteries and stupas, sponsored by a succession of religious kings. Indian pilgrims brought the Buddha's scriptures to Tibet in the 8th century; 108 Indian scribes were said to have worked on the task of translating the texts into Tibetan.

Medieval Tibet was a powerful regional force, holding sway over parts of present-day India, Nepal and China. As Genghis Khan's Mongol empire expanded in the 13th century, Tibet's rulers promised political allegiance and religious guidance. Tibet reintroduced Buddhism to the Mongols in the 16th century; it was the Mongol leader Altan Khan who dubbed the visiting Tibetan lama "Dalai Lama", meaning "Ocean of Wisdom". In the 17th century the Ganden Phodrang government was founded by the 5th Dalai Lama, and it continues to function today as a government-in-exile under the leadership of the 14th Dalai Lama.

The relationship between Tibet and China throughout the two nations' long histories is fraught with controversy. For centuries, China sought to maintain the status of "protector" of Tibet, at least in the eyes of foreign diplomats, but there have been numerous periods where China's influence over this huge and remote region has waxed or waned according to the power of the various dynasties. For example, Chinese emperors succeeded in exerting a degree of influence over Tibet for several decades in the 18th century, sending imperial troops into Tibet four times to protect the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people from "foreign incursions" or "internal unrest". This brief sway, along with the influence of Mongol emperors in the 13th century, provides the current Chinese regime with their contentious claims for historical legitimacy in Tibet.

In the early 20th century, the Chinese resorted to military measures in an attempt to regain lost influence; an invasion of Lhasa in 1910 forced the flight of the 13th Dalai Lama to India. In 1911, following the Chinese revolution, all Chinese were expelled from Tibet, and a formalised reiteration of independence was made by the 13th Dalai Lama on his return to Lhasa. From 1911 to 1950, Tibet successfully avoided undue foreign influence (despite British and Chinese meddling) and behaved, in every respect, as a fully independent nation.