Editing Dalai Lama (section)

==== Visit to Beijing ====
In 1636 the [[Manchu people|Manchus]] proclaimed their dynasty as the [[Qing dynasty]] and by 1644 they had completed [[Qing conquest of the Ming|their conquest of China]] under the [[prince regent]] [[Dorgon]].<ref>{{Cite book |doi = 10.1002/9781118455074.wbeoe287|chapter = China, imperial: 8. Qing or Manchu dynasty period, 1636-1911|title = The Encyclopedia of Empire|pages = 1–13|year = 2016|last1 = Hang|first1 = Henry Choi Sze|isbn = 9781118455074}}</ref> The following year their forces approached [[Amdo]] on northern Tibet, causing the Oirat and Khoshut Mongols there to submit in 1647 and send tribute. In 1648, after quelling a rebellion of Tibetans of Gansu-Xining, the Qing invited the Fifth Dalai Lama to visit their court at Beijing since they wished to engender Tibetan influence in their dealings with the Mongols. The Qing were aware the Dalai Lama had extraordinary influence with the Mongols and saw relations with the Dalai Lama as a means to facilitate submission of the [[Khalka Mongols]], traditional patrons of the [[Karma Kagyu]] sect.<ref name="Smith 1997, pp. 108–113">Smith 1997, pp. 108–113.</ref>

Similarly, since the Tibetan Gelugpa were keen to revive a [[priest-patron]] relationship with the dominant power in China and Inner Asia, the Qing invitation was accepted. After five years of complex diplomatic negotiations about whether the emperor or his representatives should meet the Dalai Lama inside or outside the Great Wall, when the meeting would be astrologically favourable, how it would be conducted and so on, it eventually took place in Beijing in 1653.<ref name="Smith 1997, pp. 108–113"/>

The Shunzhi Emperor was then 16 years old, having in the meantime ascended the throne in 1650 after the death of Dorgon. For the Qing, although the Dalai Lama was not required to [[kowtow]] to the emperor, who rose from his throne and advanced 30 feet to meet him, the significance of the visit was that of nominal political submission by the Dalai Lama since Inner Asian heads of state did not travel to meet each other but sent envoys. For Tibetan Buddhist historians, however, it was interpreted as the start of an era of independent rule of the Dalai Lamas, and of Qing patronage alongside that of the Mongols.<ref name="Smith 1997, pp. 108–113"/>

When the 5th Dalai Lama returned, he was granted by the emperor of China a golden seal of authority and golden sheets with texts written in Manchu, Tibetan and Han Chinese languages.<ref name="陈庆英2005_p41">{{cite book |author=陈庆英 |title=达赖喇嘛转世及历史定制英 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=haMIsdC3iZwC&pg=PA41 |year=2005 |publisher=五洲传播出版社 |isbn = 978-7-5085-0745-3 |pages=41–}}</ref><ref name=K309>Karmay 2014, p. 309.</ref> The 5th Dalai Lama wanted to use the golden seal of authority right away.<ref name="陈庆英2005_p41" /> However, Lobzang Gyatsho noted that "The Tibetan version of the inscription of the seal was translated by a Mongol translator but was not a good translation". After correction, it read: "The one who resides in the Western peaceful and virtuous paradise is unalterable Vajradhara, Ocean Lama, unifier of the doctrines of the Buddha for all beings under the sky". The words of the diploma ran: "Proclamation, to let all the people of the western hemisphere know".<ref name=K309 /> Tibetan historian Nyima Gyaincain points out that based on the texts written on golden sheets, Dalai Lama was only a subordinate of the Emperor of China.<ref name="王家伟尼玛坚赞1997">{{cite book|author1=王家伟|author2=尼玛坚赞|title=中国西藏的历史地位|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWCa0NSILSsC&pg=PA38|year=1997|publisher=五洲传播出版社|isbn=978-7-80113-303-8|pages=38–}}</ref>

However, despite such patronising attempts by Chinese officials and historians to symbolically show for the record that they held political influence over Tibet, the Tibetans themselves did not accept any such symbols imposed on them by the Chinese with this kind of motive. For example, concerning the above-mentioned 'golden seal', the Fifth Dalai Lama comments in ''Dukula'', his autobiography, on leaving China after this courtesy visit to the emperor in 1653, that "the emperor made his men bring a golden seal for me that had three vertical lines in three parallel scripts: Chinese, Mongol and Tibetan". He also criticised the words carved on this gift as being faultily translated into Tibetan, writing that "The Tibetan version of the inscription of the seal was translated by a Mongol translator but was not a good translation".<ref name=K309/> Furthermore, when he arrived back in Tibet, he discarded the emperor's famous golden seal and made a new one for important state usage, writing in his autobiography: "Leaving out the Chinese characters that were on the seal given by the emperor, a new seal was carved for stamping documents that dealt with territorial issues. The first imprint of the seal was offered with prayers to the image of Lokeshvara ...".<ref>Karmay 2014, p. 402.</ref>