Tibet · 1578-1793

Lhasa and the Dalai Lamas

A Mongol khan gave the title Dalai Lama to a Tibetan teacher in 1578. Within a century the Dalai Lamas ruled Tibet from the Potala Palace. Students explore how religion and politics joined on the roof of the world, between Mongols and the Qing.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, AD 1650 to AD 640
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

A Mongol khan gave the title Dalai Lama to a Tibetan teacher in 1578. Within a century the Dalai Lamas ruled Tibet from the Potala Palace. Students explore how religion and politics joined on the roof of the world, between Mongols and the Qing.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain how the Dalai Lamas became the rulers of Tibet.
  • Describe the Potala Palace and what it shows about Tibetan government.
  • Explain Tibet's ties with the Mongols and the Qing between 1578 and 1793.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1650

The roof of the world

Open the map in 1650 and find Tibet. Which states lie to its south, across the Himalaya, and which to its east?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1650

The palace on the hill

Zoom in on Lhasa and find the hill where the Potala Palace stands, at about 3,700 m above sea level. Why build a palace on a hill above the city?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 640

A thousand years of Buddhism

Open the map in 640 with Spreads > Buddhism turned on. Which king brought Buddhism to Lhasa? About how many centuries before the Potala was built?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Why would a Mongol khan want the friendship of a Tibetan Buddhist teacher?
  2. The Dalai Lama was both a religious teacher and the head of government. What are the strengths and risks of joining the two?
  3. The Potala has more than 1,000 rooms. What did such a building say to visitors?
  4. From 1720 the Qing kept officials and troops in Lhasa. How might Tibetans have felt about that?
  5. Tibetan Buddhism spread among the Mongols and to the Qing court. How can a small country have a big influence?
4

Game round

9 min

Rule History has no Tibetan ruler, so play Akbar, who ruled India in the same era and talked with teachers of many faiths. Let students take turns ruling. Then compare: how did the Dalai Lamas join religious and political power, and how did Akbar?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.