How a 1720 military expedition transformed Tibet into a Qing dynasty protectorate
In 1720, the Qing dynasty launched a strategic campaign to expel Dzungar invaders from Tibet. By positioning themselves as liberators, the Qing forces successfully installed a new Dalai Lama and established a lasting administrative presence, fundamentally altering the political landscape of the Tibetan Plateau until the dynasty's eventual collapse in 1912.
The origins of this conflict trace back to 1642, when Güshi Khan established the Khoshut Khanate and installed the 5th Dalai Lama as the supreme authority in Tibet. This stability was shattered in 1717 when the Dzungar Khanate, led by Tsewang Rabtan, invaded the region. The Dzungars deposed the pretender Ngawang Yeshey Gyatso and massacred the family of Lha-bzang Khan, the final Khoshut ruler. Following a failed Qing attempt to secure trade routes at the Battle of the Salween River in 1718, Lha-bzang Khan requested imperial protection, setting the stage for a major military intervention.
The Kangxi Emperor organized a multi-ethnic force consisting of Manchu, Han, and Mongol troops to reclaim the region. The expedition advanced along two fronts: a Sichuan route commanded by Yue Zhongqi, which seized Lhasa, and a Kokonor route that arrived on 24 September 1720, escorting the newly recognized 7th Dalai Lama, Kelzang Gyatso. The Qing forces were supported by local Tibetan leaders, including Polhanas of Tsang and the governor of Western Tibet, Kangchennas. Upon their arrival, the Qing expelled the Dzungars and established a garrison of 3,000 men in Lhasa to maintain order.
Following the victory, the Qing administration systematically restructured Tibetan governance. In 1721, they replaced the existing civil government with the Kashag, a council of ministers tasked with managing the region under the watchful eye of the Qing garrison commander. While scholars like Evelyn S. Rawski and Sabine Dabringhaus note the presence of both Green Standard Army troops and Manchu Bannermen in these garrisons, the long-term result was the transformation of Tibet into a formal protectorate. This arrangement solidified Qing control, marking the beginning of an era where the empire functioned as the region's ultimate political overlord.
