The Dalai Lama ruled Tibet for prolonged period of time, but this was not the situation in the beginning when the title was created. The religious leader first received the honorific title in the second half of the 16th century, some 100 years later after the death of Gendain Zhuba (later confirmed posthumously as the 1st Dalai Lama), the most favored disciple of Zongkapa, founder of the Gelug Sect, and many years after the 2nd Dalai Lama, also a disciple of Zongkapa.

The 3rd, 4th and 6th Dalai Lama devoted their lives to building monasteries and promoting Buddhism, and took no part in government work.

With the support of the Mongol Hoshod Gushri Khan, the 5th Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyamco set up the Gandain Phodrang regime in 1642, while the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) still ruled the entire country. However, the real power was in the hands of Gushri Khan and his offspring, while the 5th Dalai Lama was in charge of religious affairs only.

In the early days of the Qing Dynasty, the central court worked to separate government from religious affairs. This obviously was a boon for the development of Tibet and for its political stability. However, the 5th Dalai Lama was still involved in government work in Tibet. For instance, he was in a position to distribute land to famous monasteries in the name of the Qing emperor and empower them to handle government affairs locally. This marked the beginning of the Dalai Lama becoming involved in government affairs.

Tibet experienced riots in the mid-18th century. Qing Emperor Qianlong then enacted the 13-Article Ordinance for the More Effective Governing of Tibet, which gave the 7th Dalai Lama the power to handle government affairs. Four Galoon officials including three laymen formed the Gaxag government of Tibet, led jointly by the Dalai Lama and the two High Commissioners sent to Tibet by the Qing court.

The 7th Dalai Lama’s rule over Tibet marked the beginning of the combined temporal and religious administration in Tibet. However, it was an indisputable fact that the two Qing High Commissioners were also involved in the governing process; the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni were religious leaders, wielding political and religious power in the name of the deity.

Both the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni were the largest serf-owners in Tibet, with large tracts of farmland received from the Qing court.

All the regents were eminent monks of the monasteries of the Gelug Sect. Many upper-class lamas of this sect held honorary official positions in the local government of Tibet; Kampus (abbots) of the Zhaibung, Gandain and Sera monasteries took part in the enlarged meeting of the Gaxag government, a way for them to handle government affairs; the three monasteries had the power to dispatch officials to areas under their rule….

The 7th Dalai Lama was in power for a mere six years and passed away in 1757. Qing Emperor Qianlong ordered the 6th Dimo Hutogtu with the Danqinjiling Monastery, one of the four “lings” (private places where the four Living Buddha practiced mediation) in Tibet, to take over the Dalai Lama’s work. From then on, all the soul boys of a dead Dalai Lama under 18 years of age were not able to wield power, which was in the hands of a Living Buddha acting as regent.

Given the fighting among the upper ruling class in Tibet, the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Dalai Lamas all died young. This was followed by swift changes of ruling regents over a period of 127 years

Living Buddhas with the Gongdeling Monastery ruled for 31 years, with the 8th Living Buddha Jilung in power from 1791-1811 and the 10th Living Buddha Jilung from 1875-1886);

--Three Living Buddhas with the Danjiling Monastery ruled for 36 years, with the 6th Living Buddha Dimo in power from 1757-1777, the 7th Living Buddha Dimo from 1811-1818 and the 9th Living Buddha Dimo from 1886-1895;

--Two Living Buddhas with the Shideling Monastery ruled for 24 years, with the 9th Living Buddha Razheng in power from 1845-1862 and the 11th Living Buddha Razheng from 1934-1941;

--Three Living Buddhas with the Chemoiling Monastery ruled for 36 years, with the 1st Living Buddha Chemoiling in power from 1777-786, the 2nd Living Buddha Chemoiling from 1819-1844 and the 3rd Living Buddha Chemoiling from 1910-1912.

In addition, the following held power for 27 years

--the 7th Panchen Erdeni for eight months between 1844 and 1845;

--Galoon Shazhawa Qangqug Gyibo for two years from 1862-1864;

--the Living Buddha Dizhub with the Molu Monastery for nine years from 1864-1873;

--Gandain Chiba Lobsang Gyamcain for five years from 1904-1909;

--the Living Buddha Yongzeng Dagzha with the Nyitang Monastery for ten years from 1941-1951.

From the above we see that in the period of 222 years, from 1661 when the 5th Dalai Lama began to wield power to 1959 when the 14th Dalai Lama fled overseas following the suppression of the armed rebellion he staged, power in Tibet fell into the hands of three Mongol Khans, three Diba officials, four Galoon officials (with three in a coalition government), two prefectural kings, 10 Living Buddhas with the four “lings”, one Panchen Lama, and four eminent monks.

The first four Dalai Lamas were never to be able to rule the region. The 5th-14th Dalai Lamas were in power for 77 years, with the 13th Dalai Lama ruled for the longest period of 30 years. The 9th Dalai Lama died at the tender age of 10 and hence was not able to exercise power.