Keywords
Reincarnation
Contested Succession
India-China
How to Cite
Abstract
The forthcoming succession of the 14th Dalai Lama has emerged as a critical juncture in the geopolitics of South Asia. While Tibetan Buddhism treats the Dalai Lama's reincarnation as a spiritual matter, China has asserted political authority over the process, framing it as a question of sovereignty. India, hosting the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and the Dalai Lama since 1959, faces a delicate strategic challenge: balancing its commitment to Tibetan refugees and spiritual traditions with the imperative of managing its strained relations with China. This article examines the intersection of religion and politics in the Dalai Lama's succession, analyses China's attempts to control Tibetan Buddhism, and assesses how this contestation might influence India-China relations in the coming decades.
References
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