For centuries Tibet was a land of mystery—geographically isolated from the world around it, yet an influential force in the shaping of Mongolian and Chinese culture. Using expert commentary, reenactments, maps, artwork, and scenes of monastic and rural life in modern Tibet, this captivating two-part series documents the intricate antecedents and history of the Dalai Lama, from the year 700 to today, within the context of Tibetan, Mongolian, and Chinese history.

Part 1: Rituals of Reincarnation: From supreme religious authority, to god-king, to Manchu pawn, to icon in exile, the role of the Dalai Lama has been in continual flux. In this program, Dr. Robert Thurman, Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University; the authors of The Last Dalai Lama and Tibetan Nation; His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso; and others investigate the intricate procedure of identifying a reincarnated Dalai Lama against the backdrop of Tibetan power politics and Chinese expansion, carrying the history of the Dalai Lama forward from the birth of Sonam Gyatso’s successor to the life in exile of Tibet’s 14th spiritual leader.

Program 2: Politics, Power and the Birth of the Dalai Lama: Indian Buddhism transformed Tibet from a feudal society to an egalitarian culture that valued learning and religion—but not without a fierce and protracted struggle between vying monasteries. In this program, Dr. Robert Thurman, Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University; Michael Harris Goodman, biographer of the 14th Dalai Lama; and historian Dr. Shagdaryn Bira examine Tibetan Buddhism, the Lhasa/Shigatse power struggle and intervention by Genghis Khan, subsequent Tibetan alliances with Kublai and Altan Khan to contain Chinese political aspirations, and the institution of the Dalai Lama.