Though Tibet's system of governance had serious lacunas, the Land of Snows was free and independent. In October 1950, Mao's regime decided to 'liberate' it. 'Liberate' from what, was the question everybody asked. Though some in Delhi did not realise it, it would soon be a tragedy for India too, as it had to suddenly live with a new neighbor, whose ideology was the opposite of Buddhist values. The narrative starts soon after Independence and ends with the signing of the 17-Point Agreement in Beijing in May 1951 when Tibet lost its Independence ...and India, a gentle neighbour.Using never-accessed-before Indian archival material, this book is the first of a series of four books on the India-Tibet Relations (1947-62).The next volumes will respectively cover the periods 1952-1954, 1954-1957 and 1957-1962.