By this treaty, Tibet relinquished several hundred square miles of its territory, including Tawang, to the British, but it was not recognised by China.

In 1938, the British made a cautious move to assert sovereignty over Tawang by sending a small military column under Capt.

After the outbreak of the war with Japan in 1941, the government of Assam undertook a number of 'forward policy' measures to tighten their hold on the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) area, which later became Arunachal Pradesh.

In 1944, administrative control was extended over the area of the Tawang tract lying South of the Sela Pass when J.P. Mills set up an Assam Rifles post at Dirang Dzong.

Tibet also lost its independent diplomatic freedom and Tawang was now a stress point between India and China.

[8] The Yangtse clash of 9 December 2022 occurred at night between the troops of the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) along their mutually contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Yangtse region of Tawang.

[9] The district is roughly located around latitude 27° 45’ N and longitude 90° 15’ E at the northwest extremity of Arunachal Pradesh.

Elevations range between 6,000 and 22,000 feet (6,700 m), and inhabitants are found at lower altitude, where they enjoy a cool temperate climate.

The district occupies an area of 2,085 square kilometres and has a population of 38,924 (as of 2001), almost 75% of which are considered "tribal", i.e. belonging to the native Monpa, Bhotia, Adi, etc.

There are 3 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly constituencies located in this district: Lumla, Tawang and Mukto.

[12] According to the 2011 census Tawang district has a population of 49,977,[1] roughly equal to the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Owing to Tawang's cold climate, farmers breed yak and sheep, although in lower altitudes crops are also planted.

Visitors to Tawang district require a special Inner Line Permit from the government which are available in Kolkata, Guwahati, Tezpur, and New Delhi.

Most of the travel from the plains is on a steep hill road journey, crossing Sela Pass at 4,176 metres (13,701 ft).

It is also known by another Tibetan name, Galden Namgey Lhatse, which means a true name within a celestial paradise in a clear night.

[citation needed] When the current Dalai Lama (14th Dalai Lama) fled from Tibet in 1959 to escape from the Chinese army, he crossed into India on 30 March 1959 and spent some days resting at Tawang Monastery before reaching Tezpur in Assam on 18 April.