We know a lot about the works of the previous Dalai Lamas. The only two that could remotely approach the "world celebrity" status of Tenzin Gyatso would be Lobsang Gyatso, known as "The Great Fifth," and Thubten Gyatso, the 13th and current Dalai Lama's predecessor.

I've written extensively on this topic before, it's perhaps one of the most common questions in Tibetan history.

• On the claim that the Dalai Lama presided over a feudalistic slaveocracy.

• What was the Dalai Lama's rule like?

• What would the rule of the Dalai Lama have been like?

• On what factors led the Dalai Lama to a position of cultural prominence in the West.

• On the Dalai Lamas’ control of Tibet between 1912-1951.

• On the story behind the murder of the Sixth Dalai Lama and what happened.

Let me know if you have any follow up questions.