At the age of two he was formally recognised , according to Tibetan tradition , as the fourteenth Dalai Lama. He was just 16 , the spiritual and political leader of tibet , occupying the eastern part . For a number of years he undertook a series of Tibet . In 1959 , however , he was forced into exile by the Chinese occupation of tibet . Since 1960 he has resided in Dharamsala , India , the seat of the Tibetan government in exile