 The Ming sporadically sent armed forays into Tibet during the 14th century , which the Tibetans successfully resisted . Several scholars point out that unlike the preceding Mongols , the Ming dynasty did not garrison permanent troops in Tibet . The Wanli Emperor ( r . 1572 – 1620 ) attempted to reestablish Sino @-@ Tibetan relations in the wake of a Mongol @-@ Tibetan alliance initiated in 1578 , an alliance which affected the foreign policy of the subsequent Manchu Qing dynasty ( 1644 – 1912 ) in their support for the Dalai Lama of the Yellow Hat sect . By the late 16th century , the Mongols proved to be successful armed protectors of the Yellow Hat Dalai Lama after their increasing presence in the Amdo region , culminating in the conquest of Tibet by Güshi Khan ( 1582 – 1655 ) in 1642 , establishing the Khoshut Khanate . 
