Between the 17th century and 1959 , the Dalai Lama was the head of the Tibetan government . For certain periods of time between the 17th century and 1959 , the Dalai Lamas sometimes directed the Tibetan Government , which administered portions of Tibet from Lhasa . The 14th Dalai Lama remained the head of state for the Central Tibetan Administration ( `` Tibetan government in exile '' ) until his retirement on March 14 , 2011 .