Before the democracy reform, politics and religious were syncretic. Under that system, the lords, whose population accounted for no more than five percent of the whole Tibetan population, controlled ninety-five percent of the land, while the serfs, whose population accounted for over ninety percent of the whole, had no right of the land at all. Moreover, Millions of serfs lived in poverty.
Democracy reform in Tibet had become the serfs' intense desire. On the 28th June of 1959, the democracy reform was carried out. In a short period, usury of 119,000 tons of grain was abolished and by their own work the serfs got grain of 28 thousand tons. In the Autumn of 1960, 200,000 farmers got the land certificates, houses, cattles and other production materials.
The reform in pasturing area and monasteries was followed. Regulations in favor of the herdsmen were established. The democracy reform was accomplished after two years. From 1st to 9th of January 1965, the first People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region was held in Lhasa, signifying the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region. From then on, Tibet took on a new look.