In 1271, the Mongolian Kublai Khan took Yuan as the name of their dynasty. U-Tsang (present-day Lhasa, Xigaze and Ngari ) thus became a part of the Yuan, and Tibet was finally included as a directly governed administrative unit.

When the Yuan unified China, the rulers adopted a series of measures for rule over Tibet. They included the following:

-- The Zongzhi Yuan was set up to manage Tibetan affairs. In 1288, it was renamed Xuanzheng Yuan. The Prime Minister usually took the post of executive chief of the Xuanzheng Yuan concurrently, while a monk recommended by the Imperial Tutor held the post of deputy chief.

-- Tibetan monks and lay people were given high official titles for management over Tibetan affairs.

-- Tibet was divided into different administrative areas. In addition, 13 10,000-household offices and several 1,000-household offices were set up in U-Tsang to take charge of collecting taxes.