废除农奴主的经济特权，人民成为生产资料的主人，极大地解放了生产力，保障了西藏人民的生存权利，为实行民族区域自治，奠定了物质基础。封建农奴制度不仅侵犯人权，摧残人性，而且严重阻碍社会生产力发展，人民连基本的温饱都没有保障。民主改革中，约2万朗生安了家，得到安家粮504万斤。民主改革解放和发展了西藏的社会生产力，西藏劳动人民再不受农奴主的沉重差税和高利贷剥削，劳动果实全部留归自己，生产积极性空前高涨。

　　废除农奴主的宗教特权，打碎了精神枷锁，为实行民族区域自治，提供了思想文化条件。在“政教合一”的制度下，宗教直接掌握在农奴主手中，被异化为实施统治压迫人民的工具。三大领主为了使封建特权神圣化，从精神上奴役人民，凡是与其意志相违背的任何新思想、新文化和科技知识，都被视为异端邪说，禁锢人们的思想，阻碍教育的普及和科学文化的发展。民主改革后，西藏废除一切封建特权，实行宗教信仰自由政策，实行政教分离，宗教不得干预政治、经济、文化和社会生活，人民群众从政教合一的精神枷锁中解放出来。

Abolishing economic privileges of serf owners enabled the people to become owners of the means of production, greatly liberated the productive forces, and protected Tibetan people's right to subsistence, laying the physical foundation for the practice of regional ethnic autonomy. The feudal serfdom not only infringed upon human rights and destroyed human qualities, but also effectively put a brake on development of social productivity and left people's basic need for clothing and food unguaranteed. During the democratic reform, about 20,000 "nangzan" settled, and were allotted 2,520,000 kilograms of grain. The democratic reform liberated and developed Tibet's social productivity; as a result, the working people of Tibet were freed from heavy corvee, taxes, and usurious exploitation, and were able to keep all the fruits of their hard work. Their enthusiasm for production ran unprecedentedly high.

Abolishing religious privileges of serf owners shattered the people's spiritual shackles, providing ideological and cultural conditions for the implementation of regional ethnic autonomy in Tibet. Under theocracy, religion was directly controlled by serf owners and used as a tool for ruling and oppressing the people. To sanctify feudal privileges and enslave the people spiritually, the three major estate-holders regarded any new idea, new culture or scientific knowledge that was contrary to their will as heresy, imprisoning people's thinking and hindering the spread of education and scientific and cultural development. Through the democratic reform, Tibet abolished all feudal privileges, implemented the policy of freedom of religious belief, and separated religion from government, so preventing religion from interfering in its politics, economy, culture and social life. The people were thus freed from the spiritual shackles of theocracy.

　　——成立自治区，走上社会主义道路

　　实行民族区域自治制度，是西藏广大人民的共同愿望。“十七条协议”中规定：“根据中国人民政治协商会议共同纲领的民族政策，在中央人民政府统一领导之下，西藏人民有实行民族区域自治的权利。”1954年第一届全国人民代表大会闭幕后，中央政府领导人毛泽东接见十四世达赖和十世班禅，并告诉他们，“今后西藏不成立军政委员会，而直接成立西藏自治区筹备委员会，为实行民族区域自治做准备。”两人均表示同意。之后，根据宪法中关于实行民族区域自治制度的规定，中央着手西藏自治区成立事宜。1954年11月，中央提出了成立西藏自治区筹备委员会的意见。1955年3月，国务院第七次全体会议专题研究了成立西藏自治区筹备委员会和西藏建设的有关问题。此后，中央对西藏自治区筹备委员会的成立进行了具体指导。1956年4月22日，西藏自治区筹备委员会成立大会在新落成的拉萨大礼堂隆重举行，包括西藏各地区、各民族、各阶层、各教派和各群众团体在内的300多名代表参加或列席了大会，这是西藏历史上第一次有如此广泛代表性的人士欢聚一堂，民主协商、共议大事。十四世达赖为西藏自治区筹备委员会主任委员，十世班禅为西藏自治区筹备委员会第一副主任委员。西藏自治区筹备委员会是一个具有政权性质的协商办事机构，是西藏实行民族区域自治的重要步骤。西藏自治区筹备委员会的成立，使自治区成立工作得到积极推进，但1959年武装叛乱的发生，严重影响了自治区成立工作的进行。平息叛乱后，自治区成立工作得到顺利进行。

-- Establishing Tibet Autonomous Region, and taking the socialist road

It was a common wish of the people of Tibet to exercise regional ethnic autonomy. The "17-Article Agreement" stipulated, "According to the ethnic policy in the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), under the unified leadership of the Central People's Government, the Tibetan people shall have the right to exercise regional ethnic autonomy." In 1954, after the First National People's Congress closed, Mao Zedong, top leader of the Central People's Government, met with the 14th Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Erdeni. Mao told them, "Tibet will not have a military and political committee; instead, the Preparatory Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region will be established to prepare for the exercise of regional ethnic autonomy." The two agreed. Later, according to stipulations in the Constitution about the practice of regional ethnic autonomy, the central government started work on the establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region. In November 1954, the central government proposed to establish the Preparatory Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region. At its Seventh Plenary Meeting held in March 1955, the State Council specifically studied and discussed the matter and issues relating to Tibet's construction. Following the meeting, the central government gave specific instructions on the matter. On April 22, 1956, the founding conference of the Preparatory Committee of Tibet Autonomous Region was held in the newly built Great Hall of Lhasa. Over 300 delegates and non-voting delegates from all ethnic groups, social strata, religions, and social groups throughout Tibet attended the conference. This was the first time in the history of Tibet that people of broad representation gathered for democratic consultation and discussion. The 14th Dalai Lama became chairman of the Preparatory Committee, while the 10th Panchen Erdeni became first deputy chairman. The Preparatory Committee was a consultative administrative body as an organ of political power, an important stepping stone for the exercise of regional ethnic autonomy in Tibet. Its establishment pushed forward the establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region. However, the armed rebellion in 1959 seriously affected the work of its establishment. After the rebellion was quelled, the establishment was carried out smoothly.