Final answer:
Zhou Enlai was the Chinese leader who accompanied the Dalai Lama during the visit to India in 1956. Zhou was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China and played a significant role in China's domestic and international policies so the correct answer is option (b).
Step-by-step explanation:
The Chinese leader who was accompanied by the Dalai Lama during a visit to India in 1956 was Zhou Enlai. Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China and worked closely with Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. During Zhou's leadership, China navigated complex international relations, including those involving Tibet, a region China claimed but which had historical periods of autonomy, including when it was run by Buddhist monks.
Mao Zedong had sent troops to reclaim Tibet for the newly established People's Republic in 1951, which led to continued conflict between Tibet and China. The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, remains the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet and is an important figure in the global "Free Tibet" movement. Zhou Enlai was known for his diplomatic skills and was instrumental in managing China's international relations, as well as its domestic policies alongside Mao and other prominent leaders like Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi.