The
Phagmodrupa dynasty (Phag mo gru pa) of
TibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north of the Himalayas. It is home to the indigenous Tibetan people, and to some other ethnic groups such as Monpas and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese people. Tibet is the highest region on earth, with an average...
was established by
Tai Situ Changchub GyaltsenTai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen [1302–1364 ] - a key figure in Tibetan History. Founder of the Phagmodrupa dynasty and ruler of Tibet from 1354 to 1364 or 1371....
at the end of the Mongol
Yuan DynastyThe Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he had his grandfather Genghis Khan placed on the...
. Tai Situ came from the monastic fief Phagmodru, founded in 1158. Becoming lord of the fief in 1321, he managed to defeat various local opponents at a time when the
Yuan DynastyThe Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he had his grandfather Genghis Khan placed on the...
, overlord of Tibet, was on the decline. The
SakyaThe Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
regime had hitherto wielded power over Tibet on behalf of the Mongols. However, Tai Situ superseded Sakya in the period 1349-1354, thereby recreating an autonomous Tibetan state.
The
Phagmodrupa dynasty (Phag mo gru pa) of
TibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north of the Himalayas. It is home to the indigenous Tibetan people, and to some other ethnic groups such as Monpas and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese people. Tibet is the highest region on earth, with an average...
was established by
Tai Situ Changchub GyaltsenTai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen [1302–1364 ] - a key figure in Tibetan History. Founder of the Phagmodrupa dynasty and ruler of Tibet from 1354 to 1364 or 1371....
at the end of the Mongol
Yuan DynastyThe Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he had his grandfather Genghis Khan placed on the...
. Tai Situ came from the monastic fief Phagmodru, founded in 1158. Becoming lord of the fief in 1321, he managed to defeat various local opponents at a time when the
Yuan DynastyThe Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he had his grandfather Genghis Khan placed on the...
, overlord of Tibet, was on the decline. The
SakyaThe Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
regime had hitherto wielded power over Tibet on behalf of the Mongols. However, Tai Situ superseded Sakya in the period 1349-1354, thereby recreating an autonomous Tibetan state. The new regime governed from their palace in Neudong. Tai Situ reorganized the old Mongol-Sakya administration by dividing the territory in various dzong (rdzong), districts. He abolished Mongol laws and customs in favour of traditional Tibetan ones.
The dynasty in the first place wielded power over Central Tibet (
Ü"Ü", or "ü", is a character which represents either a letter from several extended Latin alphabets, or the letter U with an umlaut or a diaeresis.- Letter Ü :...
and Tsang). They periodically dispatched formal tributes to the emperors of the
Ming DynastyThe Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history," was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
in China, and received from them the title chanhuawang (prince of
DhyanaDhyāna in Sanskrit ) or jhāna in Pāli generally refers to either meditation or meditative states. Equivalent terms are "Chán" in modern Chinese, "Zen" in Japanese, "Seon" in Korean, "Thien" in Vietnamese, and "Samten" in Tibetan....
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
). On the other hand, there was no Chinese administration or even interference in this period. The Ming sent neither officials nor military commanders into Central Tibet. The first rulers were lamas who did not marry, and the succession up to 1481 went via collateral kinsmen. At first the rulers declined to take royal titles, being content with the title regent (desi, sde srid). The fifth ruler Drakpa Gyaltsen appropriated the royal title gongma (the high one). From 1354 to 1435 the rulers managed to uphold a balance between the various fiefs. This period is famed as culturally productive, and included the work of the Buddhist reformer Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa sect.
- Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen
Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen [1302–1364 ] - a key figure in Tibetan History. Founder of the Phagmodrupa dynasty and ruler of Tibet from 1354 to 1364 or 1371....
(1302-1364)
- Desi Shakya Gyaltsen (1340-1373) nephew
- Desi Drakpa Changchub (1356-1386) nephew
- Desi Sonam Drakpa (1359-1408) brother
- Gongma Drakpa Gyaltsen (1374-1432) cousin
- Gongma Drakpa Jungne (1414-1446) nephew
After a civil war 1435 members continued to be enthroned as kings, although they were always contested by other local powers, especially the
RinpungpaRinpungpa was a Tibetan dynasty that dominated much of Central Tibet between 1435 and 1565. Originally lords of the fief Rinpung in Tsang , the family took advantage of a family feud within the Phagmodrupa dynasty in 1434-35 and seized the important place Shigatse...
(1435-1565) and
TsangpaTsangpa was a dynasty that dominated large parts of Tibet from 1565 to 1642. It was founded by Karma Tseten, a retainer of the prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty and governor of Shigatse in Tsang since 1548. During the 16th century Tibet was fragmented among rivalling factions, along religious as...
(1565-1642) dynasties. After 1564 their position was purely nominal, and the final incumbant was expelled from Lhasa in 1635.
- Gongma Kunga Lekpa (1433-1483) brother
- Gongma Ngagi Wangpo (1439-1491) nephew
- Gongma Ngawang Tashi Drakpa (1488-1564) son
- Gongma Drowai Gonpo (1508-1548) son
- Gongma Ngawang Drakpa (d. 1579?) son
- Kagyud Nampar Gyalwa (d. c. 1600) son
- Mipham Sonam Wangchuk Drakpa Namgyal Palzang (fl. 17th century) son
Sources
- Shakapa, Tsepon W.D.
W. D. Shakabpa was a Tibetan scholar. Tsepon was his title as Finance Minister- Biography :...
(1981)“The rise of Changchub Gyaltsen and the Phagmo Drupa Period″ in Bulletin of Tibetology, 1981 Gangtok: Namgyal Institute of Tibetology http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/bot/bot_1981_01_02.pdf
- Shakapa, Tsepon W.D.
W. D. Shakabpa was a Tibetan scholar. Tsepon was his title as Finance Minister- Biography :...
(1967)Tibet: A Political History, Yale University Press, New Haven and London.
- Sorensen, Per, & Hazod, Guntram (2007), Rulers of the Celestial Plain: Ecclesiastic and Secular Hegemony in Medieval Tibet. A Study of Tshal Gung-thang. Vol. I-II. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
- Tucci
Tucci is a surname, and may refer to:* Christine Tucci , American actress* Dudu Tucci , Brazilian musician* Flower Tucci , American adult actress/model* Gabriella Tucci , Italian soprano...
, Giuseppe (1949)Tibetan Painted Scrolls, 2 Volumes, Rome: La Libreria dello Stato.
- Tucci
Tucci is a surname, and may refer to:* Christine Tucci , American actress* Dudu Tucci , Brazilian musician* Flower Tucci , American adult actress/model* Gabriella Tucci , Italian soprano...
, Giuseppe (1971)Deb t'er dmar po gsar ma. Tibetan Chronicles by bSod nams grags pa. Roma: IsMEO.
External links