The Phagmodrupa dynasty or Pagmodru (, ; ) was a dynastic regime that held sway over

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...

or parts thereof from 1354 to the early 17th century. It was established by

Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen (; )Chen Qingying (2003) (1302 – 21 November 1364) was the founder of the Phagmodrupa Dynasty that replaced the Mongol-backed Sakya dynasty, ending Tibet under Yuan rule. He ruled most of Tibet as ''desi'' (regent) fr ...

of the Lang () family at the end of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...

. The dynasty had a lasting importance on the history of Tibet; it created an autonomous kingdom after Yuan rule, revitalized the national culture, and brought about a new legislation that survived until the 1950s. Nevertheless, the Phagmodrupa had a turbulent history due to internal family feuding and the strong localism among noble lineages and fiefs. Its power receded after 1435 and was reduced to Ü (East Central Tibet) in the 16th century due to the rise of the ministerial family of the

Rinpungpa Rinpungpa (; ) was a Tibetan dynastic regime that dominated much of Western Tibet and part of Ü-Tsang between 1435 and 1565. During one period around 1500 the Rinpungpa lords came close to assemble the Tibetan lands around the Yarlung Tsangpo R ...

. It was defeated by the rival

Tsangpa Tsangpa (; ) was a dynasty that dominated large parts of Tibet from 1565 to 1642. It was the last Tibetan royal dynasty to rule in their own name. The regime was founded by Karma Tseten, a low-born retainer of the prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty ...

dynasty in 1613 and 1620, and was formally superseded by the

Ganden Phodrang The Ganden Phodrang or Ganden Podrang (; ) was the Tibetan system of government established by the 5th Dalai Lama in 1642; it operated in Tibet until the 1950s. Lhasa became the capital of Tibet again early in this period, after the Oirat lo ...

regime founded by the

5th Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was the 5th Dalai Lama and the first Dalai Lama to wield effective temporal and spiritual power over all Tibet. He is often referred to simply as the Great Fifth, being a key religious and temporal leader ...

in 1642. In that year,

Güshi Khan Güshi Khan (1582 – 14 January 1655; ) was a Khoshut prince and founder of the Khoshut Khanate, who supplanted the Tumed descendants of Altan Khan as the main benefactor of the Dalai Lama and the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1637, Güshi ...

of the

Khoshut The Khoshut ( Mongolian: Хошууд,, qoşūd, ; literally "bannermen," from Middle Mongolian ''qosighu'' "flag, banner") are one of the four major tribes of the Oirat people. Originally, Khoshuuds were one of the Khorchin tribes in southeast ...

formally transferred the old possessions of

Sakya The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu. Origins Virūpa, 16th century. It depic ...

, Rinpung and Phagmodrupa to the "Great Fifth".

The foundation of the Phagmodrupa

Founder Changchub Gyaltsen came from the monastic principality Phagmodru ("sow's ferry crossing"), which was founded as a hermitage in 1158 by the famous Kagyu scholar

Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo () 110-1170 was one of the three main disciples of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen who established the Dagpo Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism; and a disciple of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo 092-1158one of the founders of the Sakya sch ...

. It was situated in the Nêdong district southeast of

Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhas ...

. Some time after the death of the founder in 1170, some of his disciples met and organized a true

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

, called (Wylie: ''gdan sa mthil'', 1198). Phagmodru evolved into a large and wealthy estate around the monastery, which was governed by members of the Lang family. They maintained a variant of the

Dagpo Kagyu Dagpo Kagyu encompasses the branches of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism that trace their lineage back through Gampopa (1079-1153), who was also known as Dagpo Lhaje () "the Physician from Dagpo" and Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche "Incomparable Pre ...

school of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

known as the Phagdru Kagyu. When Mongol rule was imposed on Tibet in the mid-13th century, Phagmodru became an appanage under Hülegü Khan (d. 1266), forming one of the thirteen myriarchies (divisions) of Central Tibet. Towards the end of the 13th century the myriarchy fell on hard times and lost territory. Its fortunes were revived by Changchub Gyaltsen, who became lord of the fief in 1322. He managed to defeat various local opponents at a time when the Yuan dynasty, overlord of Tibet, was on the decline. The

regime, centered in Tsang (West Central Tibet) had hitherto wielded power over Tibet on behalf of the Mongols. However, Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen superseded Sakya in the period 1354–1358, thereby recreating an autonomous Tibetan state. Mongol ruler

Toghon Temür Toghon Temür ( mn, Тогоонтөмөр; Mongolian script: ; ; 25 May 1320 – 23 May 1370), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Huizong of Yuan () bestowed by the Northern Yuan dynasty and by his posthumous ...

was beset by inner troubles, and so preferred to confirm the acquisitions of Changchub Gyaltsen, and conferred the titles ''darakache'' and ''tai situ'' (grand tutor) on him. The

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

made no attempt to reinstate the tight grip on Tibet once exercised by the Mongols. In 1372 the Hongwu Emperor conferred the title ''Guanding Guoshi'' on Changchub Gyaltsen's successor Jamyang Shakya Gyaltsen (r. 1364–1373) together with a jade seal.

Administrative renewal

The new regime governed from their palace in Nêdong in the

Yarlung Valley The Yarlung Valley is formed by Yarlung Chu, a tributary of the Tsangpo River in the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet region of China. It refers especially to the district where Yarlung Chu joins with the Chongye River, and broadens out into a la ...

. Changchub Gyaltsen did not take royal titles but preferred the title ''desi'' (sde srid) that means regent, namely for the ancient kings of Tibet (600-842) whose glory he wished to revive. The new regent reorganized the old Mongol-Sakya administration by sharing up the territory in divisions (''de'' or ''dzongchen''), under which were ''dzong'' (''rdzong''), districts. These were headed by ''dzongpons'' who governed from fortified cities (also called ''dzong'') and combined civil and military functions; these were chosen from among Changchub Gyaltsen's close followers and initially were not hereditary. He abolished Mongol laws and customs in favour of traditional Tibetan ones, which were much less harsh. Three centuries later his laws were revised by the

Fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was the 5th Dalai Lama and the first Dalai Lama to wield effective temporal and spiritual power over all Tibet. He is often referred to simply as the Great Fifth, being a key religious and temporal leader ...

and Sangye Gyatso, and then remained in effect until the invasion of Tibet by Maoist China. The dynasty in the first place wielded power over

Central Tibet Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

( Ü and Tsang). After 1373 the rulers periodically dispatched formal tributes to the emperors of the

in China, and received from them the title Chanhuawang (Chinese: 闡化王, prince who expounds

) in 1406. The Ming court formally established a number of prefectures (都司) and counties (寨) in Central Tibet. A Chinese I military commissioner was appointed in

Hezhou Hezhou () is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Geography and climate Hezhou is located in northeastern Guangxi. It borders Hunan to the north and Guangdong to the east. ...

close to the border in 1374. The emperor bestowed on him general governing authority over Do-Kham ( Eastern Tibet) and

Ü-Tsang Ü-Tsang is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the others being Amdo in the north-east, and Kham in the east. Ngari (including former Guge kingdom) in the north-west was incorporated into Ü-Tsang. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered ...

(Central Tibet). However, there is no trace of this office in the Tibetan chronicles or documents. Tibetan sources show that the titles and seals sent by the Chinese authorities were valued by the Phagmodrupa as adding to their prestige, but that no ordinances, taxes or laws were imposed by the Ming. The emperor clearly preferred to issue formal appointments of Tibetans as rulers rather than to try to send officials or military commanders. Only essential matters, for instance the ownership of

Sakya Monastery Sakya Monastery (), also known as Pel Sakya (; "White Earth" or "Pale Earth") is a Buddhist monastery situated in Sa'gya Town (ས་སྐྱ་), Sa'gya County, about 127 km west of Shigatse in the Tibet Autonomous Region. History ...

, were to be judged by the emperor. Overall, as argued by Martin Slobodník, "the Phag-mo-gru did not represent an important ally or a dangerous enemy of the Ming Dynasty in its Inner Asian policy. The amount of information on these relations available in Chinese and Tibetan sources reflects the fact that at any time it did not represent a priority either for the Chinese or the Tibetan side. In relations with China Tibet was only one of numerous peripheral regions".

Period of political stability

The first rulers were lamas who did not marry, and the succession up to 1481 went via collateral kinsmen. The dynasty was divided into three branches or rather functionaries: the ruling ''desi'', the spiritual masters (''chen-nga'') of the Dansa Thil and Tsethang monasteries, and the preserver of the family (''dunggyu dsinpa'') who sired children to continue the Lang lineage. While the first four rulers declined to take royal titles, being content with the dignity of ''desi'', the fifth ruler

Drakpa Gyaltsen Dragpa Gyaltsen may refer to: *Jetsun Dragpa Gyaltsen (1147–1216), third of the five Sakya Patriarchs * Duldzin Dragpa Gyaltsen (1350–1413), one of the main disciples of Je Tsongkhapa *Gongma Drakpa Gyaltsen (1374–1432), ruler of Tibet from 13 ...

appropriated the royal titles ''gongma'' (the high one, superior) and '' chogyal''. From 1354 to 1435 the rulers managed to uphold a balance between the various fiefs. In particular the 47-years reign of Drakpa Gyaltsen (1385–1432) was remembered as generally peaceful and prosperous. The early Phagmodrupa era is famous for being culturally productive, and has even been termed a "golden age". There was an intense interest in reviving the glories of the ancient Tibetan kingdom, and many supposedly ancient texts were "rediscovered" by learned clerics. The monasteries gained increasing influence on the life of the Tibetans. This period included the work of the Buddhist reformer Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the

Gelug 240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous")Kay, David N. (2007). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantati ...

sect, and that of his younger kinsman

Gedun Drub Gedun Drupa (; 1391–1474) was considered posthumously to have been the 1st Dalai Lama. Biography Gedun Drupa was born in a cow-shed in Gyurmey Rupa near Sakya in the Ü-Tsang, Tsang region of central Tibet, the son of Gonpo Dorjee and Jom ...

, posthumously counted as the first

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

. The rulers in the first century of the dynasty were as follows: #

() (1302–1364, r. 1354–1364) # Desi Shakya Gyaltsen () (1340–1373, r. 1364–1373) nephew # Desi Drakpa Changchub () (1356–1386, r. 1373–1381) nephew # Desi Sonam Drakpa () (1359–1408, r. 1381–1385) brother #

Gongma Drakpa Gyaltsen Gongma Drakpa Gyaltsen (, 1374–1432) was a King of Tibet who ruled in 1385–1432. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa Dynasty, which was the leading regime in Tibet between 1354 and 1435. His reign was comparatively tranquil, but he was also the last ...

() (1374–1432, r. 1385–1432) cousin # Gongma Drakpa Jungne () (1414–1445, r. 1432–1445) nephew

Renewed political fragmentation

At length the Phagmodrupa were crippled by internal dissent in the Lang family. A brief civil war in 1434 weakened their position. Powerful

feudatories A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. ...

took the opportunity to increase their power, in particular the

family who came to dominate Tsang. In 1481 one of their line,

Donyo Dorje Donyo Dorje () (1463 – 23 March 1512) was the third and most powerful prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty that held power in much of Central Tibet from 1479 to 1512. Succession and religious patronate Donyo Dorje was the second son of the previous ...

, managed to have the king

Kunga Lekpa Kunga Lekpa (, 1433–1483) was a King of central Tibet who ruled from 1448 to 1481. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa Dynasty, which was the leading political regime in central Tibet from 1354 to 1435, and retained a certain political status until the ...

(r. 1448–1481) deposed. The Rinpungpa tended to associate with the

Karmapa The Karmapa (honorific title ''His Holiness the Gyalwa'' ��ྒྱལ་བ་, Victorious One''Karmapa'', more formally as ''Gyalwang'' ��ྒྱལ་དབང་ཀརྨ་པ་, King of Victorious Ones''Karmapa'', and informally as the '' ...

sect of Buddhism while the Phagmodrupa often (but not exclusively) favoured the rival Gelug sect. In the political landscape at this period it was important for rulers to find alliances with powerful monasteries and sects. Kunga Lekpa's grandnephew

Ngawang Tashi Drakpa Ngawang Tashi Drakpa (, 1488–1564) was a king of Tibet who ruled in 1499–1554 and 1556/57–1564. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa Dynasty which was the dominating regime in Tibet from 1354 to 1435 and maintained a degree of authority until the ea ...

(r. 1499–1554, 1556/57–1564) managed to push back the Rinpungpa from the

area in 1517–18. He was the last effective king of the dynasty, keeping good relations with the Second and Third Dalai Lamas, but his influence was mainly restricted to Ü. As he grew old, new infighting beset the family, and his death in 1564 was followed by a long interregnum. Eventually his grandson Ngawang Drakpa Gyaltsen was placed on the increasingly hollow throne in 1576. Though largely powerless, he maintained some importance as a focal point around whom the various noble and clerical factions of East Central Tibet balanced. At the same time a new powerful dynasty arose in Tsang. This was the

(1565–1642) who overthrew the Rinpungpa and increased their territory in various parts of Tibet. Like the Rinpungpa they allied with the

Karmapa sect Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, Mon ...

. The history of the Phagmodrupa after the death of Ngawang Drakpa Gyaltsen in 1603/04 is very obscure since they were by now entirely eclipsed by other political factions. They were defeated by the Tsangpa in 1613 and again in 1620, and the final incumbent was expelled from Lhasa in 1635. After his victory over the Tsangpa in 1642, the

entertained friendly relations with the last titular lord of the line. Some years after the latter's death in 1671, Nêdong was however given to an outsider and the Lang family lapsed into obscurity. In spite of its inglorious later history, the dynasty has a good reputation in traditional historiography. A history translated by

Sarat Chandra Das Sarat Chandra Dash ( bn, শরৎচন্দ্র দাশ) (18 July 1849 – 5 January 1917) was an Indian scholar of Tibetan language and culture most noted for his two journeys to Tibet in 1879 and in 1881–1882. Biography Born in Chi ...

in 1905 says: "During the reign of the Phag ou dynasty all Tibet enjoyed peace and prosperity. People became rich in money and cattle. The country enjoyed immunity from famine and murrain, and was not harassed by foreign invasion. Although some petty fights and quarrels with some of the disaffected and rapacious ministers now and then disturbed the peace of the country, yet on the whole, the dynasty was beneficial to Tibet". The last eight rulers were: # Gongma Kunga Lekpa () (1433–1483, r. 1448–1481) brother # Gongma Ngagi Wangpo () (1439–1491, r. 1481–1491) nephew #

Tsokye Dorje Tsokye Dorje (, 1450–1510) was a regent of Tibet who ruled in 1491–1499. He belonged to the Rinpungpa family and headed the central government in Nêdong during the minority of the heir of the Phagmodrupa Dynasty. Rinpungpa ascendency Tsokye ...

() (1450–1510, r. 1491–1499) regent from the

line # Gongma Ngawang Tashi Drakpa () (1488–1564, r. 1499–1554, 1556/57–1564) son of Gongma Ngagi Wangpo # Gongma Drowai Gonpo () (1508–1548, r. 1524–1548) son # Gongma Ngawang Drakpa () (d. 1603/04, r. 1554–1556/57, 1576–1603/04) son # Mipham Wanggyur Gyalpo () (c. 1589–1613, r. 1604–1613) grandnephew (?) # Mipham Sonam Wangchuk Drakpa Namgyal Palzang () (d. 1671, r. after 1613) grandson of Ngawang Drakpa GyaltsenList of rulers culled from Ngag-dBang Blo-bZang rGya-mTSHo (1995) ''A History of Tibet'', Indiana University, Bloomington, pp. 126-60; Giuseppe Tucci (1971) ''Deb t'er dmar po gsar ma. Tibetan chronicles by bSod nams grags pa'', Roma: IsMEO; Giuseppe Tucci (1949) ''Tibetan Painted Scrolls'', 2 Vols., Rome: La Libreria dello Stato; Olaf Czaja (2013), ''Medieval rule in Tibet: The Rlangs Clan and the political and religious history of the ruling house of Phag mo gru pa'', Vol. I-II, Wien: ÖAW. A list, questionable in some details, is found in

, 'Contributions on the religion, history &c, of Tibet', ''Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal'' 1881, p. 242.

References

Citations

Sources

* Dung-dkar blo-zang 'phrim-las (1991) ''The Merging of Religious and Secular Rule in Tibet'', Beijing: Foreign Language Press. * Rossabi, Morris. ''China Among Equals: The Middle Kingdom and Its Neighbors, 10th-14th Centuries'' (1983) Univ. of California Press. * Shakapa, Tsepon W. D. (1981) 'The rise of Changchub Gyaltsen and the Phagmo Drupa Period', ''Bulletin of Tibetology'', 1981 Gangtok: Namgyal Institute of Tibetolog

* Shakapa, Tsepon W. D. (1967) ''Tibet: A Political History'', New Haven and London: Yale University Press. * 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. * Giuseppe Tucci, Tucci, Giuseppe (1949) ''Tibetan Painted Scrolls'', 2 Volumes, Rome: La Libreria dello Stato. * Giuseppe Tucci, Tucci, Giuseppe (1971) ''Deb t'er dmar po gsar ma. Tibetan Chronicles by bSod nams grags pa''. Roma: IsMEO.

External links

The Life and Liberation of Phagmodrupa, the Protector of Migrating Beings
by ''Takpo Chän Nga Rinpoche'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Phagmodrupa Dynasty History of Tibet Tibetan kings Former countries in Chinese history Former monarchies of Asia 14th century in Tibet 15th century in Tibet 16th century in Tibet 17th century in Tibet 1354 establishments in Tibet States and territories established in 1354 States and territories disestablished in 1642 1642 disestablishments in Asia