Tridu Songtsen
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Tridu Songtsen (), Tridu Songtsen or Dusong Mangban, (b.668 – 704d.; r. 676–704 CE) was the 36th king of
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
and reigned during the
Tibetan Empire The Tibetan Empire (,) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. It expanded further under the 38th king, Trisong De ...
period.


Ascent to throne

'Dus-rong ascended the
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
an throne after the death of his father, Mangsong Mangtsen, in 676. The ''
Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'' says that 'Dus-srong was eight years old in 679—nine years old by Western reckoning. He was, therefore, presumably born in 670 and was six or seven years old when he began his reign. Due to his youth, he was enthroned with the minister Gar Tongtsen's second son, Khri 'bring, to act as
regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
.''Ancient Tibet: Research materials from the Yeshe De Project'', p. 233. 1986. Dharma Publishing, California. .


Political and military activities

In 676 the Tibetans made raids on Shanzhou, Guozhou, Hezhou (now Linxia), Diezhou, Migong and Danling in
Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
. The Chinese counterattacked, defeating the Tibetans at Longzhi. The Chinese army led by Li Jingxuan were soundly defeated near
Qinghai Lake Qinghai Lake is the list of lakes by area, largest lakes of China, lake in China. Located in an endorheic basin in Qinghai Province, to which it gave its name, Qinghai Lake is classified as an alkaline lake, alkaline saline lake, salt lake. The ...
, however, and by the end of 677 Tibet controlled the whole of the
Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, Ch ...
and the mountainous regions to the southwest.Beckwith, Christopher I. ''The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia. A History of the Struggle for Great Power among Tibetans, Turks, Arabs, and Chinese during the Early Middle Ages,'' 1987, Princeton: Princeton University Press. , p. 43.


Revolt of Zhangzhung and the leadership of his mother, Krimalod, and his ministers

The western kingdom of
Zhangzhung Zhangzhung or Shangshung was an ancient kingdom in western and northwestern Tibet, existing from about 500 BCE to 625 CE, pre-dating Tibetan Buddhism. The Zhangzhung culture is associated with the Bon religion, which has influenced the philos ...
revolted soon after the death of King Mangsong Mangtsen (also known as Trimang Löntsen, , r. 650–677), the son of
Songtsen Gampo Songtsen Gampo (Classical , pronounced ) (; (601–683 CE, reign 614-648) was the 33rd Tibetan king of the Yarlung dynasty and the founder of the Tibetan Empire. The first of three Dharma Kings of Tibet, he formally introduced Buddhism to Tib ...
, but was brought back under Tibetan control by the "firm governance of the great leaders of the Mgar clan" the following year. Under the leadership of his powerful mother, Khri ma lod, and his ministers and generals during the early part of his reign, Tibet continued to maintain and even expand its territory. The Tibetans gained control of an important Tang fortress at Anrong in 678 on the Min River north of
Chengdu Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...
which they held for more than sixty years as a frontier post. According to an 11th-century Chinese history, the Erhe people from the
Erhai Lake Erhai or Er Lake (), is an alpine fault lake in Dali City, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan province, China. Erhai was also known as Yeyuze () or Kunming Lake () in ancient times. Etymology The character "洱" (er) does not have the same meaning as ea ...
region in 'Jang, one of the princedoms around the upper waters of the
Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
which later made up
Nanzhao Nanzhao ( zh, t=南詔, s=南诏, p=Nánzhào), also spelled Nanchao, , Yi language: ꂷꏂꌅ, ''Mashynzy'') was a dynastic kingdom that flourished in what is now southwestern China and northern Southeast Asia during the 8th and 9th centuri ...
,Richardson, Hugh. "Bal-po and Lho-bal." ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies'', No. 46 (1983), p. 136. submitted to Tibet this same year, asking for an alliance against the Chinese. The ''
Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'' reports: The Chinese army led by Wei Daijia unsuccessfully invaded Tibet in 689. Many of the soldiers died and the commander of the troops was executed for his failure. It was also in this year that the Tibetan princess Khri-bangs was married to an 'A-zha chief to strengthen bonds between the two peoples. They had a son named Ma-ga Thogon Khagan. Two Tibetan generals defected to the Chinese with their troops in 692. The Chinese then defeated the Tibetans, regaining control of the
Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, Ch ...
and the lucrative trade routes to the West, which they held for almost a century before the Tibetans reconquered the region. The Turkish
Khagan Khagan or Qaghan (Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of empire, im ...
Ton-ya-bgo (Ch. Ashina Tuizi), chief of the Western Dulu in
Dzungaria Dzungaria (; from the Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand'), also known as Northern Xinjiang or Beijiang, is a geographical subregion in Northwest China that corresponds to the northern half of Xinjiang. Bound by the Altai Mountains to the n ...
, visited the Tibetan court in 694.''Ancient Tibet: Research materials from the Yeshe De Project'', p. 235. 1986. Dharma Publishing, California. . together they attacked and defeated the Chinese at Lengjuan. The following year 'Dus-rong successfully attacked Lintao, and Liangzhou.Pelliot, Paul. ''Histoire Ancienne du Tibet'', p. 92. Paris. Libraire d'amérique et d'orient. 1961. Gar Trinring Tsendro went to
Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
in 696 to try to negotiate peace with
Empress Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as empress consort through her husband Emperor Gaozong and later as empr ...
(r. 684–705) on condition that China remove all troops from Central Asia and divide the Western Turks between China and Tibet. She refused to negotiate. 'Dus-srong realised that members of the mGar family had become independent warlords and posed a threat to the central authority of the king. So, in 699 he pretended to organise a great hunt and then had his men turn on members of the mGar and their supporters. Then he personally marched north and confronted Gar Trinring Tsendro, who surrendered without a fight and, according to the ''
Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'', committed suicide. His brother fled to China. After this, 'Dus-srong asserted the right of the power of the king over his ministers. 'Dus-srong personally led 10,000 troops into four battles in some unnamed place to the northeast in 702. The next year he "established his authority over the 'Jang (
Nanzhao Nanzhao ( zh, t=南詔, s=南诏, p=Nánzhào), also spelled Nanchao, , Yi language: ꂷꏂꌅ, ''Mashynzy'') was a dynastic kingdom that flourished in what is now southwestern China and northern Southeast Asia during the 8th and 9th centuri ...
), he imposed tribute on the White Mywa, he subdued the Black Mywa (probably the
Miao people Miao is a word that the Chinese use to designate some ethnic minority groups living in southern China and Mainland Southeast Asia. Miao is thus officially recognized by the Chinese government as one of the largest ethnic minority groups that h ...
), and so on."


Relations with Nepal

It seems Nepal remained tributary to Tibet throughout the reign of 'Dus-rong. A Nepalese stone edict of 695, during the reign of the Licchavi king, Shivadeva II, records: "because of the reason that Nepal paid taxes to Tibet, five officials must take the responsibility of the coolies who carry the ic = luggage?every year."Tenzin, Acharya Kirti Tulku Lobsang. "Early Relations between Tibbet and Nepal (7th to 8th Centuries)." Translated by K. Dhondup. ''The Tibet Journal'', Vol. VII, Nos. 1 &2. Spring/Summer 1982, p. 85. This is confirmed by the
Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
which record that in 703, soon after 'Dus-rong's death, "the subject countries in the south, such as Nepal and others, all revolted." Furthermore, the '' Tibetan Annals'' record that 'Dus-rong spent the summers of 690, 697 and 699 in Nepal.


His wives and son

'Dus-srong he married two women from important Tibetan clans—'Dam-gyi Cog-ro-bza', and Chimza Tsunmotog (Wylie: mChims-bza' bTsan-ma Thog-thog-sten), Princess of Chim, with whom he had a son Khri-lde-gtsug-btsan (also known later as Mes-ag-thoms) in 704. It seems 'Dus-rong also had a Turkish bride, as the Tibetan Annals record the death of the princess "Gatun" (= Turk: Khatun?) in 708.


His support of Buddhism

Although 'Dus-srong is primarily remembered as a warrior, according to the '' Testament of Ba'', he supported Buddhism and had a temple called Khri rtse built in Gling Khams, "and so on", which is recorded on an inscription at sKarchung written by Emperor Sadnalegs about a century later.


'Dus-srong's death and succession

'Dus-srong died in 704 in battle in Mywa territory in modern
Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
. The Tang Annals state he was on his way to suppress tributary kingdoms on the southern borders of Tibet, including Nepal and parts of India. There was a dispute among his sons but, "after a long time" the people put seven year old Qilisuzan (), later known as Me Agtsom, on the throne. 'Dus-srong is buried next to his father in the Royal Burial grounds near Yarlung.''Ancient Tibet: Research materials from the Yeshe De Project'', p. 239. 1986. Dharma Publishing, California. .


Notes


References

*Richardson, Hugh E. (1985). ''A corpus of early Tibetan inscriptions''. London: Royal Asiatic Society. *Lee, Don Y. (1981). ''The History of Early Relations between China and Tibet: From Chiu t'ang-shu, a documentary survey''. Bloomington, IN: Eastern Press. Emperors of Tibet Buddhist monarchs 7th-century monarchs in Asia 8th-century monarchs in Asia 660s births 704 deaths 7th-century Tibetan people 8th-century Tibetan people Child monarchs from Asia 7th-century Buddhists 8th-century Buddhists {{authority control