Trimön Shap-pe () born Norbu Wangyal (, 1874–1945) was a highly prominent Tibetan aristocrat, conservative

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and governor, a former Finance Minister, and Chief Cabinet Minister of Tibet. (Tsipön; Tibetan: rtsis-dpon). Trimon accompanied Regent Reting who jointly spearheaded the search to lake Lhamo Latso, leading to the discovery of

Tenzin Gyatso The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...

, the

14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...

in 1935. Trimon is regarded as an eminent personality and significant political figure in modern Tibetan history.

Biography

Trimon Norbu Wangyal was the second son of the eminent Tsi-pa Shakabpa Tenzin Norgye, a distinguished bureaucrat who oversaw the training of cadets that entered government service. A scion of the Shakabpa family, Norbu Wangyal was adopted into the Trimön family. He took the family name upon inheriting the estates of his wife's father at Chetang, near

Lhasa Lhasa, officially the Chengguan District of Lhasa City, is the inner urban district of Lhasa (city), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Southwestern China. Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ...

although he lived for many years at Sechung House.

Career

In 1912, Trimön, despite no formal military training, was assigned to a post as Assistant Commanders-in-Chief of the Tibetan army during the Chinese conflict at

. In June of that year, he was conferred the title of Theji.In 1913-1914, he accompanied Lönchen Shatra to India as his personal assistant, to the Tibetan Plenipotentiaries at the

Simla Convention The Simla Convention (Traditional Chinese characters, Traditional Chinese: 西姆拉條約; Simplified Chinese characters, Simplified Chinese: 西姆拉条约), officially the Convention Between Great Britain, China, and Tibet, (). Throughout the 1920s, Trimön worked as the Commissioner in Eastern Tibet. His position ended in 1931 when Nga-pho Shap-pe was brought in to resume his role. Despite being a competent figure, with substantial literary knowledge, he was unpopular with the National Assembly, and was widely reported to be very conservative, stern and arrogant. He was one of the victims of

Lungshar Tsipön Lungshar () born Dorje Tsegyal ( , 1880–1938) was a noted Tibetan politician who was accused by conservative political opponents of attempting to become the paramount figure of the Tibetan government in the 1930s, by planning a communis ...

's plot which failed in the summer of 1934. The decision to blind the popular reformist

came from Trimön, who had been his chief political opponent.Thondup, Thurston (2015) pg. 61 After the

13th Dalai Lama The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (full given name: Ngawang Lobsang Thupten Gyatso Jigdral Chokley Namgyal; abbreviated to Thubten Gyatso) (; 12 February 1876 – 17 December 1933) was the 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet, enthroned during a turbulen ...

's demise in 1933, in the summer of 1935 - Trimön was amongst eminent officials who set out with the Kashag to find the reincarnated

. The search sent them across Tibet as well as visiting the customary

Lhamo La-tso Lhamo Latso or Lha-mo La-tso () is a small oval oracle lake where senior Tibetan monks of the Gelug sect go for visions to assist in the discovery of reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas. Other pilgrims also come to seek visions. It is considered t ...

several times, a lake where it is said to offer clues to the whereabouts of the next Dalai Lama.

Resignation

During this time he grew increasingly affected by the government in Tibet, and following the search for the new Dalai Lama ordered his nephew, Tsepon Shakabpa while staying at Tiklo Monastery to draft his resignation. That from his position to the high council stating that "he had advanced in age, and wish to resign, devoting the remainder of his life to religious pursuits." The Regent, the Fifth Reting Rinpoche attempted to get Trimön to change his mind, and believed he should be promoted to ''lönchen'', as he had desired. He stated he would also resign from the cabinet if Trimön quit. Trimön returned to Lhasa in October 1935, and despite Reting's words he resigned officially shortly before the Tibetan New Year in January 1936. Reting did not resign as he had promised, and did not reply straight away. But after the

Losar Losar (; "new year"William D. Crump, "Losar" in ''Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide'' (McFarland & Co.: 2008), pp. 237-38.) also known as Tibetan New Year, is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism. The holiday is celebrated on various da ...

celebrations, Reting responded to Trimön, formally thanking him for his distinguished service to Tibet. He was granted the estate Kaship Nubling. At this time, concerns increasingly grew in regards to Trimön's mental state, and his behavior became increasingly eccentric. He was perceived to display occasional fits of

insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...

. He was seen at the market in Lhasa wearing a white '' Shamthab'' (a lower dress worn by ascetic lamas) and playing music and dancing. He was reported to have pounded heavily on the doors of the

Jokhang The Jokhang (, zh, s=大昭寺}), historically known as the Rasa Trulnang (ra sa 'phrul snang) or Qoikang Monastery or Zuglagkang ( or Tsuklakang), is considered the "heart of Lhasa"."Jokhang". MAPS, Places. University of Virginia. The Jokhang ...

temple hollering at the monks to open it. He responded strangely to Reting's offer of Kaship Nubling, and tried to garner support to be reinstated. There is much evidence to suggest that Trimön did not genuinely want to resign from the government, but had become distressed with his position and the situation. Trimön resigned on the grounds that he would still be consulted to offer advice on important affairs. He remained suspicious of the Chinese until his death in 1945, as Reting's regime grew increasingly weak after his departure.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trimon 1874 births 1945 deaths Tibetan politicians