Dondup Tseten Dorje

Last updated

Dondup Tseten Dorje (Tibetan : དོན་གྲུབ་ཚེ་བརྟན་རྡོ་རྗེ, Wylie : don grub tshe brtan rdo rje) (d. 1620) was the penultimate prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty which held power in Tsang (West Central Tibet) between 1435 and 1565. The details about his reign, and his exact years in power, are relatively obscure.

Contents

Reign

Dondup Tseten Dorje was the second son of the Rinpungpa lord Ngawang Namgyal. His father, who was the ruling prince of Tsang, passed away at an uncertain date in the mid-sixteenth century, probably in 1544. [1] The oldest brother, whose name was possibly Padma Karpo, had already died as a young man, and Dondup Tseten Dorje appears as ruler in the following years. The details of succession are obscure, however, since his brothers Ngawang Jigme Drakpa and Rinchen Wanggyal are known to have captured the important stronghold Samdrubtse in 1547 from unspecified enemies, and to have obtained a ruling position. [2] Dondup Tseten Dorje was reputedly a valiant warrior. [3] Like his predecessors he was a patron of the Karmapa sect of Buddhism. He assisted the Karmapa hierarch Mikyö Dorje (1507–54) to build the Sungrap Ling monastery. He also established a preceptor-patron relationship with the lama Kunkhyen Pema Karpo (1527–92) of the Drukpa Kagyu sect, who visited Dondup Tseten Dorje in his castle in 1549. [4] The prince had good religious knowledge and received instruction in Vajrayanasikhara mysticism in the school of the lama Tashi Palzang. Even before the death of his father he expanded Rinpungpa territory by gaining possession of the fief Lhundrubtse in the Nam region. [5] The dynasty tried unsuccessfully to continue the westward expansion initiated by Ngawang Namgyal. Dondup Tseten Dorje or his brother Ngawang Jigme Drakpa suffered a notable defeat in 1555 when the Rinpungpa vainly attacked the Mangyül Gungthang kingdom in western Tibet. [6] The prince himself is not known for political activity after the mid-sixteenth century, although he lived a long life and died in 1620. [7] His junior brother Ngawang Jigme Drakpa is referred as the ruler of the Rinpungpa in the 1560s when the power of the dynasty was decisively broken by the new Tsangpa Dynasty.

Later life

After the serious defeats at the hands of the Tsangpa in 1565–66, Dondup Tseten Dorje was able to maintain a position as lord of Lhunpotse in Tsang for several decades. In spite of his insignificant powers he was still formally known as miwang (ruler of men) and desi (regent) in the sources. His attachment to lama Kunkhyen Pema Karpo extended to the latter's supposed reincarnation Pagsam Wangpo (1593–1653) who visited Lhunpotse and provided public teachings. The prince became a devotee of Pagsam Wangpo and assisted him in renovating a hall and building colleges in Chamchen monastery in Chayul in the early 17th century. [8] The lama in turn ordained Dondup Tseten and his son (or sons) at Chamchen. Dondup Tseten Dorje stood in a family relation with the victorious Tsangpa Dynasty since he is referred as the "uncle" of king Karma Phuntsok Namgyal (r. 1611–1620). He died in 1620. After his demise Lhunpotse was headed by a zhabdrung (lama-official), probably his son, who was a pupil of Pagsam Wangpo and accompanied him on his journeys. [9]

Related Research Articles

The Drukpa or Drukpa Kagyu lineage, sometimes called Dugpa in older sources, is a branch of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Kagyu school is one of the Sarma or "New Translation" schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Drukpa lineage was founded in the Tsang region of Tibet by Tsangpa Gyare (1161–1211), and later became influential in Ladakh and Bhutan. It is one of several lineages known as "Red Hat sects".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngawang Namgyal</span> Bhutanese Lama (1594–1651)

Ngawang Namgyal and known colloquially as The Bearded Lama, was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation-state. In addition to unifying the various warring fiefdoms for the first time in the 1630s, he also sought to create a distinct Bhutanese cultural identity separate from the Tibetan culture from which it was derived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralung Monastery</span> Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Gyantse County, Tibet, China

Ralung Monastery, located in the Tsang region of western Tibet south of Karo Pass, is the traditional seat of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1180 by Tsangpa Gyare, 1st Gyalwang Drukpa, a disciple of Lingje Répa who founded the Drukpa Lineage.

Ralung is one of the most sacred places in Tibet, for it is here that the great Dugpa school of red-hat monks originated, a school still influential with numerous adherents in Southern, Northern, and Eastern Tibet, and in Bhutan, which latter country is, in fact, called Dugpa owing to the preponderance of this sect. The Ralung-til, the head monastery of the Dugpa, is to the south-east of this village. This monastery owes its name to the fact that it is surrounded by mountains as the heart (mt'il) of a lotus is by the corolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phagmodrupa dynasty</span> Tibetian regime of 1354 to the early 17th century.

The Phagmodrupa dynasty or Pagmodru was a dynastic regime that held sway over Tibet or parts thereof from 1354 to the early 17th century. It was established by Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen of the Lang family at the end of the Yuan dynasty. 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 in the 16th century due to the rise of the ministerial family of the Rinpungpa. It was defeated by the rival Tsangpa dynasty in 1613 and 1620, and was formally superseded by the Ganden Phodrang regime founded by the 5th Dalai Lama in 1642. In that year, Güshi Khan of the Khoshut formally transferred the old possessions of Sakya, Rinpung and Phagmodrupa to the "Great Fifth".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rinpungpa</span> Tibetan regime in 1435 - 1565

Rinpungpa was a Tibetan dynastic regime that dominated much of Western Tibet between 1435 and 1565. During one period around 1500 the Rinpungpa lords came close to assemble the Tibetan lands around the Yarlung Tsangpo River under one authority, but their powers receded after 1512.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsangpa</span> Dynasty that dominated large parts of Tibet from 1565 to 1642.

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 and governor of Samdrubtsé in Tsang since 1548.

Drakpa Jungne was a king of central Tibet who ruled in 1432–1445. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa Dynasty which was the leading regime in Tibet from 1354 to 1435, and exerted some influence until the early 17th century. His reign saw the collapse of the political power of the dynasty, and the beginning of two centuries of internal strife.

Ngawang Tashi Drakpa 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 early 17th century. His rule is sometimes considered to be the last of importance in the history of the dynasty.

Ngawang Drakpa (Gyaltsen) (Tibetan: ངག་དབང་གྲགས་པ་རྒྱལ་མཚན, Wylie: Ngag dbang grags pa rgyal mts'an, d. 1603 or 1604) was a king in Central Tibet who ruled from 1554 to 1556/57, and again from 1576 to 1603/04. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa Dynasty which held power in Tibet or parts of it from 1354 to the early 17th century. Due to the internal family feuds that preceded his reign most of the powers of his predecessor slipped from his hands.

Norzang (1403–1466), in full Norbu Zangpo, was the founder of the power of the Rinpungpa Dynasty in Central Tibet.

Kunzang, in full Kuntu Zangpo, was a prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty that wielded power in Tsang.

Donyo Dorje was the third and most powerful prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty that held power in much of Central Tibet from 1479 to 1512.

Ngawang Namgyal was a prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty that dominated Tsang in West Central Tibet between 1435 and 1565. He reigned from 1512 to 1544.

Ngawang Jigme Drakpa was the last ruling prince of Tsang of the Rinpungpa Dynasty. He was also a renowned author. His increasingly chaotic reign ended in 1565, when the Tsangpa dynasty deprived the Rinpungpa of their main possessions.

Karma Tseten, also known as Zhingshak Tseten Dorje was a king of Upper Tsang in West Central Tibet. He was the founder of the Tsangpa Dynasty, that had an important role in the history of Tibet from 1565 to 1642. Karma ruled during the period 1565–1599.

Karma Tensung, in full Karma Tensung Wangpo, was a king of Tsang who probably reigned from 1599 to 1611. He belonged to the Tsangpa Dynasty that ruled parts of Tibet from 1565 to 1642.

Karma Phuntsok Namgyal was a king of Tibet who ruled from 1618 to 1620. He belonged to the Tsangpa Dynasty that held power in Tsang since 1565 and was the foremost political and military power in Tibet until 1642.

Pagsam Wangpo, a key figure in the history of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, was born at Chonggye, in the Tsang province of Tibet a natural son of the prince of Chonggye, Ngawang Sonam Dragpa. He was an elder cousin of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (1617-1682).

Mipham Wanggyur Gyalpo was a king in Central Tibet who ruled in 1604–1613 and belonged to the Phagmodrupa Dynasty. His largely nominal reign saw increasing political tumult in Tibet which was related to the political ambitions of the rival Tsangpa Dynasty.

References

  1. ↑ For the date, see James Gentry, Substance and sense: Objects of power in the life, writings, and legacy of the Tibetan ritual master Sog bzlog pa Blo gros rgyal mtshan, PhD Thesis, Harvard University 2013, p. 72. Sarat Chandra Das, 'Contributions on the Religion, History, etc., of Tibet', Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 51-1, 1881, p. 246, expressly says he succeeded his father.
  2. ↑ Thupten Chashab, "The Life of Ngag Dbang ’Jig Grags, the Last Ruler of Rin Spungs, Based on the Text Rig Pa ’Dzin Pa’i Pho Nya, or 'A Messenger of a Yogi'", Rocznik Orientalistyczny LXX 2, 2017, p. 109.
  3. ↑ Sarat Chandra Das, 1881, p. 246.
  4. ↑ Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa, One Hundred Thousand Moons, Leiden 2010, p. 279.
  5. ↑ Ngag-dBang Blo-bZang rGya-mTSHo, A History of Tibet, Bloomington 1995, p. 164. Giuseppe Tucci, Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Rome 1949, Vol. II, p. 642, translates this passage in the chronicle to mean that he conquered Lhundrubtse which not even his father and grandfather had done.
  6. ↑ K.H. Everding, Das Königreich Mangyul Gungthang, Vol. I, Bonn 2000, p. 577.
  7. ↑ Olaf Czaja, Medieval rule in Tibet, Vol. I-II. Wien 2013, p. 489.
  8. ↑ Olaf Czaja, 2013, p. 492.
  9. ↑ Olaf Czaja, 2013, p. 493.
Preceded by Ruler of Tsang
1544–?		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.