Tibetan Empire

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Tufan redirects here. For people with the name, see Tufan (name). For the village
in Iran, see Tufan, Iran.
Tibetan Empire

????
Bod
618842
Flag
Flag[citation needed]]]

Map of the Tibetan empire at its greatest extent between the 780s and the 790s CE
Capital Lhasa
Languages Tibetan languages
Religion Tibetan Buddhism, Bn
Government Monarchy
Tsenpo (Emperor)
618650 Songtsen Gampo (first)
756797 Trisong Detsen
815838 Ralpacan
838842 Langdarma (last)
Lnchen (Great Minister)
652667 Gar Tongtsen Ylsung
685699 Gar Trinring Tsendro
782783 Nganlam Takdra Lukhong
783796 Nanam Shang Gyaltsen Lhanang
Banchenpo (Monk Minister)
798 Nyang Tingngezin Sangpo (first)
838 Dranga Palkye Yongten (last)
Historical era Late Antiquity
Founded by Emperor Songtsen Gampo 618
Death of Langdarma 842
Preceded by Succeeded by
Zhangzhung
Era of Fragmentation
Part of a series on the
History of Tibet
Potala Palace
Neolithic Tibet
Zhangzhung
Yarlung Dynasty
Tibetan Empire
Era of Fragmentation
Mongol Empire
Yuan rule
Phagmodrupa Dynasty
Rinpungpa Dynasty
Tsangpa Dynasty
Rise of Ganden Phodrang
Qing rule
Post-Qing to 1950
Autonomous region of China
See also
Timeline
Historical money
List of rulers
European exploration
Himalayas-Lhasa10.JPG Tibet portal
v t e
The Tibetan Empire (Tibetan ??????????, Wylie bod chen po, Great Tibet) existed
from the 7th to 9th centuries AD when Tibet was unified as a large and powerful
empire, and ruled an area considerably larger than the Tibetan Plateau, stretching
to parts of East Asia, Central Asia and South Asia.

Traditional Tibetan history described the exploits of a lengthy list of rulers.

External corroboration is available from the 7th century in Chinese histories,
which called the country Tufan (??). From the 7th to the 9th century a series of
emperors ruled Tibet. From the time of the emperor Songtsen Gampo the power of the
empire gradually increased over a diverse terrain. By the reign of the emperor
Ralpacan, in the opening years of the 9th century, it controlled territories
extending from the Tarim basin to the Himalayas and Bengal, and from the Pamirs to
what is now Chinese provinces of Gansu and Yunnan.

The varied terrain of the empire and the difficulty of transportation, coupled with
the new ideas that came into the empire as a result of its expansion, helped to
create stresses and power blocs that were often in competition with the ruler at
the center of the empire. Thus, for example, adherents of the Bn
religion[contradictory] and the supporters of the ancient noble families gradually
came to find themselves in competition with the recently introduced Buddhism. The
empire collapsed into civil war in the 840s.

Contents [hide]
1 Namri Songtsen and founding of the dynasty
2 Reign of Songtsen Gampo (618650)
3 Reign of Mangsong Mangtsen (650676)
4 Reign of Tridu Songtsen (677704)
5 Reign of Tride Tsuktsn (704754)
6 Reign of Trisong Detsen (756797 or 804)
7 Reign of Mun Tsenpo (c. 797799)
8 Reign of Tride Songtsen (799815)
9 Reign of Tritsu Detsen (815838)
10 Reign of Langdarma (838842)
11 Decline
12 Military
12.1 Armor
12.2 Organization
13 Society
14 See also
15 References
15.1 Citations
15.2 Sources
16 External links and further reading
Namri Songtsen and founding of the dynasty[edit]
See also Timeline of the Tibetan Empire
The power that became the Tibetan state originated at the Takts Castle (Wylie
Stag-rtse) in the Chingba (Phying-ba) district of Chonggy (Phyongs-rgyas). There,
according to the Old Tibetan Chronicle, a group convinced Tagbu Nyazig (Stag-bu
snya-gzigs) to rebel against Gudri Zingpoje (Dgu-gri Zing-po-rje), who was in turn
a vassal of the Zhangzhung empire under the Lig myi dynasty. The group prevailed
against Zingpoje. At this point Namri Songtsen (also known as Namri Lntsn) was
the leader of a clan which one by one prevailed over all his neighboring clans. He
gained control of all the area around what is now Lhasa, before his assassination
around 618. This new-born regional state would later become known as the Tibetan
Empire. The government of Namri Songtsen sent two embassies to the Chinese Sui
Dynasty in 608 and 609, marking the appearance of Tibet on the international scene.
[1]
The historic name for the Tibetan Empire is different from Tibet's present name.
[citation needed]

This first mention of the name Bod, the usual name for Tibet in the later Tibetan
historical sources, is significant in that it is used to refer to a conquered
region. In other words, the ancient name Bod originally referred only to a part of
the Tibetan Plateau, a part which, together with Rtsa? (Tsang, in Tibetan now
spelled Gtsa?, has come to be called Dbus-gtsa? (Central Tibet).[2]
Reign of Songtsen Gampo (618650)[edit]
Songtsen Gampo (Srong-brtsan Sgam-po) (c. 604 650) was the first great emperor
who expanded Tibet's power beyond Lhasa and the Yarlung Valley, and is
traditionally credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet.

A statue of Emperor Songtsen Gampo in a cave at Yerpa

When his father Namri Songtsen died by poisoning (circa 618[3]) Songtsen Gampo took
control, after putting down a brief rebellion. Songtsen Gampo proved adept at
diplomacy as well as combat. The emperor's minister, Myang Mangpoje (Myang Mang-po-
rje Zhang-shang), defeated the Sumpa people ca. 627.[4] Six years later (c. 63233)
Myang Mangpoje was accused of treason and executed.[5][6][7] He was succeeded by
minister Gar Songtsen (Mgar-srong-rtsan).

The Chinese records mention an envoy to Tibet in 634. On that occasion, the Emperor
requested marriage to a Chinese princess but was refused. In 635-36 the Emperor
attacked and defeated the Tuyuhun (Tibetan A zha), who lived around Lake Koko Nur,
and who controlled important trade routes into China. After a Tibetan campaign
against China in 635-6,[8] the Chinese emperor agreed (only because of the threat
of force, according to Tibetan sources[9]) to provide a Chinese princess to
Songtsen Gampo.

Circa 639, after Songtsen Gampo had a dispute with his younger brother Tsnsong
(Brtsan-srong), the younger brother was burned to death by his own minister Khsreg
(Mkhas sregs) (presumably at the behest of his older brother the emperor).[6][7]

The Chinese Princess Wencheng (Tibetan Mung-chang Kung-co) departed China in 640 to
marry Songtsen Gampo's son. She arrived a year later. This is traditionally
credited with being the first time that Buddhism came to Tibet, but it is very
unlikely Buddhism extended beyond foreigners at the court.

Songtsen Gampos sister Smakar (Sad-mar-kar) was sent to marry Lig-myi-rhya, the
king of Zhangzhung in what is now Western Tibet. However, when the king refused to
consummate the marriage, she then helped her brother to defeat Lig myi-rhya and
incorporate Zhangzhung into the Tibetan Empire. In 645, Songtsen Gampo overran the
kingdom of Zhangzhung.

Songtsen Gampo died in 650. He was succeeded by his infant grandson Trimang Ln
(Khri-mang-slon). Real power was left in the hands of the minister Gar Songtsn.

There is some confusion as to whether Central Tibet conquered Zhangzhung during the
reign of Songtsen Gampo or in the reign of Trisong Detsen, (r. 755 until 797 or 804
CE).[10] The records of the Tang Annals do, however, seem to clearly place these
events in the reign of Songtsen Gampo for they say that in 634, Zhangzhung and
various Qiang tribes altogether submitted to him. Following this, he united with
the country of Zhangzhung to defeat the Tuyuhun, then conquered two more Qiang
tribes before threatening the Chinese region of Songzhou with a very large army
(according to Tibetan sources 100,000, according to the Chinese more than 200,000
men).[11] He then sent an envoy with gifts of gold and silk to the Chinese emperor
to ask for a Chinese princess in marriage and, when refused, attacked Songzhou.
According to the Tang Annals, he finally retreated and apologized, after which the
emperor granted his request.[12][13]

It is recorded in the tradition of Tibet that after Songtsen Gampo died in 650
A.D., the Chinese Tang dynasty attacked and took control of Lhasa,[14][15] but they
could not sustain their presence there in the hostile environment, so they soon
returned to China.[16]

Reign of Mangsong Mangtsen (650676)[edit]

After having incorporated Tuyuhun into Tibetan territory, the powerful minister Gar
Songtsn died in 667.

Between 665670 Khotan was defeated by the Tibetans, and a long string of conflicts
ensued with the Chinese Tang Dynasty. In the spring of 670, Tibet attacked the
remaining Chinese territories in the western Tarim Basin after winning the Battle
of Dafeichuan against the Tang dynasty. With troops from Khotan they conquered
Aksu, upon which the Chinese abandoned the region, ending two decades of Chinese
control.[17] They thus gained control over all of the Chinese Four Garrisons of
Anxi in the Tarim Basin in 670 and held them until 692, when the Chinese finally
managed to regain these territories.[18]

Emperor Mangsong Mangtsen (Trimang Lntsen' or Khri-mang-slon-rtsan) married

Thrimal (Khri-ma-lod), a woman who would be of great importance in Tibetan
history. The emperor died in the winter of 676677, and Zhangzhung revolts occurred
thereafter. In the same year the emperor's son Tridu Songtsen (Khri 'dus-srong
btsan or Khri-'dus-srong-rtsan) was born.[19]

Reign of Tridu Songtsen (677704)[edit]

Tibet's Empire in 700 A.D.

Emperor Tridu Songtsen ruled in the shadow of his powerful mother Thrimal on the
one hand and the influential Gar (Mgar) clan on the other hand.

In 685, minister Gar Tsenye Dompu (Mgar Bstan-snyas-ldom-bu) died and his brother,
Gar Tridring Tsendr (Mgar Khri-bring-btsan brod) was appointed to replace him.
[20] In 692, the Tibetans lost the Tarim Basin to the Chinese. Gar Tridring Tsendr
defeated the Chinese in battle in 696, and sued for peace. Two years later in 698
emperor Tridu Songtsen reportedly invited the Gar clan (who numbered more than 2000
people) to a hunting party and had them massacred. Gar Tridring Tsendr then
committed suicide, and his troops joined the Chinese. This brought to an end the
influence of the Gar.[21]

From 700 until his death the emperor remained on campaign in the northeast, absent
from Central Tibet, while his mother Thrimal administrated in his name.[22] In
702, Zhou China under Empress Wu Zetien and the Tibetan Empire concluded peace. At
the end of that year, the Tibetan imperial government turned to consolidating the
administrative organization kh chenpo (mkhos chen-po) of the northeastern Sumru
area, which had been the Sumpa country conquered 75 years earlier. Sumru was
organized as a new horn of the empire.

During the summer of 703, Tridu Songtsen resided at ljak (Ol-byag) in Ling
(Gling), which was on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, before proceeding with an
invasion of Jang (Jang), which may have been either the Mosuo or the kingdom of
Nanzhao.[23] In 704, he stayed briefly at Yoti Chuzang (Yo-ti Chu-bzangs) in Madrom
(Rma-sgrom) on the Yellow River. He then invaded Mywa, which was at least in part
Nanzhao (the Tibetan term mywa likely referring to the same people or peoples
referred to by the Chinese as Man or Miao)[24][25][26] but died during the
prosecution of that campaign.[22]

Reign of Tride Tsuktsn (704754)[edit]

Gyeltsugru (Rgyal-gtsug-ru), later to become King Tride Tsuktsen (Khri-lde-gtsug-
brtsan), generally known now by his nickname Me Agtsom (Old Hairy), was born in
704. Upon the death of Tridu Songtsen, his mother Thrimal ruled as regent for the
infant Gyltsugru.[22] The following year the elder son of Tridu Songtsen, Lha
Balpo (Lha Bal-pho) apparently contested the succession of his one-year-old
brother, but was deposed from the throne at Pong Lag-rang.[22][27]

Thrimal had arranged for a royal marriage to a Chinese princess. The Princess
Jincheng (Tibetan Kyimshang Kongjo) arrived in 710, but it is somewhat unclear
whether she married the seven-year-old Gyeltsugru[28] or the deposed Lha Balpo.[29]
Gyeltsugru also married a lady from Jang (Nanzhao) and another born in Nanam.[30]

Gyltsugru was officially enthroned with the royal name Tride Tsuktsn in 712,[22]
the year that dowager empress Thrimal died.

The Umayyad Caliphate and Turgesh became increasingly prominent during 710720. The
Tibetans were allied with the Trgesh . Tibet and China fought on and off in the
late 720s. At first Tibet (with Trgesh allies) had the upper hand, but then they
started losing battles. After a rebellion in southern China and a major Tibetan
victory in 730, the Tibetans and Trgesh sued for peace.

The Tibetans aided the Turgesh in fighting against the Muslim Arabs during the
Muslim conquest of Transoxiana.[31]

In 734 the Tibetans married their princess Dronmaln (Dron ma lon) to the Trgesh
Qaghan. The Chinese allied with the Caliphate to attack the Trgesh. After victory
and peace with the Trgesh, the Chinese attacked the Tibetan army. The Tibetans
suffered several defeats in the east, despite strength in the west. The Trgesh
empire collapsed from internal strife. In 737, the Tibetans launched an attack
against the king of Bru-za (Gilgit), who asked for Chinese help, but was ultimately
forced to pay homage to Tibet. In 747, the hold of Tibet was loosened by the
campaign of general Gao Xianzhi, who tried to re-open the direct communications
between Central Asia and Kashmir.