Donyo Dorje
Encyclopedia
Donyo Dorje (1463–1512) was the third and most powerful prince of the Rinpungpa
Dynasty that held power in much of Central Tibet from 1435 to 1565.
who was the dominant prince in Tsang
(West Central Tibet). Although they reigned autonomously, the Rinpungpa still formally honoured the Phagmodrupa dynasty
in Ü
(East Central Tibet). Kunzang appears to have died by 1579, in which year Donyo Dorje established a preceptor-patron relationship with the Buddhist hierarch Chokyi Drakpa of the Shamarpa
sect, and also kept a good relation with the hierarch of the Karmapa
, Chödrak Gyatso
. He furthermore had a monastery built in Yangpachen. Chödrak Gyatso asked Donyo Dorje to found a monastery at the outskirts of Lhasa
, in an area that was heavily influenced by the Gelugpa sect. Gelugpa monks from Sera
and Drepung took offence and ruined the construction. This incident increased the tense religious and political situation in Central Tibet. The gongma or ruler Kunga Lekpa
, of the old Phagmodrupa dynasty
, resided in Nêdong
south-east of Lhasa. He was influenced by the powerful minister Konchok Rinchen of the Kazhipa family and had a bad relationship with the Rinpungpa.
valley and marched into Kyishod close to Lhasa. The Kazhipa family was ousted and some districts were appropriated by the Rinpungpa. A plundering raid against the Ganden monastery was however repulsed, supposedly through rites that evoked the power of the six-armed protector deity Mahakala
. A grand meeting was then held among the leading figures of Central Tibet, in 1481, and in the end the current king Kunga Lekpa was deposed and replaced by his nephew Ngagi Wangpo
. Still the local conflicts wore on, and in 1485 Donyo Dorje attacked Gyangtse. When Ngagi Wangpo died in 1491 his son Ngawang Tashi Drakpa
was only a minor. In the absence of a Phagmodrupa king, Donyo Dorje's uncle Tsokye Dorje
was made caretaker ruler in Nêdong.
and miwang, and known as Ü-Tsang Ruzhi Sakyong (Ruler of all of Central Tibet). Due to his frequent campaigning and staying in tent residences he was furthermore referred as Depa Garpa (the mobile or camping ruler). Besides being a protector of the Shamarpa and Karmapa hierarchs, he also initiated cordial relations with the abbots of Drikung and Taklung
. The assassination of a local Lhasa patron of the Shamarpa and Shanagpa sects in 1498 triggered a new intervention by Donyo Dorje. The Tsang forces occupied the estate Neu, whose lord had perpetrated the deed. Tighter control was imposed over Lhasa, the Potala and other places. From this date until 1517 the Karmapa monks, supported by Rinpungpa troops, impeded the Gelugpa monks from participating in the annual Monlam festival in Lhasa. The military expansion also went in other directions; in 1499 Donyo Dorje subjugated the Guge
kingdom in western Tibet.
.
Rinpungpa
Rinpungpa was a Tibetan regime that dominated much of Western Tibet and some of Central Tibet between 1440 and 1565...
Dynasty that held power in much of Central Tibet from 1435 to 1565.
Succession and religious patronate
Donyo Dorje was the second son of the previous Rinpungpa prince KunzangKunzang
Kunzang , in full Kuntu Zangpo , was a prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty that wielded power in Tsang ....
who was the dominant prince in Tsang
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
(West Central Tibet). Although they reigned autonomously, the Rinpungpa still formally honoured the Phagmodrupa dynasty
Phagmodrupa dynasty
The Phagmodrupa dynasty or Pagmodru of Tibet was established by Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen at the end of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Tai Situ came from the monastic fief Phagmodru , which was originally founded as a hermitage in 1158 by the famous Kagyu scholar Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo...
in Ü
Ü (region)
Ü is a geographic division and a historical region in Tibet. Together with Tsang , it forms Central Tibet Ü-Tsang , which is one of the three Tibetan regions or cholka . The other two cholka are Kham and Amdo...
(East Central Tibet). Kunzang appears to have died by 1579, in which year Donyo Dorje established a preceptor-patron relationship with the Buddhist hierarch Chokyi Drakpa of the Shamarpa
Shamarpa
Shamarpa of the Red Crown"), also known as Shamar Rinpoche or more formally Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche is a lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and the mind manifestation of Amitabha Buddha, He is traditionally associated with Yangpachen monastery near Lhasa.The first...
sect, and also kept a good relation with the hierarch of the Karmapa
Karmapa
The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa , itself one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism....
, Chödrak Gyatso
Chödrak Gyatso
Chödrak Gyatso , also Chödrag Gyamtso, was the seventh Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism.Chödrak Gyatso was born in Chida in the north of Tibet...
. He furthermore had a monastery built in Yangpachen. Chödrak Gyatso asked Donyo Dorje to found a monastery at the outskirts of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, in an area that was heavily influenced by the Gelugpa sect. Gelugpa monks from Sera
Sera
Sera may refer to:- Music :* Sera, a Symphonic rock/electronica singer/composer/producer* Sera, the well known bass player in Greece- Places :* Sera, Hiroshima, a town in Japan* Sera District, Hiroshima, a district located in Hiroshima, Japan...
and Drepung took offence and ruined the construction. This incident increased the tense religious and political situation in Central Tibet. The gongma or ruler Kunga Lekpa
Kunga Lekpa
Kunga Lekpa was a King of Tibet who ruled in 1448-1481. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa dynasty, which was the leading political regime in Tibet from 1354 to 1435, and retained a certain political status until the early 17th century...
, of the old Phagmodrupa dynasty
Phagmodrupa dynasty
The Phagmodrupa dynasty or Pagmodru of Tibet was established by Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen at the end of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Tai Situ came from the monastic fief Phagmodru , which was originally founded as a hermitage in 1158 by the famous Kagyu scholar Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo...
, resided in Nêdong
Nedong
Nedong may refer to:*Nêdong County, county in Tibet*Nêdong , village in Tibet...
south-east of Lhasa. He was influenced by the powerful minister Konchok Rinchen of the Kazhipa family and had a bad relationship with the Rinpungpa.
The takeover of Ü
In 1480 Donyo Dorje led a sizeable army into Ü, cooperating with troops from Gyung, Yargyab and Gongkar. He reached the heart of the YarlungYarlung
Yarlung can refer to:*Yarlung Kingdom, see also: Tibetan empire*Yarlung Dynasty, see also: List of emperors of Tibet*Yarlung Valley, formed by the Yarlung River and refers especially to the district where it joins with the Chongye River, and broadens out into a large plain about 2 km wide, before...
valley and marched into Kyishod close to Lhasa. The Kazhipa family was ousted and some districts were appropriated by the Rinpungpa. A plundering raid against the Ganden monastery was however repulsed, supposedly through rites that evoked the power of the six-armed protector deity Mahakala
Mahakala
Mahākāla is a Dharmapala in Vajrayana Buddhism, and a deity in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, particularly in the Vajrayana school. He is known as Daheitian in Chinese and Daikokuten in Japanese...
. A grand meeting was then held among the leading figures of Central Tibet, in 1481, and in the end the current king Kunga Lekpa was deposed and replaced by his nephew Ngagi Wangpo
Ngagi Wangpo
Ngagi Wangpo , also known as Chen-nga Tsenyepa , was a King of Tibet who reigned in 1481-1491...
. Still the local conflicts wore on, and in 1485 Donyo Dorje attacked Gyangtse. When Ngagi Wangpo died in 1491 his son Ngawang Tashi Drakpa
Ngawang Tashi Drakpa
Ngawang Tashi Drakpa was a king of Tibet who ruled intermittently in 1499-1564. 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...
was only a minor. In the absence of a Phagmodrupa king, Donyo Dorje's uncle Tsokye Dorje
Tsokye Dorje
Tsokye Dorje 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:...
was made caretaker ruler in Nêdong.
Height of Rinpungpa powers
During the following years the power of the Rinpungpa in Central Tibet was very considerable. Donyo Dorje was addressed with the royal titles chogyalChogyal
The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim and Ladakh, which were ruled by separate branches of the Namgyal family. The Chogyal, or divine ruler, was the absolute potentate of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when its monarchy was abrogated and its people voted to make Sikkim India's...
and miwang, and known as Ü-Tsang Ruzhi Sakyong (Ruler of all of Central Tibet). Due to his frequent campaigning and staying in tent residences he was furthermore referred as Depa Garpa (the mobile or camping ruler). Besides being a protector of the Shamarpa and Karmapa hierarchs, he also initiated cordial relations with the abbots of Drikung and Taklung
Taklung
Taklung is a village development committee in Gorkha District in the Gandaki Zone of northern-central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4,835 and had 859 houses in the town....
. The assassination of a local Lhasa patron of the Shamarpa and Shanagpa sects in 1498 triggered a new intervention by Donyo Dorje. The Tsang forces occupied the estate Neu, whose lord had perpetrated the deed. Tighter control was imposed over Lhasa, the Potala and other places. From this date until 1517 the Karmapa monks, supported by Rinpungpa troops, impeded the Gelugpa monks from participating in the annual Monlam festival in Lhasa. The military expansion also went in other directions; in 1499 Donyo Dorje subjugated the Guge
Guge
Guge was an ancient kingdom in Western Tibet. The kingdom was centered in present-day Zanda County, within Ngari Prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region, China. At various points in history after 10th century AD, the kingdom held sway over a vast area including south-eastern Zanskar, Upper Kinnaur,...
kingdom in western Tibet.
Rising tension
In 1499 Tsokye Dorje stepped down as regent of Nêdong, and the young Ngawang Tashi Drakpa was enthroned as Phagmodru monarch with the consent of Donyo Dorje. Five years later a marriage was arranged between the new ruler and a Rinpungpa princess. In spite of these arrangements, trouble briefly arose between Phagmodrupa and Rinpungpa in 1509. In the next year the old Tsokye Dorje died, and as his funeral ceremonies were in process an armed conflict flared up between Donyo Dorje and Ngawang Tashi Drakpa. A reconciliation was achieved in the same year through the intervention of a cleric, and Donyo Dorje made homage before the young king. Shortly after these events he died, in 1512. A grand funeral ceremony was performed for him. As established in his will the dignity of leadership was temporarily taken over by a member of another family, Zilnonpa from Nakartse, presumably since Donyo Dorje's surviving relatives lacked his capacity to rule. After this date the powers of the Rinpungpa slowly began to decline. The next ruling member of the family was his cousin Ngawang NamgyalNgawang Namgyal (Rinpungpa)
Ngawang Namgyal was a prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty that dominated Tsang in West Central Tibet between 1435 and 1565.-The succession:...
.