Gungsrong Gungtsen
Encyclopedia
Gungsrong Gungtsen, Gungsong Gungsten, or Kungsong Kungtsen (Gung-srong gung-btsan) was the only known son of Songtsän Gampo (605 or 617? – 649), the first Tibet
an emperor.
Songtsän Gampo is said to have had five wives, the Nepal
ese princess, Khri b'Tsun, or "Royal Lady" (Bhrikuti Devi), and the Chinese Princess Wencheng
, both devout Buddhists, are the best known, but he also married daughters of the King of Zhang-zhung and the King of Minyak, as well as one each from the Ruyong and Mong (or Mang) clans (although other lists exist).
Gungsrong Gungtsen was born to Mangza (or Mongsa) Tricham (Mang bza' Khri lcham or Mang bza' Khri-mo-mnyen lDong-steng), Princess of Mang, who came from Tolung (sTod lung) - a valley to the west of Lhasa.
It seems most unlikely that Songtsän Gampo handed over power to his son after his marriage to Princess Wencheng
in 641, as she was married to the ruling monarch and there is no mention of such an event in the Chinese or Tibetan Annals
. If Gungsrong Gungtsen was married and had a son before 641, he was most probably born sometime before 625.
He is traditionally said to have been born at a nine-storied palace known as the "Celestial Auspicious Mansion of Draglha", built by the Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti
Devi to the south of Lhasa. It is said that a shrine and a stupa were then built by his father on a rocky mountain near Yerpa
which resembled a seated image of Tara
.
Some accounts say that when Gungsrong Gungtsen reached the age of thirteen (twelve by Western reckoning), his father, Songtsän Gampo, retired and he then ruled the country for five years (which could have been the period when Songtsän Gampo was working on the constitution). Gungsrong Gungtsen also married 'A-zha Mang-mo-rje when he was thirteen and they had a son, Mangsong Mangtsen
(r. 650-676 CE). Gungsrong Gungtsen is said to have only ruled for five years when he died at eighteen. His father, Songtsän Gampo, took the throne again. He is said to have been buried at Donkhorda, the site of the royal tombs, to the left of the tomb of his grandfather Namri Songtsen
(gNam-ri Srong-btsan). The dates for these events are very unclear.
It is unclear whether Gungsrong Gungtsen was really enthroned as Emperor during the five years he is said to have reigned, nor is there any mention of his reign in the Chinese or Tibetan Annals. He is, therefore, sometimes not included among the list of Tibetan rulers.
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an emperor.
Songtsän Gampo is said to have had five wives, the Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese princess, Khri b'Tsun, or "Royal Lady" (Bhrikuti Devi), and the Chinese Princess Wencheng
Princess Wencheng
Princess Wencheng was a niece of the powerful Emperor Taizong of China's Tang Dynasty, who left China in 640, according to records, arriving the next year in Tibet to marry the thirty-seven year old Songtsän Gampo the thirty-third king of the Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet, in a marriage of...
, both devout Buddhists, are the best known, but he also married daughters of the King of Zhang-zhung and the King of Minyak, as well as one each from the Ruyong and Mong (or Mang) clans (although other lists exist).
Gungsrong Gungtsen was born to Mangza (or Mongsa) Tricham (Mang bza' Khri lcham or Mang bza' Khri-mo-mnyen lDong-steng), Princess of Mang, who came from Tolung (sTod lung) - a valley to the west of Lhasa.
It seems most unlikely that Songtsän Gampo handed over power to his son after his marriage to Princess Wencheng
Princess Wencheng
Princess Wencheng was a niece of the powerful Emperor Taizong of China's Tang Dynasty, who left China in 640, according to records, arriving the next year in Tibet to marry the thirty-seven year old Songtsän Gampo the thirty-third king of the Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet, in a marriage of...
in 641, as she was married to the ruling monarch and there is no mention of such an event in the Chinese or Tibetan Annals
Tibetan Annals
The Tibetan Annals, or Old Tibetan Annals , are composed of two manuscripts written in Old Tibetan language found in the early 20th century in the "hidden library", the Mogao Grottoes near Dunhuang, which is believed to have been sealed in the 11th century CE...
. If Gungsrong Gungtsen was married and had a son before 641, he was most probably born sometime before 625.
He is traditionally said to have been born at a nine-storied palace known as the "Celestial Auspicious Mansion of Draglha", built by the Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti
Bhrikuti
The Nepali Princess Bhrikuti Devi, known to Tibetans as Bal-mo-bza' Khri-btsun, Bhelsa Tritsun or, simply, Khri bTsun , is traditionally considered to have been the first wife of the earliest emperor of Tibet, Songtsän Gampo , and an incarnation of Tara...
Devi to the south of Lhasa. It is said that a shrine and a stupa were then built by his father on a rocky mountain near Yerpa
Yerpa
Yerpa, also known as: Brag Yer-pa, Drak Yerpa, Druk Yerpa, Dagyeba, Dayerpa, and Trayerpa, is only a short drive to the east of Lhasa, and consists of a monastery and a number of ancient meditation caves that used to house about 300 monks.-Description:The entrance to the Yerpa Valley is about...
which resembled a seated image of Tara
Tara (Buddhism)
Tara or Ārya Tārā, also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan Buddhism, is a female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism who appears as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the "mother of liberation", and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements...
.
Some accounts say that when Gungsrong Gungtsen reached the age of thirteen (twelve by Western reckoning), his father, Songtsän Gampo, retired and he then ruled the country for five years (which could have been the period when Songtsän Gampo was working on the constitution). Gungsrong Gungtsen also married 'A-zha Mang-mo-rje when he was thirteen and they had a son, Mangsong Mangtsen
Mangsong Mangtsen
Mangsong Mangtsen, Trimang Löntsen or Khri-mang-slon-rtsan succeeded to the throne after the death of his grandfather, Songtsän Gampo, and was the second emperor of the newly created Tibetan Empire....
(r. 650-676 CE). Gungsrong Gungtsen is said to have only ruled for five years when he died at eighteen. His father, Songtsän Gampo, took the throne again. He is said to have been buried at Donkhorda, the site of the royal tombs, to the left of the tomb of his grandfather Namri Songtsen
Namri Songtsen
Namri Songtsen , also known as "Namri Löntsen" was, according to tradition, the 32nd King of Tibet , despite the fact he formerly ruled only the Yarlung valley, and later the central part of the Tibetan plateau...
(gNam-ri Srong-btsan). The dates for these events are very unclear.
It is unclear whether Gungsrong Gungtsen was really enthroned as Emperor during the five years he is said to have reigned, nor is there any mention of his reign in the Chinese or Tibetan Annals. He is, therefore, sometimes not included among the list of Tibetan rulers.