Karma Tseten
Encyclopedia
Karma Tseten (fl. 16th century) 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 up to 1642.
. He was related to the Rinpungpa
Dynasty which held superior power in the Tsang region in the 16th century. Coming from relatively modest circumstances, he was used by the Tsang ruler for various tasks, such as chief groom and tax collector. In 1548 he was entrusted with the governorship of the Samgrubtse castle in Shigatse
. This was a place of great strategical importance in Tsang. Some years later he began to plot against his Rinpungpa master. According to one story he obtained a written permit to collect 300 sewing needles from the local population. As the words for needle and armour are very similar in Tibetan
, Tseten Dorje made a slight change in the document, and could thus collect 300 suits of armour. In 1557 he raised the standard of rebellion, helped by the discontent with the Rinpungpa among many vassals. In 1565 he was able to take Panam Lhundrup Kyungtse and the Pakmori Gold Castle from the ruler Ngawang Jigme Drakpa
. The Drukpa lama Kunkhyen Pema Karpo was able to mediate between the warring parties. However, just after the Tibetan new year
in 1566, fresh fighting broke out in lower Nyangtod. The Drukpa lama intervened again. Karma Tseten requested all the lands above Jomo Kharek, but was finally content with the entire Panam area. With these events the Rinpungpa faded into insignificance.
, the weak line of kings in Nêdong
in Ü
(East Central Tibet). He also made contacts with the Mongols
of the Kokonor
region, and secured a promise of assistance from the Chogthu tribe. He furthermore undertook expansion towards western Tibet, where the territories Latod Lho and Chang were placed under his authority. This was probably just a case of loose overlordship, since these areas had to be reconquered by his grandson Karma Phuntsok Namgyal
in 1612-13. Karma Tseten had nine sons, of which the most prominent were Karma Thutob Namgyal
, Khunpang Lhawang Dorje
and Karma Tensung
. Of these, Khunpang Lhawang Dorje intervened in a local feud where two brothers of the Changdakpa line quarreled, and favoured the elder brother. Karma Tseten forced the younger brother Tashi Tobgyal (1550?-1603) in exile to Ü. The vengeful Tashi Tobgyal performed tantric rites, with the supposed result that Karma Tseten died from "the sharp pain from Vishnu's sword". The year of his demise is not clear; nor are the details of his succession. The next important Tsangpa king was, however, Karma Tensung.
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...
in West Central Tibet
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...
. He was the founder of the Tsangpa
Tsangpa
Tsangpa was a dynasty that dominated large parts of Tibet from 1565 to 1642. It was the last Tibetan royal dynasty to rule in own name. The regime was founded by Karma Tseten, a retainer of the prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty and governor of Shigatse in Tsang since 1548.-Superseding the...
Dynasty that had an important role in the history of Tibet up to 1642.
Rebelling against the Rinpungpa
Karma Tseten, in full Karma Tseten Dorje, belonged to a clan from Nyag which claimed descent from Jñanakumara, a contemporary of the eighth-century tantric master PadmasambhavaPadmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
. He was related to the Rinpungpa
Rinpungpa
Rinpungpa was a Tibetan regime that dominated much of Western Tibet and some of Central Tibet between 1440 and 1565...
Dynasty which held superior power in the Tsang region in the 16th century. Coming from relatively modest circumstances, he was used by the Tsang ruler for various tasks, such as chief groom and tax collector. In 1548 he was entrusted with the governorship of the Samgrubtse castle in Shigatse
Shigatse
Shigatse is a county-level city and the second largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China, with a population of 92000, about southwest of Lhasa and northwest of Gyantse...
. This was a place of great strategical importance in Tsang. Some years later he began to plot against his Rinpungpa master. According to one story he obtained a written permit to collect 300 sewing needles from the local population. As the words for needle and armour are very similar in Tibetan
Standard Tibetan
Standard Tibetan is the most widely used spoken form of the Tibetan languages. It is based on the speech of Lhasa, an Ü-Tsang dialect belonging to the Central Tibetan languages. For this reason, Standard Tibetan is often called Central Tibetan...
, Tseten Dorje made a slight change in the document, and could thus collect 300 suits of armour. In 1557 he raised the standard of rebellion, helped by the discontent with the Rinpungpa among many vassals. In 1565 he was able to take Panam Lhundrup Kyungtse and the Pakmori Gold Castle from the ruler Ngawang Jigme Drakpa
Ngawang Jigme Drakpa
Ngawang Jigme Drakpa was the last ruling prince of Tsang of the Rinpungpa Dynasty. He was also a renowned author.-Literary activity:...
. The Drukpa lama Kunkhyen Pema Karpo was able to mediate between the warring parties. However, just after the Tibetan new year
Losar
Losar is the Tibetan word for "new year." lo holds the semantic field "year, age"; sar holds the semantic field "new, fresh". Losar is the most important holiday in Tibet....
in 1566, fresh fighting broke out in lower Nyangtod. The Drukpa lama intervened again. Karma Tseten requested all the lands above Jomo Kharek, but was finally content with the entire Panam area. With these events the Rinpungpa faded into insignificance.
King of Upper Tsang
After 1565-66 Karma Tseten, who was also known as Zhingshagpa, declared himself Tsangtod Gyalpo, King of Upper Tsang. His dynastic regime became known as the Tsangpa, after the Tsang region. He made friendly overtures to the Phagmodrupa dynastyPhagmodrupa 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...
, the weak line of kings in Nêdong
Nedong
Nedong may refer to:*Nêdong County, county in Tibet*Nêdong , village in Tibet...
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). He also made contacts with the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
of the Kokonor
Kokonor
Kokonor may refer to:* Qinghai province, in China* Qinghai Lake, in China...
region, and secured a promise of assistance from the Chogthu tribe. He furthermore undertook expansion towards western Tibet, where the territories Latod Lho and Chang were placed under his authority. This was probably just a case of loose overlordship, since these areas had to be reconquered by his grandson Karma Phuntsok Namgyal
Karma Phuntsok Namgyal
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 secular power in Tibet until 1642.-Family:...
in 1612-13. Karma Tseten had nine sons, of which the most prominent were Karma Thutob Namgyal
Karma Thutob Namgyal
Karma Thutob Namgyal was a prince of the Tsangpa Dynasty that ruled parts of Central Tibet from 1565 to 1642....
, Khunpang Lhawang Dorje
Khunpang Lhawang Dorje
Khunpang Lhawang Dorje was a prince of the Tsangpa Dynasty that held power in parts of Central Tibet, especially Tsang , between 1565 and 1642....
and Karma Tensung
Karma Tensung
Karma Tensung , in full Karma Tensung Wangpo , was a king of Tsang in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. He belonged to the Tsangpa Dynasty that ruled parts of Tibet from 1565 to 1642....
. Of these, Khunpang Lhawang Dorje intervened in a local feud where two brothers of the Changdakpa line quarreled, and favoured the elder brother. Karma Tseten forced the younger brother Tashi Tobgyal (1550?-1603) in exile to Ü. The vengeful Tashi Tobgyal performed tantric rites, with the supposed result that Karma Tseten died from "the sharp pain from Vishnu's sword". The year of his demise is not clear; nor are the details of his succession. The next important Tsangpa king was, however, Karma Tensung.