Khunpang Lhawang Dorje
Encyclopedia
Khunpang Lhawang Dorje (late 16th century) was a prince of the Tsangpa
Dynasty that held power in parts of Central Tibet, especially Tsang
(West Central Tibet), between 1565 and 1642.
Khunpang Lhawang Dorje was one of the nine sons of the king of Upper Tsang
, Karma Tseten
, who founded the dynasty in 1565. When his father was still alive he became involved in a dispute among a regional noble family, the Changdakpa. Two brothers called Namkha Gyaltsen and Tashi Tobgyal were in disagreement. Khunpang Lhawang Dorje supported the elder brother. His father Karma Tseten endorsed his judgment and banned the junior brother Tashi Tobgyal from Tsang, forcing him in exile to Ü
(East Central Tibet). Tashi Tobgyal (1550?-1603) was a disciple of the Nyingma
lama Jampa Chokyi Gyaltsen and well versed in tantric practices. In order to exact revenge he performed tantric rituals which supposedly killed Karma Tseten. Khunpang Lhawang Dorje resided in the Samdrubtse castle (in present Shigatse
). His regnal dates are not known, but according to one list he ruled in the year 1582. At any rate, in the years around 1600 his younger brother Karma Tensung
held power over Tsang.
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 held power in parts of Central Tibet, especially 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), between 1565 and 1642.
Khunpang Lhawang Dorje was one of the nine sons of the king of Upper 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...
, Karma Tseten
Karma Tseten
Karma Tseten 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.-Rebelling against the Rinpungpa:...
, who founded the dynasty in 1565. When his father was still alive he became involved in a dispute among a regional noble family, the Changdakpa. Two brothers called Namkha Gyaltsen and Tashi Tobgyal were in disagreement. Khunpang Lhawang Dorje supported the elder brother. His father Karma Tseten endorsed his judgment and banned the junior brother Tashi Tobgyal from Tsang, forcing him in exile to 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). Tashi Tobgyal (1550?-1603) was a disciple of the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
lama Jampa Chokyi Gyaltsen and well versed in tantric practices. In order to exact revenge he performed tantric rituals which supposedly killed Karma Tseten. Khunpang Lhawang Dorje resided in the Samdrubtse castle (in present 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...
). His regnal dates are not known, but according to one list he ruled in the year 1582. At any rate, in the years around 1600 his younger brother 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....
held power over Tsang.