Mipham Sonam Wangchuk Drakpa Namgyal Palzang
Encyclopedia
Mipham Sonam Wangchuk Drakpa Namgyal Palzang (Mi pham bsod nams dbang phyug grags pa rnam rgyal dpal bzang) (early 17th century) was a king in Central Tibet. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa dynasty
which reigned in Tibet
, or parts of it, from 1354 to the early 17th century, and was the last prince of the dynasty.
. He succeeded his father by c. 1600. In 1601 he sent a representative with a delegation of Gelugpa dignitaries that journeyed to Mongolia
. The delegation received the young Dalai Lama
, Yonten Gyatso, who was a Mongol prince, and brought him to Tibet. By this time the dynasty had since long been eclipsed by other political and religious centers. However, in the early years of the 17th century the authority of the Phagmodrupa revived somewhat in the Ü
region (East Central Tibet). This was due to their good connections with the Gelugpa. The main political division at this time was between the Gelugpa sect, aided by their Mongol allies, and the Karmapa
and their patrons of the Tsangpa
dynasty. The Phagmodrupa kings were traditionally friendly disposed towards the Gelugpa leaders, the Dalai Lama
s.
valley. This provoked a swift retaliation by the Tsangpa. From his base in the Tsang
region (West Central Tibet), the Tsangpa ruler made repeated incursions into Ü. In 1616 he subjugated the Kyishod area close to Lhasa
and forced the Phagmodrupa palace in Nêdong
to submit. With this stroke, most of Ü and Tsang was in the hands of the Tsangpa lord Karma Phuntsok Namgyal
, who was now arguably the King of Tibet. His triumph was confirmed by a new successful Tsangpa invasion in 1618. Lhasa was taken, and the Gelugpa lost their most important monasteries in Ü and Tsang. Mipham Sonam Wangchuk Drakpa Namgyal Palzang survived under obscure circumstances. During the Gelugpa-Karmapa struggle in 1635 he was expelled from Lhasa. In the chronicles of the Fifth Dalai Lama (1643), he is still spoken of as a living person. With the final triumph of Dalai Lama over the Tsangpa in 1642, the Phagmodrupa regime was at any rate a thing of the past.
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...
which reigned in 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...
, or parts of it, from 1354 to the early 17th century, and was the last prince of the dynasty.
Support for the Dalai Lama
Mipham Sonam Wangchuk Drakpa Namgyal Palzang was the eldest son of the preceding ruler Kagyud Nampar GyalwaKagyud Nampar Gyalwa
Kagyud Nampar Gyalwa was a king in Central Tibet. He belonged to the Phagmodrupa dynasty which reigned in Tibet or parts of it from 1354 to the early 17th century. He was the penultimate ruler of the line.Kagyud Nampar Gyalwa was a son of the preceding ruler of the dynasty, Ngawang Drakpa Gyaltsen...
. He succeeded his father by c. 1600. In 1601 he sent a representative with a delegation of Gelugpa dignitaries that journeyed to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. The delegation received the young Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, Yonten Gyatso, who was a Mongol prince, and brought him to Tibet. By this time the dynasty had since long been eclipsed by other political and religious centers. However, in the early years of the 17th century the authority of the Phagmodrupa revived somewhat in the 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...
region (East Central Tibet). This was due to their good connections with the Gelugpa. The main political division at this time was between the Gelugpa sect, aided by their Mongol allies, and 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....
and their patrons 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. The Phagmodrupa kings were traditionally friendly disposed towards the Gelugpa leaders, the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
s.
Defeated by the Tsangpa
The position of the Phagmodrupa was nevertheless fragile. In 1610 their troops carried out a raid in the LhasaLhasa
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...
valley. This provoked a swift retaliation by the Tsangpa. From his base in the 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...
region (West Central Tibet), the Tsangpa ruler made repeated incursions into Ü. In 1616 he subjugated the Kyishod area close to 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...
and forced the Phagmodrupa palace in Nêdong
Nedong
Nedong may refer to:*Nêdong County, county in Tibet*Nêdong , village in Tibet...
to submit. With this stroke, most of Ü and Tsang was in the hands of the Tsangpa lord 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:...
, who was now arguably the King of Tibet. His triumph was confirmed by a new successful Tsangpa invasion in 1618. Lhasa was taken, and the Gelugpa lost their most important monasteries in Ü and Tsang. Mipham Sonam Wangchuk Drakpa Namgyal Palzang survived under obscure circumstances. During the Gelugpa-Karmapa struggle in 1635 he was expelled from Lhasa. In the chronicles of the Fifth Dalai Lama (1643), he is still spoken of as a living person. With the final triumph of Dalai Lama over the Tsangpa in 1642, the Phagmodrupa regime was at any rate a thing of the past.