List of emperors of Tibet
The traditional list of the ancient Yarlung dynasty's Tibetan kings consists of 42 names.[1] The earliest kings ruled before the Tibetan script was developed; the history of Tibet was thus thus a verbal history and only written after the earliest periods of rule. While there is a lack of contemporaneous biographical manuscripts detailing the lives of the first 26 kings, modern scholars note that the lives of the later ones were better documented.[2]
All of the kings are known as representatives of the Yarlung dynasty, named after the Yarlung Tsangpo and its Yarlung Valley. Their titles are more correctly translated as "chief", not "emperor".[3] The unified Tibetan state is documented beginning with the 31st, the 32nd, and the 33rd kings.
Traditional Tibetan titles for the king include tsenpo ("Chief") and lhase ("Divine Son").[4]
List
[edit]In the list the common transliteration is given first, the academic one in brackets.
| Number | Name | Reign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nyatri Tsenpo (gNya'-khri bTsan-po) | 127–? BCE |
| 2 | Mutri Tsenpo (Mu-khri bTsan-po) | |
| 3 | Dingtri Tsenpo (Ding-khri bTsan-po) | |
| 4 | Sotri Tsenpo (So-khri bTsan-po) | |
| 5 | Mertri Tsenpo (Mer-khri bTsan-po) | |
| 6 | Dakrri Tsenpo (gDags-khri bTsan-po) | |
| 7 | Siptri Tsenpo (Sribs-khri bTsan-po) | |
| 8 | Drigum Tsenpo (Gri-gum bTsan-po) | |
| 9 | Chatri Tsenpo | |
| 10 | Esho Lek (E-sho-legs) | |
| 11 | Desho Lek (De-sho-legs) | |
| 12 | Tisho Lek (Thi-sho-legs) | |
| 13 | Guru Lek (Gu-ru-legs) | |
| 14 | Trongzhi Lek ('Brong-zhi-legs) | |
| 15 | Isho Lek (I-sho-legs) | |
| 16 | Zanam Zindé (Za-nam Zin-lde) | |
| 17 | Detrul Namshungtsen (lDe-'phrul gnam-gzhung-btsan) | |
| 18 | Senöl Namdé (Se-snol gNam-lde) | |
| 19 | Senöl Podé (Se-snol Po-lde) | |
| 20 | Senöl Nam (lDe-snol-nam) | |
| 21 | Senöl Po (lDe-snol-po) | |
| 22 | Degyel Po (lDe-rgyal-po) | |
| 23 | Detrin Tsen (lDe-sprin-btsan) | |
| 24 | Tori Longtsen (rGyal-to-ri Long-btsan) | |
| 25 | Tritsen Nam (Su-khri bTsan-nam) | |
| 26 | Tridra Pungtsen | |
| 27 | Tritog Jetsen (Khri-rje Thog-btsan) | |
| 28 | Lha Thothori Nyantsen (lHa-tho-tho-ri gNyan-btsan) | |
| 29 | Trinyen Zungtsen (Khri-gnyan gZung-btsan) | |
| 30 | Drongnyen Deu ('Bro-gnyan lDe'u) | |
| 31 | Tagbu Nyasig (sTag-ri gNyan-gzigs) | 579–619 |
| 32 | Namri Songtsen (gNam-ri Srong-btsan) | ?–629 |
| 33 | Songtsen Gampo (Srong-btsan sGam-po) | 618–649 |
| 34 | Gungsrong Gungtsen (Gung-srong gung-btsan) | 638–655? |
| 35 | Mangsong Mangtsen | 653–676 |
| 36 | Tridu Songtsen | 676–704 |
| 37 | Tride Tsuktsen Me Agtsom | 680–755 |
| 38 | Trisong Detsen | 742–797 |
| 39 | Muné Tsenpo or Murub Tsenpo | c.797–799 |
| 40 | Sadnalegs (Khri lde srong btsan) | c. 800 or 804–815 |
| 41 | Ralpachen (Thri Tsuk Deutsen) | 815–836 |
| 42 | Langdarma (Ü D'um brTsen) | 841–842[5] |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Haarh, Erik: Extract from "The Yar Lun Dynasty", in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 144.
- ^ Haarh, Erik: Extract from "The Yar Lun Dynasty", in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 147; Richardson, Hugh: The Origin of the Tibetan Kingdom, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 159 (and list of kings p. 166–167).
- ^ Kirkland, Russell: The Spirit of the Mountain, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 183.
- ^ Samten Karmay, in McKay 2003, pg. 57
- ^ Arthur Mandelbaum, "Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje", Treasury of Lives, August 2007
References
[edit]- McKay, Alex (ed.). Tibet and Her Neighbors: A History (2003) Walther Konig. ISBN 3-88375-718-7