Ngawang Namgyal (Rinpungpa)

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Ngawang Namgyal (Tibetan: ངགཌབང་རྣམ-རྒྱལ, Wylie: ngag-dbang rnam-rgyal) (died 1544 or somewhat later) was a prince of the Rinpungpa Dynasty that dominated the Tsang region in West Central Tibet between 1435 and 1565. He reigned from 1512 to 1544, and was a patron of the Karma Kagyu school as was the Rinpungpa Dynasty.

The succession

Ngawang Namgyal was the son of

Central Tibet and also held suzerainty over Guge in western Tibet.[3] The leader of the family was Ngawang Namgyal's cousin Donyo Dorje. The Phagmodrupa dynasty, the actual monarchs (gongmas) of Tibet, had been reduced to relative insignificance. However, since 1509 a conflict had arisen between the Rinpungpa and the young and able Phagmodrupa gongma Ngawang Tashi Drakpa. When the funeral for Tsokye Dorje were still going on in 1510, Donyo Dorje ordered Ngawang Namgyal to lead a military incursion to Gyeladring, which was opposed by the Phagmodrupa. A reconciliation between the two princely families followed, but in 1512 the powerful Donyo Dorje died without leaving an adult son to succeed him. In his will he pointed out Zilnonpa of Nakhartse (b. 1505), the son of a mistress, as his successor.[4] Zilnonpa is occasionally mentioned in the sources up to 1567. However, in the decades after 1512 it is Ngawang Namgyal who is the military leader of the Rinpungpa, sometimes referred as dsongpon (vassal lord) and foremost minister under the gongma.[5]

Decline of military power

Ngawang Namgyal and Zilnonpa were far less successful than their predecessor Donyo Dorje. In 1515 the simmering hostility between the Rinpungpa and Phagmodrupa erupted, and the former were worsted in a series of clashes. The fief

Monlam (prayer) festival for the first time in 20 years.[7] A settlement was made in 1518. The gongma conferred formal investiture on Zilnonpa as dsongpon (vassal lord) of Rinpung, the original home of the family. In that way the Phagmodrupa regained some of their former authority in Ü (East Central Tibet), while the Rinpungpa remained dominant in Tsang. Fresh troubles between Ü and Tsang broke out in 1538, although the rough balance of power remained.[8] Ngawang Namgyal to an extent made good his losses through acquisitions in other directions. Thus, Gyantse, Panam and Sengetse in Tsang, and furthermore the western principalities Latö Lho and Latö Chang, came under his authority in 1547 (?) and later.[9]

The invasion of Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat

The military adventurer

Manasarover Lake. There, however, most of the horses of the army died. Haidar and part of the troops proceeded and plundered the livestock of the province of Ham or Hari (Ngari?).[10] But the terrain and climate of Tibet proved more difficult to overcome than any army. When he had arrived to Askabrak, only eight days' march from Lhasa (thus somewhere in Tsang), Haidar eventually realized that the enterprise was forlorn. In early 1533 he returned to Ladakh after losing a substantial part of the army.[11] The invasion is unmentioned in the Tibetan histories although it must have affected the areas under the Rinpungpa severely. Haidar undertook new operations in Ladakh and Baltistan in 1545 and 1548, but any Kashgari influence in western Tibet ended with his death in 1551.[12]

Cultural efforts

In spite of his varying political fortunes, Ngawang Namgyal was reputed to be a prominent and haughty warrior, and scholar. He engaged in the so-called five lesser sciences and sixty-four arts (literary skills, astronomy, performing arts, etc.). He re-introduced the custom of wearing clothing and ornaments after the style of the

Mikyö Dorje stayed in Tsari, he was requested to say dedicatory prayers for the deceased Rinpungpa lord Rinchen Wanggyal, otherwise unknown. It has been suggested that this alludes to Ngawang Namgyal.[18] However, the Rigpa dzinpai phonya indicates that Rinchen Wanggyal was in fact a son of Ngawang Namgyal.[19] The late ruler is otherwise credited with three sons, the eldest of whom died early. The other two, Dondup Tseten Dorje and Ngawang Jigme Drakpa
succeeded their father, although the details are obscure. After these sons, the leadership of the Rinpungpa lineage came to an end.

References

  1. ^ Giuseppe Tucci, Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Rome 1949, Vol. II, p. 642.
  2. ^ Thupten Chashab, "The Life of Ngag Dbang ’Jig Grags, the Last Ruler of Rin Spungs, Based on the Text Rig Pa ’Dzin Pa’i Pho Nya, or 'A Messenger of a Yogi'", Rocznik Orientalistyczny LXX 2, 2017, p. 104.
  3. ^ R. Vitali, The kingdoms of Gu.ge Pu.hrang. Dharamsala, p. 536.
  4. ^ Giuseppe Tucci, Deb t'er dMar po gSar ma, Rome 1971, pp. 229-30.
  5. ^ Sarat Chandra Das, 'Contributions on the Religion, History, etc., of Tibet', Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 12 1881, p. 246.
  6. ^ Giuseppe Tucci, 1971, p. 231.
  7. Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa
    , Tibet. A Political History, Yale 1967, p. 88; Wang Furen & Suo Wenqing, Highlights of Tibetan History, Beijing 1984, p. 85.
  8. ^ Giuseppe Tucci, 1971, pp. 230-33.
  9. Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa
    , One Hundred Thousand Moons, 2010, p. 278; Sarat Chandra Das, 1881, p. 246; Olaf Czaja, Medieval rule in Tibet, Vol. I-II. Wien 2013, p. 489.
  10. ^ "Mirza Muhammad Haydar Dughlat, Tarikh-i-Rashidi, pp. 454-8". Archived from the original on 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2015-02-12.
  11. ^ Luciano Petech, The kingdom of Ladakh, C. 950-1842 A.D.. Roma 1977, pp. 26-7.
  12. ^ Luciano Petech 1977, pp. 27-8.
  13. ^ Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa, 2010, p. 278.
  14. ^ Thupten Chashab, 2017, p. 108, 124.
  15. ^ James Gentry, Substance and sense: Objects of power in the life, writings, and legacy of the Tibetan ritual master Sog bzlog pa Blo gros rgyal mtshan, PhD Thesis, Harvard University 2013, p. 72. [1]
  16. Hugh E. Richardson
    , Tibet and its History, Boston & London 1984, Appendix, chronological table, p. 307. Since his son Dondup Tseten Dorje is mentioned under 1549, his demise may have occurred a little earlier than that.
  17. ^ Olaf Czaja, 2013, p. 261, 263.
  18. ^ Olaf Czaja, 2013, p. 489.
  19. ^ Thupten Chashab, 2017, p. 113.
Preceded by Ruler of Tsang
1512–1544 		Succeeded by
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