Khangchenné
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Khangchenné Sonam Gyalpo (; ) (died 5 August 1727) was the first important representative of the noble house Gashi () in
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
. Between 1721 and 1727 he led the Tibetan cabinet (
Kashag The Kashag (; ), was the governing council of Tibet during the rule of the Qing dynasty and post-Qing period until the 1950s. It was created in 1721, and set by Qianlong Emperor in 1751 for the Ganden Phodrang in the 13-Article Ordinance for ...
, ) that governed the country during the period of
Qing rule of Tibet Tibet under Qing rule refers to the Qing dynasty's relationship with Tibet from 1720 to 1912. The political status of Tibet during this period has been the subject of political debate. The Qing called Tibet a ''fanbang'' or ''fanshu'', which has ...
. He was eventually murdered by his peers in the cabinet, which triggered a bloody but brief
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. The nobleman
Polhané Sönam Topgyé Polhané Sönam Topgyé (; ) (1689 – 12 March 1747) was one of the most important political personalities of Tibet in the first half of the 18th century. Between 1728 and 1747 he was effectively the ruling prince of Tibet and carried royal titles ...
came out as the victor and became the new ruling prince of Tibet under the Chinese
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
.


Rise to power

Khangchenné (the one from Khangchen), often known by the title Dai-ching Batur in Tibetan sources, did not stem from any of the older noble houses of Tibet. He was able to make a career thanks to the
Khoshut The Khoshut ( Mongolian: Хошууд,, qoşūd, ; literally "bannermen," from Middle Mongolian ''qosighu'' "flag, banner") are one of the four major tribes of the Oirat people. Originally, Khoshuuds were one of the Khorchin tribes in southeaste ...
protector-king Lhabzang Khan who appointed him governor of West Tibet (
Ngari Ngari Prefecture () or Ali Prefecture () is a prefecture of China's Tibet Autonomous Region covering Western Tibet, whose traditional name is Ngari Khorsum. Its administrative centre and largest settlement is the town of Shiquanhe. History Ngar ...
) in 1715. Simultaneously he was the chief minister of the ruler. It is possible that he reached this position since he was married to a daughter of Lhabzang Khan. The
Dzungar people The Dzungar people (also written as Zunghar; from the Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') were the many Mongol Oirat tribes who formed and maintained the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th and 18th centuries. Historically they were one of major tr ...
unexpectedly invaded Tibet from the north-west in 1717 as a part of their strategy to dominate
Inner Asia Inner Asia refers to the northern and landlocked regions spanning North, Central and East Asia. It includes parts of western and northeast China, as well as southern Siberia. The area overlaps with some definitions of 'Central Asia', mostly the h ...
and to keep the
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
out. Khangchenné was the first to warn Lhabzang Khan for the impending danger. However, he was not able to assist the king in the defensive struggle from his distant base in West Tibet. Lhabzang Khan was killed in action in
Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level city, prefecture-level Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Regio ...
in November and the Dzungar took over Tibet and led a harsh regime. As a marionett ruler they appointed the nobleman Tagtsepa. After the Dzungar conquest, Khangchenné stayed in Ngari and began to interrupt the lines of communication between the Dzungars stationed in Tibet and their home base in
Dzungaria Dzungaria (; from the Mongolian language, Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') is a geographical subregion in Northwest China that corresponds to the northern half of Xinjiang. It is thus also known as Beijiang, which means "Northern Xinjiang" ...
. In 1719 he successfully attacked a troop of mounted Dzungar warriors who were about to bring some of Lhabzang Khan's old officers to Dzungaria. Together with the nobleman Pholhané he organized military resistance against the Dzungar. After almost three years, the unpopular Dzungar rule came to an end through a 1720 expedition launched by the Qing
Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
. The puppet regent Tagtsepa was executed, the
7th Dalai Lama Kelzang Gyatso (; 1708–1757), also spelled Kalzang Gyatso, Kelsang Gyatso and Kezang Gyatso, was the 7th Dalai Lama of Tibet, recognized as the true incarnation of the 6th Dalai Lama, and enthroned after a pretender was deposed. The Seventh D ...
was brought to Lhasa, and a provisional government was formed by the occupants. Thanks to his great services against the Dzungars, Khangchenné was appointed head of a Tibetan cabinet or
Kashag The Kashag (; ), was the governing council of Tibet during the rule of the Qing dynasty and post-Qing period until the 1950s. It was created in 1721, and set by Qianlong Emperor in 1751 for the Ganden Phodrang in the 13-Article Ordinance for ...
in 1721 on the orders of Kangxi. He thereby kept his own basis of power in Ngari. The old office of ''
desi DESI may refer to * Desorption electrospray ionization * Drug Efficacy Study Implementation * Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument See also * Desi (disambiguation) Desi or Deshi is a self-referential term used by South Asian people. Desi may al ...
'' (regent) was abolished as it gathered too much power in one hand. Instead Khangchenné received the titles ''Dai-ching Batur'' and chairman of the cabinet. He was granted the Yardrokling estate for his personal support.


Leader of the cabinet

The new Tibetan government had to cope with several difficulties from the beginning. Apart from an enormous inflation, there was a problem of providing for the 3,000 men in the Chinese garrison. As a consequence the Tibetan population was burdened with a substantial tax increase. This problem was solved in 1723 when the Qing troops withdrew, leaving the administration entirely in Tibetan hands without any military support. At the same time, however, a rebellion took place in Kokonor in present-day
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
. A Khoshut prince called Chingwang Lozang Tenzin rebelled against the imperial government. After the revolt had been suppressed, Kokonor (Qinghai) was integrated into the Qing Empire in early 1724 and thus separated from Central Tibet. It was also problematic for the running of government affairs that Khangchenné was often absent from Lhasa. He preferred to stay in Ngari. In 1723 he interfered successfully in a war in
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
between the kingdoms of
Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
and Jumla. He dispatched 100 Mongolian horsemen to southern Mustang in order to besiege the fortress Kagbeni together with troops from Mustang and
Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...
. In 1725 the
Yongzheng Emperor , regnal name = , posthumous name = Emperor Jingtian Changyun Jianzhong Biaozhen Wenwu Yingming Kuanren Xinyi Ruisheng Daxiao Zhicheng Xian()Manchu: Temgetulehe hūwangdi () , temple name = Shizong()Manchu: Šidzung () , house = Aisin Gioro ...
ordered him to reside permanently in Lhasa. The jurisdiction over Ngari was entrusted Khangchenné's elder brother Gashipa Tseten Tashi.


Hostility between the ministers

Khangchenné possessed great competence but was perceived as arrogant and ill-suited to cooperate with the others in the Kashag. His impopularity further increased due to an edict issued by Yongzheng which stipulated the persecution of the
Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
school of
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
, which the Dalai Lama considered heretic. All the other members of the Kashag including Pholhané were against the implementation of the edict. Nevertheless Khangchenné tried to follow the emperor's will. As a consequence his standing among the Tibetan population shrank more and more. From the very beginning, the Kashag was split into two hostile camps. On one side stood Khangchenné and Pholhané, both representatives of a new layer of nobles and adherents of the Chinese emperor. Both had their main bases in West Tibet and Tsang (West Central Tibet). The other side, supported by the father of the Seventh Dalai Lama, consisted of Ngaphöpa Dorje Gyalpo, Lumpané Tashi Gyalpo and Jarané who represented the old Tibetan nobility and had vested interests in Ü. From a regional point of view they represented the nobles of Central and South Tibet.


The murder of Khangchenné and its consequences

The open hostility between the two parties impeded a smooth government from the start. Finally the representatives of the old nobility decided to eliminate Khangchenné and Pholhané. The assault was obviously planned during a long time. Pholhané had left Lhasa since his wife was seriously ill and stayed at their residence in Pholha. There he received a letter from the teacher of the Seventh Dalai Lama that warned him of staying in Lhasa in July–August 1727. He should also take care that his eldest son did not stay in Lhasa in this period. Pholhane immediately sent a word of warning to Khangchenné via friends, but he did not take much notice of it. The conspirators heard that the Yongzheng Emperor had sent two envoys to Khangcenné to offer praise and resolved to strike quickly before they had arrived. On 5 August 1727 a routine meeting of the Kashag took place in an upper room of the
Jokhang The Jokhang (, ), also known as the Qoikang Monastery, Jokang, Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Monastery and Zuglagkang ( or Tsuklakang), is a Buddhist temple in Barkhor Square in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Tibetans, in ...
temple. Khangchenné took part of it in a good mood, joking and fraternizing. A letter was handed to him by a subordinate official. As Khangchenné began to read, he was unexpectedly seized from behind by some officials. All the present ministers now drew their daggers and stabbed Khangchenné to death. His guards, who waited outside the office, were killed as well, while all present followers of the murdered minister were apprehended and taken away. On the next day the murderers sent people to arrest and kill Khangchenné's wife and her sister, together with his secretary and a steward. The conspirators dispatched a troop to Pholha with orders to eliminate Pholhané. The latter, however, had arranged for his escape to West Tibet, and the troop had to turn back without carrying out the deed.Shakabpa 1967, p. 142. The consequence was a civil war that raged for a year, where Pholhané eventually triumphed. The noble house Gashi, more known under the name Doring (), survived this assault on its main representative. His relatives served the various Tibetan governments until the 1950s.


See also

*
Chinese expedition to Tibet (1720) The 1720 Chinese expedition to Tibet () or the Chinese conquest of Tibet in 1720 was a military expedition sent by the Qing dynasty to expel the invading forces of the Dzungar Khanate from Tibet and establish Qing rule over the region, which laste ...
*
Tibet under Qing rule Tibet under Qing rule refers to the Qing dynasty's relationship with Tibet from 1720 to 1912. The political status of Tibet during this period has been the subject of political debate. The Qing called Tibet a ''fanbang'' or ''fanshu'', which has ...
*
History of Tibet While the Tibetan plateau has been inhabited since pre-historic times, most of Tibet's history went unrecorded until the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism around the 6th century. Tibetan texts refer to the kingdom of Zhangzhung (c. 500 BCE – 625 ...


References


Literature

*
Matthew Kapstein Matthew T. Kapstein is a scholar of Tibetan religions, Buddhism, and the cultural effects of the Chinese occupation of Tibet. He is Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and Director of Tibetan ...
, ''The Tibetans''. Oxford 2006. *
Luciano Petech Luciano Petech (8 June 1914, Trieste – 29 September 2010, Rome) was an Italian scholar of Himalayan history and the early relations between Tibet, Nepal and Italy. He was Chair of History of Eastern Asia at the University of Rome from 1955 to 1 ...
, ''China and Tibet in the Early XVIIIth Century. History of the Establishment of Chinese Protecturate in Tibet.'' Leiden 1950. *
Luciano Petech Luciano Petech (8 June 1914, Trieste – 29 September 2010, Rome) was an Italian scholar of Himalayan history and the early relations between Tibet, Nepal and Italy. He was Chair of History of Eastern Asia at the University of Rome from 1955 to 1 ...
, ''Aristocracy and Government in Tibet. 1728-1959''. Roma 1973. * *
Luciano Petech Luciano Petech (8 June 1914, Trieste – 29 September 2010, Rome) was an Italian scholar of Himalayan history and the early relations between Tibet, Nepal and Italy. He was Chair of History of Eastern Asia at the University of Rome from 1955 to 1 ...
, ''The Kingdom of Ladakh.c. 950-1842 A. D.''. Roma 1977. *
Dieter Schuh Dieter Schuh (; born 1942) is a German Tibetologist, entrepreneur and politician. Life Schuh graduated in 1972 from Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn and submitted his habilitation in 1976. He has been a Professor of Tibetan Studies ...
, ''Herrscherurkunden und Privaturkunden aus Westtibet (Ladakh)''. International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, Halle 2008. *
Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa (, January 11, 1907 – February 23, 1989) was a Tibetan nobleman, scholar, statesman and former Finance Minister of the government of Tibet. Biography Tsepon Shakabpa was born in Lhasa Tibet. His father, Laja Ta ...
, ''Tibet: A political history''. New Haven & London 1967. *
Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa (, January 11, 1907 – February 23, 1989) was a Tibetan nobleman, scholar, statesman and former Finance Minister of the government of Tibet. Biography Tsepon Shakabpa was born in Lhasa Tibet. His father, Laja Ta ...
, ''One hundred thousand moons''. Leiden 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Khangchenne 1727 deaths 18th-century Tibetan people Regents in Tibet