Guge (; ) was an ancient dynastic kingdom in Western

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, ...

. The kingdom was centered in present-day Zanda County, Ngari Prefecture,

Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, often shortened to Tibet or Xizang, is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China in Southwest China. It was overlayed on the traditional Tibetan regions ...

. At various points in history after the 10th century AD, the kingdom held sway over a vast area including south-eastern

Zanskar Zanskar, Zahar (locally) or Zangskar, is a tehsil of Kargil district, in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The administrative centre is Padum (former Capital of Zanskar). Zanskar, together with the neighboring region of Ladakh, was brief ...

, Upper

Kinnaur district Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas (Kalpa, Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh) and has six tehsils. The administrative h ...

, and Spiti Valley, either by conquest or as tributaries. The ruins of the former capital of the Guge kingdom are located at Tsaparang in the

Sutlej The Sutlej or Satluj River () is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroads region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. The Sutlej River is also known as ''Satadru''. It is the easternmost tributary of the In ...

valley, not far from

Mount Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; ; sa, कैलास, ), is a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It has an altitude of ...

and westwards from

Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhasa ...

History

Founding

Guge was founded in the 10th century. Its capitals were located at Tholing and Tsaparang.

Kyide Nyimagon Kyide Nyimagon () (), whose original name was Khri-skyid-lding, was a member of the Yarlung dynasty of Tibet and a descendant of emperor Langdarma. He migrated to Western Tibet and founded the kingdom of Ngari Khorsum ("the three divisions ...

, a great-grandson of Langdarma, the last monarch of the

Tibetan Empire The Tibetan Empire (, ; ) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of imperial expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. The empire further expanded under the 3 ...

, fled from the insecure conditions in

Ü-Tsang Ü-Tsang is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the others being Amdo in the north-east, and Kham in the east. Ngari (including former Guge kingdom) in the north-west was incorporated into Ü-Tsang. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered ...

in 910 to arrive in Ngari (West Tibet). He established a kingdom around 912, annexing Purang and Guge. He established his capital in Guge. Nyimagon later divided his lands into three parts. The king's eldest son

Palgyigon Lhachen Palgyigon () () was the founding king of the Kingdom of Maryul, based in modern Ladakh. Palgyigon was a son of Kyide Nyimagon, a descendant of the Old Tibetan dynasty, who unified the Western Tibet (Ngari) during the Tibetan Era of Fragm ...

became ruler of

Maryul Maryul (also called ''Mar-yul'' of ''mNgah-ris''), later the Kingdom of Ladakh, was a west Tibetan kingdom based in modern-day Ladakh and Tibet. The kingdom had its capital at Shey. The kingdom was founded by Lhachen Palgyigon, during the rul ...

(

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 a ...

), his second son Trashigon (''bKra shis mgon'') received Guge-Purang, and the third son Detsukgon received

Second diffusion of Buddhism

Trashigon was succeeded by his son ''Srong nge'' or

Yeshe-Ö Yeshe-Ö ( 959–1040) (spiritual names: Jangchub Yeshe-Ö, Byang Chub Ye shes' Od, Lha Bla Ma, Hla Lama Yeshe O, Lalama Yixiwo, also Dharmaraja ('Noble King') was the first notable lama-king in Tibet. Born as Khor-re, he is better known as Lh ...

(''Ye shes 'Od'') (947–1024 or (959–1036), who was a renowned

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

figure. In his time a Tibetan

lotsawa Lotsawa () is a Tibetan word used as a title to refer to the native Tibetan translators, such as Vairotsana, Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa Lotsawa, Tropu Lotsawa Jampa Pel and others, who worked alongside Indian scholars or panditas to translate Buddhi ...

from Guge called Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055), after having studied in India, returned to his homeland as a monk to promote Buddhism. Together with the zeal of Yeshe-Ö, this marked the beginning of a new diffusion of Buddhist teachings in western Tibet. In 988 Yeshe-Ö took religious vows and left kingship to his younger brother ''Khor re''. According to later historiography, the Turkic Karluks (''Gar log'') took the Guge king ''Yeshe-Ö'' prisoner during a war. The episode has a prominent place in Tibetan history writing. The Karluks offered to set him free if he renounced Buddhism which he refused to do. They then demanded his weight in gold to release him. His junior kinsman ''Byang chub 'Od'' visited him in his prison with a small retinue, but ''Yeshe-Ö'' admonished him not to use the gold at hand for ransom, but rather to invite the renowned

Mahayana ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing br ...

sage

Atiśa ( bn, অতীশ দীপংকর শ্রীজ্ঞান, ôtiś dīpôṅkôr śrigyen; 982–1054) was a Buddhist religious leader and master. He is generally associated with his work carried out at the Vikramashila monastery in Biha ...

(982–1054). ''Yeshe-Ö'' eventually died in prison from age and poor treatment. The story is historically debated since it contains chronological inconsistencies.

Successions

In 1037, ''Khor re'''s eldest grandson '''Od lde'' was killed in a conflict with the Kara-Khanid Khanate from Central Asia, who subsequently ravaged Ngari. His brother ''Byang chub 'Od'' (984–1078), a Buddhist monk, took power as secular ruler. He was responsible for inviting

to Tibet in 1040 and thus ushering in the so-called ''Chidar'' (Phyi-dar) phase of Buddhism in Tibet. ''Byang chub 'Od'''s son ''rTse lde'' was murdered by his nephew in 1088. This event marked the break-up of the Guge-Purang kingdom, since one of his brothers was established as separate king of Purang. The usurping nephew ''dBang lde'' continued the royal dynasty in Guge. A new Kara-Khanid invasion of Guge took place before 1137 and cost the life of the ruler, ''bKra shis rtse''. Later in the same century the kingdom was temporarily divided. In 1240 the

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

khagan, at least nominally, gave authority over the Ngari area to the Drigung Monastery in Ü-Tsang. ''Grags pa lde'' was an important ruler who united the Guge area around 1265 and subjugated the related Ya rtse (Khasa) kingdom. After his death in 1277 Guge was dominated by the Sakya monastic regime. After 1363, with the decline of the Mongol-led

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fif ...

and their Sakya protégés, Guge was again strengthened and took over Purang in 1378. Purang was henceforth contested between Guge and

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, the ...

, but was finally integrated into the former. Guge also briefly ruled over Ladakh in the late 14th century. From 1499 the Guge king had to acknowledge the

Rinpungpa Rinpungpa (; ) was a Tibetan dynastic regime that dominated much of Western Tibet and part of Ü-Tsang between 1435 and 1565. During one period around 1500 the Rinpungpa lords came close to assemble the Tibetan lands around the Yarlung Tsangpo ...

rulers of Tsang. The 15th and 16th centuries were marked by a considerable Buddhist building activity by the kings, who frequently showed their devotion to the

Gelug 240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India).">Bodh_Gaya.html" ;"title="Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya">Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuou ...

leaders later known as the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

Ladakhi invasions

Tsaparang-ruins of ancient capital of Guge Kingdom 03

The first Westerners to reach Guge were

António de Andrade António de Andrade (1580 – March 19, 1634) was a Jesuit priest and explorer from Portugal. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1596. From 1600 until his death in 1634 he was engaged in missionary activity in India. Andrade was the first known ...

, a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

missionary, and his companion brother Manuel Marques, in 1624. De Andrade reported seeing irrigation canals and rich crops in what is now a dry and desolate land. Perhaps as evidence of the kingdom's openness, de Andrade's party was allowed to construct a chapel in Tsaparang and instruct the people about

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

. A letter by De Andrade relates that some military commanders revolted and called the Ladakhis to overthrow the ruler. There had been friction between Guge and Ladakh for many years, and the invitation was heeded in 1630. The Ladakhi forces laid siege to the almost impenetrable Tsaparang. The King's brother, who was chief lama and thus a staunch Buddhist, advised the pro-Christian ruler to surrender against keeping the state as tributary ruler. This treacherous advice was eventually accepted. Tibetan sources suggest that the Guge population was maintained in their old status. The last king Tashi Drakpa De (''Khri bKra shis Grags pa lde''), along with his brother and other kin, was deported to Ladakh, where he lived comfortably until his death. The prince was given a wife from the Ladakhi royal family.

Annexation to Central Tibet

Tsaparang and the Guge kingdom were later conquered in 1679–80 by the Lhasa-based Central Tibetan government under the leadership of the 5th Dalai Lama, driving out the Ladakhis.

Historiography

Western archeologists heard about Guge again in the 1930s through the work of Italian Giuseppe Tucci. Tucci's work was mainly about the

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plast ...

es of Guge. Lama Anagarika Govinda and Li Gotami Govinda visited the kingdom of Guge, including Tholing, and Tsaparang, in 1947–1949. Their tours of Central and Western Tibet are recorded in black-and-white photos.

Rulers

A list of rulers of Guge and the related Ya rtse kingdom has been established by the Tibetologists Luciano Petech and Roberto Vitali; R. Vitali (1996), ''The kingdoms of Gu.ge Pu.hrang''. Dharamsala: Tho.ling gtsug.lag.khang. A. Royal ancestors of the Yarlung dynasty. * 'Od srungs (in Central Tibet 842–905) son of Glang Darma * dPal 'Khor btsan (in Central Tibet 905–910) son *

(in Ngari Korsum, c. 912–?) son *

(received Ladakh, 10th century) son * Detsukgon (received Zanskar, 10th century) brother B. Kings of Guge and Purang. * Trashigon (received Guge and Purang, fl. 947) brother *

(?–988 or 959–1036) son * Nagaraja (religious leader, d. 1023) son *

Devaraja "Devarāja" was the religious order of the "god-king," or deified monarch in medieval Southeast Asia. The devarāja order grew out of both Hinduism and separate local traditions depending on the area. It taught that the king was a divine u ...

(religious leader, d. 1026) brother * Khor re (988–996) uncle * Lha lde (996–1024) son * 'Od lde btsan (1024–1037) son * Byang chub 'Od (1037–1057) brother * Zhi ba 'Od (religious leader, d. 1111) brother * Che chen tsha rTse lde (1057–1088) son of Byang chub 'od C. Kings of Ya rtse. * Naga lde (early 12th century) * bTsan phyug lde (mid-12th century) * bKra shis lde (12th century) * Grags btsan lde (12th century) brother of bTsan phyug lde) * Grags pa lde (Kradhicalla) (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1225) * A sog lde (Ashokacalla) (fl. 1255–1278) son * 'Ji dar sMal (Jitarimalla) (fl. 1287–1293) son * A nan sMal (Anandamalla) (late 13th century) brother * Ri'u sMal (Ripumalla) (fl. 1312–1214) son * San gha sMal (Sangramamalla) (early 14th century) son * Ajitamalla (1321–1328) son of Jitarimalla * Kalyanamalla (14th century) * Pratapamalla (14th century) * Pu ni sMal (Punyamalla) (fl. 1336–1339) of Purang royalty * sPri ti sMal (Prthivimalla) (fl. 1354–1358) son D. Kings of Guge. Ngari Tsaparang 01

* Bar lde (dBang lde) (1088 – c. 1095) nephew of Che chen tsha rTse lde * bSod nams rtse (c. 1095 – early 12th century) son * bKra shis rtse (before 1137) son * Jo bo rGyal po (regent, mid-12th century) brother * rTse 'bar btsan (12th century) son of bKra shis rtse * sPyi lde btsan (12th century) son * rNam lde btsan (12th/13th century) son * Nyi ma lde (12th/13th century) son * dGe 'bum (13th century) probably an outsider * La ga (died c. 1260) of foreign origin * Chos rgyal Grags pa (c. 1260–1265) * Grags pa lde (c. 1265–1277) prince from Lho stod * ''unknown rulers'' * rNam rgyal lde (c. 1396 – 1424) son of a Guge ruler * Nam mkha'i dBang po Phun tshogs lde (1424–1449) son * rNam ri Sang rgyas lde (1449–?) son * bLo bzang Rab brtan (died c. 1485) son * sTod tsha 'Phags pa lha (c. 1485 – after 1499) son * Shakya 'od (early 16th century) son * Jig rten dBang phyug Pad kar lde (fl. 1537–1555) son? * Ngag gi dBang phyug (16th century) son * Nam mkha dBang phyug (16th century) son * Khri Nyi ma dBang phyug (late 16th century) son * Khri Grags pa'i dBang phyug (c. 1600) son * Khri Nam rgyal Grags pa lde (fl. 1618) son * Tashi Drakpa De (before 1622–1630) son * ''Kingdom conquered by Ladakh (1630)'' * ''Kingdom later conquered by Tibet under the Fifth Dalai Lama (1679–1680)''

References

Specific references: General references: * Allen, Charles. (1999) ''The Search for Shangri-La: A Journey into Tibetan History''. Little, Brown and Company. Reprint: 2000 Abacus Books, London. .

External links

"Submerged in the Cosmos" by David Shulman, The New York Review of Books, February 24, 2017, retrieved March 2, 2017.
"Unravelling the mysteries of Guge"
by Xiong Lei, China Daily, May 8, 2003, retrieved November 24, 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Guge Former countries in Chinese history History of Tibet Archaeological sites in Himachal Pradesh Archaeological sites in Tibet Ngari Prefecture History of Himachal Pradesh Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Tibet Former kingdoms