Darma Udumtsen (), better known by his nickname Langdarma (, "Mature Bull" or "Dharma the Bull") was most likely the last Tibetan Emperor who most likely reigned from 838 to 841 CE. Early sources call him Tri Darma "King Dharma". His domain extended beyond Tibet to include

Dunhuang Dunhuang () is a county-level city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Dunhuang was a major s ...

and neighbouring Chinese regions.Samten Karmay ''in'' , pg. 57 By tradition Langdarma is held to have been anti-Buddhist and a follower of Bon. He is attributed with the assassination of his brother, King

Ralpacan Tritsuk Detsen (), better known by his nickname Ralpachen () (c. 806 CE–838), according to traditional sources, was the 41st king of the Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet. He reigned after the death of his father, Sadnalegs, in c. 815, and grew the em ...

, in 838 AD and he is generally held to have persecuted Buddhists. According to traditional accounts, during the first two years of his rule, Langdarma remained a Buddhist, but under the influence of Wégyel Toré (), he became a follower of Bon. Following his persecution of Buddhism

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 ...

was called from Sumatra to restore Buddhism to Tibet. The anti-Buddhist portrayal of this king has been questioned by several historians, most prominently Zuiho Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi, Zuiho. “The Fiction of King Dar ma's Persecution of Buddhism.” ''in'' Langdarma's reign was plagued by external troubles. The

Uyghur Khaganate The Uyghur Khaganate (also Uyghur Empire or Uighur Khaganate, self defined as Toquz-Oghuz country; otk, 𐱃𐰆𐰴𐰕:𐰆𐰍𐰕:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Toquz Oγuz budun, Tang-era names, with modern Hanyu Pinyin: or ) was a Turkic empire that e ...

to the north collapsed due to a revolt by the

Yenisei Kirghiz The Yenisei Kyrgyz ( otk, 𐰶𐰃𐰺𐰴𐰕:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Qyrqyz bodun), were an ancient Turkic people who dwelled along the upper Yenisei River in the southern portion of the Minusinsk Depression from the 3rd century BCE to the 13t ...

in year 840 and many displaced people fled to Tibet. According to one source, he only reigned for a year and a half, while others give six or thirteen years., pp. 70-71 According to traditional accounts, a Buddhist hermit or

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

named Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje assassinated Langdarma in 842 or 846., pp. 168-169 His death was followed by civil war and the dissolution of the Tibetan empire, leading to the

Era of Fragmentation The Era of Fragmentation (; ) was an era of disunity in Tibetan history lasting from the death of the Tibetan Empire's last emperor, Langdarma, in 842 until Drogön Chögyal Phagpa became the Imperial Preceptor of the three provinces of Tibe ...

. Langdarma is said to have had two sons: Tride Yumten, by his first wife and Namde Ösung by his second wife. They apparently competed for power, the former ruling over the central kingdom of Ü, and the other ruling over the "left wing", probably the eastern territories. One of Langdarma's grandsons, Kyidé Nyima Gön (), conquered Ngari in the late 10th century, although his army originally numbered only 300 men. Kyidé Nyima Gön founded several towns and castles and he apparently ordered the construction of the main sculptures at

Shey Shey is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Leh tehsil, 15 km from Leh towards Hemis. Shey was founded as the capital of Ladakh (then called Maryul), by the king Lhachen Palgyigon in the 10th century. It w ...

. "In an inscription he says he had them made for the religious benefit of the ''Tsanpo'' (the dynastic title of his father and ancestors), and of all the people of ''Ngaris'' (Western Tibet). This shows that already in this generation Langdarma's opposition to Buddhism had disappeared.", pp. 89-90. Shey, just 15 km east of modern

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former ...

, was the ancient seat of the

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 ...

i kings. In Tibetan Buddhist culture, Darma Udumtsen was said to be the incarnation of Gośīrṣa, the bull-head guardian of hell, thus he got the nickname, Langdarma, literally, "Darma, the bull".

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External links

*http://www.haiweitrails.com/timeline_tibet.htm (accessed: Sunday January 14, 2007) {{Authority control Tibetan emperors 9th-century rulers in Asia Anti-Buddhism 9th century in religion 9th-century Tibetan people 9th-century births 840s deaths Date of birth unknown Date of death unknown