Güshi Khan (1582 – 14 January 1655) was a
Khoshut
The Khoshut (Mongolian language, Mongolian: Хошууд,, qoşūd, ; literally "bannermen," from Middle Mongol language, Middle Mongolian ''qosighu'' "flag, banner") are one of the four major tribes of the Oirats, Oirat people. They established ...
prince and founder of the
Khoshut Khanate
The Khoshut Khanate was a Mongols, Mongol Oirats, Oirat khanate based in the Tibetan Plateau from 1642 to 1717. Based in modern Qinghai, it was founded by Güshi Khan in 1642 after defeating the opponents of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism in ...
, who supplanted the
Tumed descendants of
Altan Khan as the main benefactor of the
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
and the
Gelug
file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India)
The Gelug (, also Geluk; 'virtuous' ...
school of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
. In 1637, Güshi Khan defeated a rival
Mongol
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
prince
Choghtu Khong Tayiji, a
Kagyu
The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. ...
follower, near
Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake is the list of lakes by area, largest lakes of China, lake in China. Located in an endorheic basin in Qinghai Province, to which it gave its name, Qinghai Lake is classified as an alkaline lake, alkaline saline lake, salt lake. The ...
and established his khanate in
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
over the next years. His military assistance to the Gelug school enabled the
5th Dalai Lama
The 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was recognized as the 5th Dalai Lama, and he became the first Dalai Lama to hold both Tibet's political and spiritual leadership roles.
He is often referred to simply as the Great Fif ...
to establish political control over
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
.
Name
It is also spelt Gushri Khan and Gushihan. In other languages it is:
* Chinese: 固始汗
*
*
Early years
Güshi Khan was born Torobaikhu, the third son of Akhai
Khatun
Khatun ( ) is a title of the female counterpart to a Khan (title), khan or a khagan of the Göktürks, Turkic Khaganates and in the subsequent Mongol Empire.
Etymology and history
Before the advent of Islam in Central Asia, Khatun was the title of ...
and Khanai
Noyan Khonggor, chief of the Khoshuts. He was descended from a younger brother of
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...
,
Qasar
Khasar (; , ), was one of the three full brothers of the legendary Genghis Khan. According to the '' Jami' al-Tawarikh'', his given name was ''Jochi'' and he got the nickname ''Khasar'' after his distinguished bravery. He was also called Khabht ...
. At the age of 12, Torobaikhu had already won renown in battle against the
Turkistanis. In 1625 a conflict erupted between the Khoshot chief Chöükür and his uterine brother Baibaghas over inheritance issues. Baibaghas was killed in the fight. However, his younger brothers Güshi and Köndölön Ubashi took up the fight and pursued Chöükür from the
Ishim River to the
Tobol River, attacking and killing his tribal followers in 1630. The infighting among the Oirats inspired one sub-group, the
Torgut Oirat, to migrate westwards and eventually settle by the
Volga River
The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...
. Now Güshi succeeded to the position of Baibaghas as chief of the Khoshut.
Intervention on behalf of the Dalai Lama
In 1615, when the Oirats were still under the suzerainty of the
Khalkha leader
Ubasi Khong Tayiji, the elite had largely converted to Tibetan Buddhism. However, the period saw a rise in internal religious rivalries within Tibet, in particular between the
Gelug
file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India)
The Gelug (, also Geluk; 'virtuous' ...
and
Karma Kagyu
Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, M ...
schools. The main Gelug religious figure church was the
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
while the Karma Kagyu was supported by the dynasty of the
Tsangpa based in Samdrubtse (modern
Shigatse
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê () or Rikaze ( zh, s=日喀则, p=Rìkāzé), is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its area of jurisdiction, with an area of , corresponds to the histo ...
). They, in turn, found support from groups of Khalkhas and
Chahars.
Sonam Rapten was the chief attendant during the youth of the
5th Dalai Lama
The 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was recognized as the 5th Dalai Lama, and he became the first Dalai Lama to hold both Tibet's political and spiritual leadership roles.
He is often referred to simply as the Great Fif ...
(1617–1682). He drew up plans to end the persecution of the Gelug and unify Tibet with the help of Güshi. The Gelug monasteries appealed for help against the
Karmapa
The Karmapa Tulku lineage of the Gyalwa Karmapa is the oldest among the major incarnating lineages of Tibetan Buddhism,The Karmapa, "The Karmapas Lineage", Kagyu Office established in 1110 CE by the 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa.
Karmapa means " ...
and
Bon
Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...
partisans such as the Khalkha prince
Choghtu Khong Tayiji, who had recently settled in
Amdo. This was a very bold move since the Mongols had a reputation for ruthlessness against military foes and civilians alike. Güshi was known for his devotion to the Gelugpa and responded positively. He was joined in a pro-Gelugpa league by the other Oirat princes: his nephews Uchirtu Sechen and Ablai Tayiji in the
Zaysan and
Ertis areas; furthermore
Erdeni Batur, whose
Dzungar and
Dörbet Oirat subjects lived by the
Ulungur,
Irtysh
The Irtysh is a river in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. It is the chief tributary of the Ob (river), Ob and is also the longest tributary in the world.
The river's source lies in the Altai Mountains, Mongolian Altai in Dzungaria (the northern p ...
and
Emil Rivers, and even the
Torghut chief
Kho Orluk, who was in the process of subduing areas to the north of the
Aral and
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...
s. As it turned out, it would nevertheless take several years to install the "Great Fifth" as the head of a unified Tibetan state.
In the company of the Dzungar prince Erdeni Batur, Güshi marched into
Qinghai
Qinghai is an inland Provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. It is the largest provinces of China, province of China (excluding autonomous regions) by area and has the third smallest population. Its capital and largest city is Xin ...
with 10,000 Oirat troops in 1636. In the next year, he confronted the Khalkha forces of Choghtu Khung Tayiji, which were 30,000 strong and were opposed to the Gelugpa sect. The contest took place in the Kokonor Gorge and is known as the Battle of the Bloody Hill. The Choghtu troops were defeated and scattered, and the survivors had to surrender. Choghtu himself hid in a marmot hole but was found and killed on the spot. In that way the Khalkhas were suppressed in Tibet a short time after they were subjugated in
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
by the invading
Manchu people
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
.
Güshi proceeded to
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang (དབུས་གཙང་། Wylie; dbus gtsang) is one of the three Tibetan regions, the others being Amdo to the northeast and Kham to the east. Geographically Ü-Tsang covers the Yarlung Tsanpo drainage basin, the western dist ...
in 1638 as a pilgrim. There he received religious instructions from the 5th Dalai Lama. During a ceremony in
Lhasa
Lhasa, officially the Chengguan District of Lhasa City, is the inner urban district of Lhasa (city), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Southwestern China.
Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ...
, he was placed on a throne and proclaimed "Holder of the Doctrine
Chogyal
The Chogyal ("Dharma Kings", ) were the monarchs of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, which belonged to the Namgyal dynasty, . The Chogyal was the absolute monarch of Sikkim from 1642 to 1973, and the constitutional monarch from 1973 to 1975, wh ...
" (, ). By this time he was also known by the title of
khagan
Khagan or Qaghan (Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of empire, im ...
, adopted in defiance of the
Borjigid (the
direct descendants of Genghis Khan).
Güshi invited the Dalai Lama to visit his territories, but the Great Fifth was unable to do so due to the unstable circumstances in Ü-Tsang. He did, however, send a permanent representative to the Khoshut to maintain good relations. Güshi Khan returned to his newly conquered realm in Qinghai, where the Khoshuts resolved to settle down.
Invasion in Kham
New trouble soon followed. The king of Beri in
Kham
Kham (; ) is one of the three traditional Tibet, Tibetan regions, the others being Domey also known as Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The official name of this Tibetan region/province is Dotoe (). The original residents of ...
, Donyo Dorje, was a practitioner of the
Bön religion and enemy of the Gelugpa. He allied with the Tsangpa ruler
Karma Tenkyong and sent a message, suggesting that the troops of Kham and
Tsang would attack the Gelugpa stronghold in
Ü in concert. The aim was to eradicate the Gelugpa and allow freedom of worship for the other sects. The message was intercepted and forwarded to Güshi Khan, who used it as a pretext for a new invasion. The Dalai Lama is said to have been opposed to creating more bloodshed, but Sonam Rapten went behind his back and encouraged Güshi to destroy the Beri ruler. The campaign was prepared in 1639, assisted by some Tibetans. In June of that year, Güshi moved against Beri and subjugated most of Donyo Dorje's subjects. On 6 January 1641, according to the chronicles of the 5th Dalai Lama, "the ruler of Beri and others fled to a well-defended frontier, but as by the sharp iron of a person's virtue, the phenomenon of magnet and iron-filings takes place, so they were all captured and placed in a large prison-yard. All the root causes of unhappiness were removed from their places. The lamas and rulers of the
Sakyapa,
Gelugpa,
Karmapa
The Karmapa Tulku lineage of the Gyalwa Karmapa is the oldest among the major incarnating lineages of Tibetan Buddhism,The Karmapa, "The Karmapas Lineage", Kagyu Office established in 1110 CE by the 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa.
Karmapa means " ...
,
Drukpa and
Taklungpa were brought out of the prison dungeons where they had been placed and sent back to their own. The people up to the king of Jang paid taxes in money and earnestly sought to bow to him respectfully." The Beri ruler was executed and all the Dalai Lama's enemies in
Kham
Kham (; ) is one of the three traditional Tibet, Tibetan regions, the others being Domey also known as Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The official name of this Tibetan region/province is Dotoe (). The original residents of ...
were crushed.
Conquest of Central Tibet

Having subdued Kham entirely by 1641, Güshi proceeded to invade the domain of Karma Tenkyong in Tsang. His reputation as an invincible warrior rendered resistance weak. Meanwhile, Sonam Rapten was busy taking over districts in Ü which paid allegiance to the Tsangpa. The Khoshut troops besieged
Shigatse
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê () or Rikaze ( zh, s=日喀则, p=Rìkāzé), is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its area of jurisdiction, with an area of , corresponds to the histo ...
, the stronghold of Karma Tenkyong. An eyewitness described the horrors of the siege: "
he placehad turned into a big cremation ground covered with heaps of corpses deprived of their lives as one had given a flock of sheep to a pack of wolves". All attempts of mediation failed, and the monastic settlement and the suburbs fell on the 8th day of the 1st month of the Water-Horse year 1642. This was followed by the surrender of the castle on the 25th day of the 2nd month (25 March).
Karma Tenkyong's life was spared for the moment and he was imprisoned in Neu, south-east of Lhasa. As for Güshi Khan, according to the 5th Dalai Lama's chronicles, "When the crystal lord
he moonof the month of
Chaitra was full
4 April 1642 from that day of the first season of the year according to the
Kalachakra
''Kālacakra'' () is a Polysemy, polysemic term in Vajrayana, Vajrayana Buddhism and Hinduism that means "wheel of time" or "time cycles". "''Kālacakra''" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practice lineage in History of ...
, he became king of the three parts of Tibet and set up the white umbrella of his laws on the peak of the world". On the 5th day of the 4th month in 1642, the Dalai Lama was led in state to the palace of Shigatse and seated on the throne of the deposed king. With this act, he replaced the rival dominant school of the
Karmapa
The Karmapa Tulku lineage of the Gyalwa Karmapa is the oldest among the major incarnating lineages of Tibetan Buddhism,The Karmapa, "The Karmapas Lineage", Kagyu Office established in 1110 CE by the 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa.
Karmapa means " ...
s. Güshi Khan then declared that he bestowed the supreme authority of Tibet on Dalai Lama, from
Tachienlu in the east to the
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...
border in the west. The
5th Dalai Lama
The 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was recognized as the 5th Dalai Lama, and he became the first Dalai Lama to hold both Tibet's political and spiritual leadership roles.
He is often referred to simply as the Great Fif ...
in his turn confirmed the position of Güshi Khan as the
Dharma king (or
chogyal
The Chogyal ("Dharma Kings", ) were the monarchs of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, which belonged to the Namgyal dynasty, . The Chogyal was the absolute monarch of Sikkim from 1642 to 1973, and the constitutional monarch from 1973 to 1975, wh ...
) of Tibet.
The upheavals of the Mongol conquest led to famine and hardship. There was moreover still opposition against the Güshi Khan-Dalai Lama ruling constellation. The Karmapa hierarch
Chöying Dorje was requested by the Dalai Lama to sign a formal agreement that he would not cause any further trouble. The Karmapa refused, arguing that he had not fomented trouble in the past. Mongol and Tibetan soldiers then surrounded his large movable encampment (''gar''). Chöying Dorje managed to sneak out at the last minute, but the troops broke in, ravaged the camp and killed anyone who resisted. The Karmapa hierarch fled to the mountains in the south. The surviving supporters of the Tsangpa and Karma Kagyü took up resistance in the
Kongpo region in the southeast. The incensed Güshi Khan gave orders to execute his royal prisoner Karma Tenkyong, while his army ravaged Kongpo and killed 7,000 rebels. The remainder gave up. Many Karma Kagyü monasteries in the country were forcibly converted to Gelugpa, while
Nyingma
Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
monks who had performed Mongol-repelling
exorcism
Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...
were imprisoned.
After unification
The new political system renewed the old concept of ''chö-yön'' (
patron and priest relationship) which had roots back to the relation between the
Sakya lamas and the Mongol great khans during the
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
. While the Dalai Lama was the highest figure in spiritual authority, the Khoshut ruler maintained control over the armed forces; however, he did not significantly interfere in the affairs of Central Tibet. He tended to spend the summers in the pastureland of
Dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
by the
Tengri-nor Lake, some 80 miles to the north of Lhasa which he visited in wintertime. The bulk of the semi-nomadic Khoshots stayed with their herds around the
Tsongön Lake (Qinghai Lake). Sonam Rapten acted as regent (''desi'') and was formally appointed by the Khoshut king. Shortly after unification, a conflict broke out with
Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
, recently unified under the Tibetan lama
Ngawang Namgyal. Güshi Khan and the regent sent several hundred Mongol and Tibetan troops into Bhutan in 1644. However, the Mongol warriors were unused to the climate and the expedition suffered a major defeat. This broke some of the Mongol reputation for invincibility. A peace was concluded in 1646 but was soon violated. Fresh fighting in the following year led to another defeat for the Dalai Lama state.
Gushi Khan died in January 1655, leaving ten sons:
*
Dayan Khan
* Bonpo Sechen Daiching
* Dalantai
* Bayan Abugai
* Elduchi
* Dorje Dalai Batur
* Hurimashi
* Sanggaerzha Yiledeng
* Gunbu Chahun
* Tashi Batur
Furthermore, Güshi's daughter Amin Dara married
Erdeni Batur, the founder of the
Dzungar Khanate
The Dzungar Khanate ( Mongolian: ), also known as the Zunghar Khanate or Junggar Khanate, was an Inner Asian khanate of Oirat Mongol origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to present-day Kyrgyz ...
. Güshi's eldest son
Dayan succeeded him in his dignity as Dharma king of Tibet and protector of the faith. However, eight sons with their tribal followers, led by Dorje Dalai Batur, settled in the strategically important
Tsongön Lake region in
Amdo after 1648. They were known as the Eight Khoshuts and quarreled constantly over territory. The 5th Dalai Lama sent several governors in 1656 and 1659. The Mongols were gradually Tibetanised and played an important role in extending the Gelug school's influence in Amdo.
[Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 2. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December 2007 from]
The system with a Khoshut protector ruler over Tibet lasted for four generations, up to 1717.
See also
*
History of Tibet
While the Tibetan plateau has been inhabited since pre-historic times, most of Tibet's history went unrecorded until the creation of Tibetan script in the 7th century. Tibetan texts refer to the kingdom of Zhangzhung (c. 500 BCE – 625 CE) as th ...
*
Mongol conquest of Tibet
*
Patron and priest relationship
References
External links
Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth". Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December 2007.
Further references
*
* Matthew Kapstein, ''The Tibetans''. Oxford: Blackwell 2006.
*
Tsepon W. D. Shakabpa, ''One hundred thousand moons'', Vols. I-II. Leiden: Brill 2010.
* Wang Furen and Suo Wenqing, ''Highlights of Tibetan history''. Beijing: New World Press 1984.
* Ya Hanzhang,
Biographies of the Tibetan Spiritual Leaders Panchen Erdenis'. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press 1994.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Gushi
Oirats
1582 births
1655 deaths
16th-century Mongol khans
17th-century Mongol khans
Khoshut Khanate
Founding monarchs in Asia