Origins & Early Life

Songtsen Gampo (Tibetan: སྲོང་བཙན་སྒམ་པོ, Wylie: srong btsan sgam po) was the 33rd King (Tsenpo) of Tibet from 618 or 629 until his death in 650, and the founder of the Tibetan Empire. The first of the "Three Dharma Kings of Tibet", he formally introduced Buddhism to Tibet and built the Jokhang, under the influence of his queen Bhrikuti, from the Licchavi kingdom of Nepal. He unified the Tibetan Plateau, conquered lands adjacent to Tibet, and moved the capital to the Potala Palace in Lhasa. His queen mother is identified as Driza Thökar (Tibetan: འབྲི་བཟའ་ཐོད་དཀར་, Wylie: 'bri bza' thod dkar).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The exact date of his birth and his enthronement are not certain, and in Tibetan history it is generally accepted that he was born in an Ox year of the Tibetan calendar. According to Tsepon W. D. Shakabpa, he ascended the throne at age thirteen, in 614, and reigned at least until 648. As Tibetan kings usually ascended to the throne around age 13, several earlier dates are also suggested for the birth of Songtsen Gampo include 569, 593 or 605.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

According to traditional beliefs, his legendary minister Thonmi Sambhota was credited for creating the Tibetan script and Classical Tibetan, the first literary...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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