Samding Dorje Phagmo
161-549: Samding Dorje Phagmo The Jokhang ( Tibetan : ཇོ་ཁང། , Chinese : 大昭寺 ), or the Ra sa 'phrul snang gtsug lag khang , or Qoikang Monastery , or Zuglagkang ( Tibetan : གཙུག་ལག་ཁང༌། , Wylie : gtsug-lag-khang , ZYPY : Zuglagkang or Tsuklakang), is considered the "heart of Lhasa ". The Jokhang consists of a Tibetan Buddhist temple , its temple complex, and a Gelug school monastery. Located in Barkhor Square , it
322-428: A nirmāṇakāya emanation of Vajravārāhī . The lineage started in the fifteenth century with the princess of Gungthang, Chökyi Drönma ( Wylie : chos kyi sgron me , 1422–1455). She became known as Samding Dorje Pagmo ( Wylie : bsam lding rdo rje phag mo ) and began a line of female tulkus, reincarnate lamas . She was a contemporary of the 1st Dalai Lama (1391–1474) and her teacher Bodong Panchen Chogley Namgyal also
483-446: A Tang princess. Emperor Taizong agreed this time. Also in 638, believing that Xueyantuo was growing increasingly strong and difficult to control, Emperor Taizong granted Yinan's sons Bazhuo and Jialibi ( 頡利苾 ) both lesser khan titles, to try to create dissensions between them. In summer 639, Ashina Jiesheshuai ( 阿史那結社率 ), the younger brother of Ashina Shibobi, whom Emperor Taizong did not favor and gave little recognition to, formed
644-591: A central axis, and the Buddha's warrior guard is in the middle of the halls on the left side. In addition to the main hall and its adjoining halls, on both sides of the Buddha Hall are dozens of 20-square-metre (220 sq ft) chapels. The Prince of Dharma chapel is on the third floor, including sculptures of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Bhrikuti, Gar Tongtsan (the Tabo minister) and Thonmi Sambhota,
805-638: A century, has been called "the Dark Age of Tibet". Pilgrimages outside the country were forbidden for Tibetans, and the Qianlong Emperor suggested that it would be equally effective to worship the Jowo Buddha at the Jokhang. In Chinese development of Lhasa, Barkhor Square was encroached when the walkway around the temple was destroyed. An inner walkway was converted into a plaza , leaving only
966-665: A classical Tibetan threefold model: as a royal princess she was called Queen of the Jewel (Konchog Gyalmo), her 'outer' name; when she took her vows she became known as Lamp of the Doctrine (Chokyi Dronma), her 'inner' name; as a divine incarnation she was called Thunderbolt Female Pig (Dorje Phagmo), her 'secret' name. The Wylie transliteration of her name is given by Diemberger as Chos kyi sgron me . The princess's three main names seem to refer to three distinct modes of manifesting herself in different contexts: Konchog Gyalmo (Queen of
1127-525: A co-founder of the dynasty for his role in encouraging his father Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu) to rebel against the Sui dynasty at Jinyang in 617. Taizong subsequently played a pivotal role in defeating several of the dynasty's most dangerous opponents and solidifying its rule over China proper . Taizong is considered to be one of the greatest emperors in China's history, and henceforth his reign became regarded as
1288-686: A conciliatory gift of a gold-studded "suit of armour" with another request for marriage. Taizong conceded, giving Princess Wencheng to the Tibetan king. When Wencheng went to Tibet in 640 as the Chinese wife of the king (known as Gyasa in Tibet), she brought an image of Sakyamuni Buddha , as a young prince. The image was deified in Ramoche temple in Lhasa. It was later moved to the Jokhang. The temple remains
1449-484: A conspiracy with Ashina Shibobi's son Ashina Hexiangu ( 阿史那賀暹鶻 ) to assassinate Emperor Taizong. They had planned to wait for Li Zhi the Prince of Jin to depart from the palace in the morning and use that opportunity to attack the palace. On the day they planned, however, Li Zhi did not leave the palace, and Ashina Jiesheshuai attacked anyway but was quickly defeated, captured, and executed. After this incident, however,
1610-431: A coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji , Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing Tang dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu. He created Li Jiancheng crown prince but created Li Shimin the Prince of Qin, also making him Shangshu Ling ( 尚書令 ), the head of the executive bureau of the government ( 尚書省 ; Shàngshū Shěng ) and a post considered one for a chancellor , while continuing to have Li Shimin serve as
1771-554: A daughter of a clansman as the Princess Wencheng , and in 641 sent Li Daozong to accompany Princess Wencheng to Tibet to preside over the wedding. In winter 641, believing that Emperor Taizong was about to carry out sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai and would be unable to aid the Eastern Turks , Yinan launched a major attack on them, commanded by his son Dadu ( 大度 ). Li Simo was forced to retreat inside
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#17327653904511932-541: A falling out, Ashina Shibobi submitted to Emperor Taizong, as did the chieftains of Khitan tribes, who had previously submitted to the Eastern Turks . With their khaganate in turmoil, Ashina Duobi was no longer able to protect the last late-Sui rebel ruler who alone remained standing against Tang pressure— Liang Shidu the Emperor of Liang, and in summer 628, with the Tang generals Chai Shao and Xue Wanjun ( 薛萬均 ) sieging
2093-472: A general call was made for men to join the army to help rescue the emperor. Li Shimin answered that call and served under the general Yun Dingxing ( 雲定興 ), apparently doing so with distinction. In 616, when Li Yuan was put in charge of the important city of Taiyuan , he brought Li Shimin with him to Taiyuan, while leaving at least three other sons – Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and Li Zhiyun ( 李智雲 , by Li Yuan's concubine Lady Wan) – at
2254-537: A large Sui army, he captured Chang'an from imperial forces and declared Yang You emperor (as Emperor Gong). He had himself made regent (with the title of grand chancellor) and created the Prince of Tang. (Meanwhile, most of the Sui territories and armies did not recognize Emperor Gong as emperor and continued to recognize Emperor Yang as emperor and not as retired emperor.) He made Li Shimin the Duke of Qin. Li Yuan's control of
2415-529: A major attack with forces of 200,000 on Tuyuhun and then on several Tang prefectures, putting Song Prefecture ( 松州 , roughly modern Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture , Sichuan) under siege. Emperor Taizong commissioned Hou Junji , assisted by Zhishi Sili ( 執失思力 ), Niu Jinda ( 牛進達 ), and Liu Jian ( 劉簡 ), of a total of force of 50,000 to counterattack, and Niu, who commanded the forward forces, defeated Tibetan forces at Song Prefecture. Songsän Gampo withdrew and sued for peace, but still sought to marry
2576-405: A major defeat. Yuchi and Xun surrendered, and after Li Shimin chased further, both Liu and Song fled to the Eastern Turks . All of Dingyang territory fell into Tang hands. In summer 620, Emperor Gaozu again commissioned Li Shimin against a major enemy—the former Sui general Wang Shichong , who had Sui's last emperor, Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong , yield the throne to him in 619, establishing
2737-730: A major general as well. The first thing that Li Shimin had to deal with was another incursion by Xue Ju, as Xue attacked Jing Prefecture ( 涇州 , roughly modern Pingliang , Gansu) and Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin to resist Xue. Li Shimin established his defenses and refused to engage Xue to try to wear Xue Ju out, but at that time, he was afflicted with malaria, and he let his assistants Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan ( 殷開山 ) take command, ordering them not to engage Xue Ju. Liu and Yin, however, did not take Xue Ju seriously, and Xue Ju ambushed them at Qianshui Plain ( 淺水原 , in modern Xianyang), crushing Tang forces and inflicting 50–60% casualties. Li Shimin
2898-470: A major incursion toward Chang'an, and just 19 days after Emperor Taizong took the throne, the two khans were just across the Wei River from Chang'an. Emperor Taizong, accompanied by Gao Shilian and Fang Xuanling , was forced to meet Ashina Duobi across the river and personally negotiate peace terms, including tributes to Eastern Turks , before Ashina Duobi withdrew. Late in 626, Emperor Taizong ranked
3059-494: A major threat in the future. Emperor Gaozu agreed and allowed Li Shimin to continue to siege Luoyang. When Xia forward troops arrived first, Li Shimin surprised and defeated them, and then sent Dou a letter suggesting that he withdraw. Dou would not do so, and, against the advice of his wife Empress Cao and secretary general Ling Jing ( 凌敬 ) that he should instead attack Tang's prefectures in modern southern Shanxi, he marched toward Luoyang. Anticipating Dou's maneuver, Li Shimin left
3220-459: A negative example), as well as by employing capable chancellors such as Fang Xuanling , Du Ruhui , and Wei Zheng . Emperor Taizong's wife Empress Zhangsun also proved to be a capable assistant. Li Shimin was born in 598 at Wugong , in modern Xianyang , Shaanxi. His father Li Yuan , the Duke of Tang , was a general of the Sui dynasty , and a nephew, by marriage, to Sui's founding emperor Emperor Wen . Li Shimin's grandmother Duchess Dugu
3381-413: A new khan to govern them. In 631, Emperor Taizong established a feudal scheme, where the contributors to his reign were given, in addition to their current posts, additional posts as prefectural governors, to be passed on to their descendants. Soon, however, receiving much opposition to the plan, the strongest of which came from Zhangsun Wuji , Emperor Taizong cancelled the scheme. After the conquest of
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#17327653904513542-460: A new state of Zheng as its emperor. When Li Shimin arrived at the Zheng capital Luoyang, Wang offered peace, but Li Shimin rebuffed him and put Luoyang under siege. Meanwhile, his subordinates took Zheng cities one by one. By winter 620, most of Zheng territory, other than Luoyang and Xiangyang , defended by Wang Shichong's nephew Wang Honglie ( 王弘烈 ), had submitted to Tang. Wang sought aid Dou Jiande
3703-641: A number of literary men. The former Xia territory did not remain in Tang hands for long. In the winter of 621, the Xia general Liu Heita rose against Tang rule, claiming to be avenging Dou, whom Emperor Gaozu had executed against Li Shimin's wishes after he had been brought back to Chang'an. Liu was allied with Xu Yuanlang , a former agrarian rebel general who was nominally under Wang Shichong and who had submitted to Tang after Wang's defeat. Liu dealt successive defeats to Emperor Gaozu's cousin Li Shentong ( 李神通 ),
3864-595: A palace and an inscription dated 821 or 822. The tablet has a number of names; "Number One Tablet in Asia", "Lhasa Alliance Tablet", "Changing Alliance Tablet", "Uncle and Nephew Alliance Tablet" and the "Tang Dynasty-Tubo Peace Alliance Tablet". Its inscription, in Tibetan and Chinese, is a treaty between the Tibetan king Ralpacan and the Chinese emperor Muzong delineating the boundary between their countries. Both inscriptions were enclosed by brick walls when Barkhor Square
4025-538: A plan to build twelve temples across the country. The temples were built in three stages. In the first stage central Tibet was covered with four temples, known as the "four horns" (ru bzhi) . Four more temples, (mtha'dul) , were built in the outer areas in the second stage; the last four, the yang'dul , were built on the country's frontiers. The Jokhang temple was finally built in the heart of Tibet. To forge ties with neighboring Nepal, Songtsen Gampo sent envoys to King Amsuvarman seeking his daughter's hand in marriage and
4186-625: A prophecy that the next emperor would be named Li—Emperor Yang had previously killed another official, Li Hun ( 李渾 ), and Li Hun's clan over his fear that Li Hun's nephew, Li Min ( 李敏 ), would seize the throne. Fearful for his life, Li Yuan considered rebellion. However, he did not know that Li Shimin had also been secretly discussing plans for rebellion with Li Yuan's associates Pei Ji and Liu Wenjing . Once Li Shimin's plans matured, he had Pei inform Li Yuan of them—and also had Pei warn Li Yuan that if it were revealed that Li Yuan had had sexual relations with some of Emperor Yang's ladies in waiting at
4347-606: A series of campaigns against the oasis states of the Tarim Basin , and against their main ally , the Western Turks . During his reign, Tang armies annexed Karakhoja in 640 , Karasahr in 644 , and Kucha in 648 . Eventually, the Tang defeated and annexed the Western Turkic Khaganate after Su Dingfang defeated Qaghan Ashina Helu in 657. Unlike much of the nobility in his time, Emperor Taizong
4508-488: A short walkway as a pilgrimage route. In the square, religious objects related to the pilgrimage are sold. During the Cultural Revolution , Red Guards attacked the Jokhang in 1966, starting on August 24, and for a decade there was no worship in Tibetan monasteries. Renovation of the Jokhang began in 1972, and was mostly complete by 1980. After this and the end of persecution, the temple was re-consecrated. It
4669-552: A shortened form of the phrase "save the earth and pacify the people" ( 濟世安民 ; jìshì ānmín ). Li Shimin apparently showed talent early in his life, and in 613, the official Gao Shilian , impressed with him, gave him a niece (the later Empress Zhangsun ) in marriage as his wife; he was 14 and she was 12. In 615, when Emperor Wen's son and successor Emperor Yang was ambushed by Eastern Turkic ( Dongtujue ) forces under Shibi Khan at Yanmen Commandery (present-day Daixian in Shanxi ),
4830-401: A small detachment, commanded by Li Yuanji, at Luoyang, while marching east himself, taking up position at the strategic Hulao Pass . When the armies engaged at Hulao, Li Shimin defeated Dou and captured him. He took Dou back to Luoyang and displayed him to Wang Shichong. Wang, in fear, considered abandoning Luoyang and fleeing south to Xiangyang, but as his generals pointed out that his only hope
4991-779: A suggestion that Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and Pei Ji agreed with. Li Shimin opposed, however, and the plan was not carried out. Meanwhile, Li Shimin himself was sending his confidants to Luoyang to build up personal control of the army there. After an incident in which Li Shimin suffered a severe case of food poisoning after feasting at Li Jiancheng's palace—an event that both Emperor Gaozu and Li Shimin apparently interpreted as an assassination attempt—Emperor Gaozu considered sending Li Shimin to guard Luoyang to prevent further conflict, but Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, after consulting each other, believed that this would only give Li Shimin an opportunity to build up his personal power there, and therefore opposed it. Emperor Gaozu therefore did not carry out
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5152-608: A true incarnation and served as a vice president of the Buddhist Association of China in 1956 while he was president, and Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama also as vice president. She went to Lhasa in 1958 and received the empowerment of Yamantaka from the Dalai Lama and the empowerment of Vajrayogini from the Dalai Lama's tutor, Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso . Dechen Chökyi Drönma has been trained in
5313-638: A vase (a gift from the Qianlong Emperor ) used to select the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama . Samding Dorje Phagmo The Samding Dorje Phagmo ( Wylie : བསམ་སྡིང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕག་མོ ) is the highest female incarnation in Tibet and the third highest-ranking person in the hierarchy after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama . She was listed among the highest-ranking reincarnations at
5474-507: A work later to be known as the Records of Clans ( 氏族志 ), with the intent of dividing the clans into nine classes based on their past contributions, good deeds, and ill deeds. In an initial draft that Gao submitted, he nevertheless ranked the branch of the Cui clan that the official Cui Min'gan ( 崔民幹 ) belonged to as the highest, a decision that Emperor Taizong rebuked, as he pointed out that Gao
5635-409: Is Dechen Chökyi Drönma, who was born in 1938 or 1942 (?). The twelfth Samding Dorje Phagmo was very young at the time of the Chinese occupation , and her exact date of birth is contested. Some sources claim she was born a year before the death of the previous incarnation (and therefore cannot be the true reincarnation). However, Dechen Chökyi Drönma was recognised by the present 14th Dalai Lama as
5796-480: Is a lady who stems from the royal lineage of the Gods of Clear Light ('Od gsal lha) who is devoted to spiritual liberation and to the benefit of all living beings. Her outer name is Lady Queen of the Jewel (bDag mo dKon mchog rgyal mo); her inner name is Female Teacher Lamp of the Doctrine (sLob dpon ma Chos kyi sgron ma); her secret name is Vajravarahi (rDo rje phag mo). Her residence is undefined. According to Diemberger
5957-598: Is at Samding Monastery , in Tibet. The seat of the Samding Dorje Phagmo is at the Samding Monastery "Temple of Soaring Meditation." The Samding Monastery is associated with the Bodong school of Tibetan Buddhism . It was unique because half of the inhabitants were monks and the other half were nuns and its head was a woman. The female tulku who was the abbess of Samding was traditionally
6118-418: Is covered with gilded bronze tiles, figurines and decorated pavilions. The central Buddha Hall is tall, with a large, paved courtyard. A porch leads to the open courtyard, which is two concentric circles with two temples: one in the outer circle and another in the inner circle. The outer circle has a circular path, with a number of large prayer wheels ( nangkhor ); this path leads to the main shrine, which
6279-651: Is currently a member of the monastic community of the Thangthong Dewachen Nunnery at Zilingkha in Thimphu , which follows the Nyingma and the Shangpa Kagyu tradition." One of the distinctive features of the Samding Dorje Phagmo's iconography is a black hat. This hat can be seen in both ancient and modern mural paintings as well as in photographs of the later reincarnations. This black hat
6440-477: Is known as Female Living Buddha Dorje Palma by China . The present incarnation [i.e. in 1882] of the divine Dorje Phagmo is a lady of twenty-six, Nag-wang rinchen kunzag wangmo by name. She wears her hair long; her face is agreeable, her manner dignified, and somewhat resembling those of the Lhacham, though she is much less prepossessing than she. It is required of her that she never take her rest lying down; in
6601-409: Is marked by four stone sankang (incense burners), two of which are in front of the temple and two in the rear. Rasa Thrulnag Tsuklakhang ("House of Mysteries" or "House of Religious Science") was the Jokhang's ancient name. When King Songtsen Gampo built the temple, his capital city was known as Rasa ("Goats"), since goats were used to move earth during its construction. After the king's death,
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6762-493: Is now visited by a large number of Tibetans, who come to worship Jowo in the temple's inner sanctum. During the Revolution, the temple was spared destruction and was reportedly boarded up until 1979. At that time, portions of the Jokhang reportedly housed pigs, a slaughterhouse and Chinese army barracks. Soldiers burned historic Tibetan scriptures. For a time, it was a hotel. Two flagstone doring (inscribed pillars) outside
6923-429: Is surrounded by chapels. Only one of the temple murals remains, depicting the arrival of Queen Wencheng and an image of the Buddha. The image, brought by the king's Nepalese wife and initially kept at Ramoche, was moved to Jokhang and kept in the rear center of the inner temple. This Buddha has remained on a platform since the eighth century; on a number of occasions, it was moved for safekeeping. The image, amidst those of
7084-505: Is very similar to that of the Karmapa and is linked to the dakinis and Yeshe Tsogyal in particular. Emperor Taizong of Tang Emperor Taizong of Tang (28 January 598 – 10 July 649), previously Prince of Qin , personal name Li Shimin , was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as
7245-402: The dakinis heaven ( khecara ), her true home. She left her skull with special features as the wish-fulfilling gem of the great meditation center of Tsagong . The great siddha [Thang Tong Gyalpo] had said earlier, 'A skull with special features will come to this sacred place, together with a mountain dweller from Ngari', and thus the prophecy had come true, greatly enhancing the devotion of
7406-478: The Dalai Lama , among the many images in the temple was an image of Chenrizi, made of clay in the temple, within which the small wooden statue of the Buddha brought from Nepal was hidden. The image was in the temple for 1300 years, and when Songtsen Gampo died his soul was believed to have entered the small wooden statue. During the Cultural Revolution, the clay image was smashed and the smaller Buddha
7567-581: The Eastern Turkic Khaganate , Emperor Taizong's officials repeatedly requested that he carry out sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai , and Emperor Taizong, while at times tempted by the proposal, was repeatedly dissuaded from doing so by Wei, who pointed out the expenses and the labors that would be imposed on the people as a result, and also that this would open China's borders to attack. In 634, Emperor Taizong sent 13 high level officials, including Li Jing and Xiao Yu , to examine
7728-451: The Eastern Turks . The main opposing views were from the chancellors Wen Yanbo (who advocated leaving the Turks within China's borders to serve as a defense perimeter) and Wei (who advocated leaving them outside the borders). Emperor Taizong accepted Wen's suggestion and established a number of prefectures to accommodate the Turks, leaving them governed by their chieftains without creating
7889-836: The Göktürks were making another attack, and under Li Jiancheng's suggestion, Emperor Gaozu, instead of sending Li Shimin to resist the Göktürks as he first was inclined, decided to send Li Yuanji instead. Li Yuanji was given command of much of the army previously under Li Shimin's control, further troubling Li Shimin, who believed that with the army in Li Yuanji's hands, he would be unable to resist an attack. Li Shimin had Yuchi summon Fang and Du back to his mansion secretly, and then on one night submitted an accusation to Emperor Gaozu that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were committing adultery with Emperor Gaozu's concubines. Emperor Gaozu, in response, issued summonses to Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji for
8050-658: The Kongpo people." As part of her relationship with Thang Tong Gyalpo , Chökyi Drönma received the complete teachings of the Heart Practice ( thugs sgrub ) of treasure teachings from Trasang ( bkra bzang gter kha ), as well as Chöd (teachings of Machig Labdrön and Mahāmudrā instructions from him. Chökyi Drönma was known by a variety of names during her lifetime. Diemberger writes: Three names in particular frame her [the Dorje Phagmo's] identity according to
8211-634: The Ming dynasty . The book 108 Buddhist Statues in Tibet by Ulrich von Schroeder, published in 2008, contains a DVD with digital photographs of the 419 most important Buddhist sculptures in the collection of the Jokhang [1] . Among hundreds of thangkas , two notable paintings of Chakrasamvara and Yamantaka date to the reign of the Yongle Emperor ; both are embroidered on silk and well-preserved. The collection also has 54 boxes of Tripiṭaka printed in red, 108 carved sandalwood boxes with sutras and
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#17327653904518372-605: The Red Guards attacked the Jokhang temple in 1966 and for a decade there was no worship. During the Chinese development of Lhasa, the Barkhor Square in front of the temple was encroached. Renovation of the Jokhang took place from 1972 to 1980. In 2000, the Jokhang became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as an extension of the Potala Palace , which has been a World Heritage Site since 1994. The temple, considered
8533-521: The Tong Pass region to prevent Sui forces at Luoyang from reinforcing Chang'an and Li Shimin north of the Wei River to capture territory there. Meanwhile, Li Shimin's sister Pingyang had also risen in rebellion in support of him, and she was able to gather a sizeable army and capture some cities. She joined forces with Li Shimin and her husband Chai Shao. Soon, Li Yuan reconsolidated his forces and put Chang'an under siege. In winter 617, after defeating
8694-539: The Western Turks . In 640, Emperor Taizong commissioned Hou Junji , assisted by Xue Wanjun , to launch a major attack on Gaochang. As they approached Gaochang, Qu Wentai died in fear and was succeeded by his son Qu Zhisheng ( 麴智盛 ). Qu Zhisheng offered to submit, but Hou demanded a surrender, which Qu Zhisheng refused. However, Hou put Gaochang under siege, and with aid from the Western Turks not arriving, Qu Zhisheng surrendered. Wei Zheng suggested that Emperor Taizong allow Qu Zhisheng to remain king, pointing out that
8855-696: The "Royal Testament of the Pillar" (Bka' chems ka khol ma) in a pillar at Jokhang; the document was said to be the testament of Songtsen Gampo. Beginning in about the 14th century, the temple was associated with the Vajrasana in India. It is said that the image of Buddha deified in the Jokhang is the 12-year-old Buddha earlier located in the Bodh Gaya Temple in India, indicating "historical and ritual" links between India and Tibet. Tibetans call Jokhang
9016-724: The "Vajrasana of Tibet" (Bod yul gyi rDo rje gdani) , the "second Vajrasana" (rDo rje gdan pal) and "Vajrasan, the navel of the land of snow" (Gangs can sa yi lte ba rDo rje gdani) . After the occupation of Nepal by the Gorkhas in 1769, during the Gorkha-Tibetan war in 1792 the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty drove the Gorkhas from Tibet and the Tibetans were isolated from their neighbors. The period, lasting for more than
9177-505: The "spiritual heart of the city" and the most sacred in Tibet, is at the center of an ancient network of Buddhist temples in Lhasa . It is the focal point of commercial activity in the city, with a maze of streets radiating from it. The Jokhang is 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) east of the Potala Palace . Barkhor , the market square in central Lhasa, has a walkway for pilgrims to walk around the temple (which takes about 20 minutes). Barkhor Square
9338-406: The 11th century. The main hall is the four-story Buddha Hall. The temple has an east-west orientation, facing Nepal to the west in honour of Princess Bhrikuti . Additionally, the monastery's main gate faces west. The Jokhang is aligned along an axis, beginning with an arch gate and followed by the Buddha Hall, an enclosed passage, a cloister, atriums and a hostel for the lamas (monks). Inside
9499-674: The 24 great contributors to his reign. The Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang mention several embassies made by Fu lin ( 拂菻 ; i.e. the Byzantine Empire ), which they equated with Daqin (which may refer to the Roman Empire or Middle East), beginning in 643 with an embassy sent by the king Boduoli ( 波多力 , i.e. Constans II Pogonatos ) to Emperor Taizong, bearing gifts such as red glass and green gemstones . These histories also provided cursory descriptions of Constantinople and its walls , as well as how it
9660-440: The 80 novice nuns under her care into furious wild sows—they left the goods and valuables they had plundered as offerings at the monastery and fled the region. Charles Alfred Bell met the tulku in 1920 and took photographs of her, calling her by the Tibetan name for Vajravarahi, Dorje Pamo (which he translated as "Thunderbolt Sow"), in his book. The current incarnation, the 12th of this line, resides in Lhasa . where she
9821-725: The Bodongpa tradition and remains the head of the Samding Monastery . She simultaneously holds the post of a high government cadre in the Tibet Autonomous Region . She has, as a result, been accused by many of "collaborating" with the Chinese. According to Diemberger there also is a Dorje Phagmo line in Bhutan : [She] was recognized by the Sakya Lama Rikey Jatrel, considered an incarnation of Thangtong Gyalpo (1385–1464 or 1361–1485). The Dorje Phagmo
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#17327653904519982-551: The Buddha. The temple had brick-lined floors, columns and door frames and carvings made of wood. During the Tubo period , there was conflict between followers of Buddhism and the indigenous Bon religion. Changes in dynastic rule affected the Jokhang Monastery; after 1409, during the Ming dynasty , many improvements were made to the temple. The second and third floors of the Buddha Hall and the annex buildings were built during
10143-551: The Chang'an region became almost immediately contested by the rebel ruler Xue Ju , the Emperor of Qin, who sent his son Xue Rengao toward Chang'an. Li Yuan sent Li Shimin to resist Xue Rengao, and Li Shimin defeated Xue Rengao at Fufeng (in modern Baoji , Shaanxi), temporarily causing Xue Ju to toy with the idea of surrendering to Li Yuan, although Xue was subsequently dissuaded by his strategist Hao Yuan ( 郝瑗 ) from doing so. In spring 618, with Sui's eastern capital Luoyang (where
10304-469: The Chinese Ambans) were permitted to travel by palanquin or sedan chair . Unlike most other nuns, Dorje Pakmo was allowed to wear her hair long, but was never to sleep lying down – in the day she could sleep sitting up in a chair, but was expected at night to remain in a meditative position. The first Dorje Phagmo, Chökyi Drönma (1422–1455), was the daughter of Tri Lhawang Gyaltsen (1404-1464),
10465-644: The Great Wall. Emperor Taizong commissioned Li Shiji , assisted by Zhang Jian ( 張儉 ), Li Daliang , Zhang Shigui ( 張士貴 ), and Li Xiyu ( 李襲譽 ), to attack Xueyantuo. Li Shiji soon defeated Dadu at Nuozhen River ( 諾真水 , flowing through modern Baotou , Inner Mongolia), and Dadu fled. By 642, it was clear that Li Tai had ambitions on replacing his brother Li Chengqian, and the governmental officials began to be divided into pro-Li Chengqian and pro-Li Tai factions. After urging by Wei Zheng and Chu Suiliang to take actions that would clarify that Li Chengqian's position
10626-532: The Jewel), her birth name; Chokyi Dronma (Lamp of the Dharma), the name she was given when she was ordained as a novice; and Dorje Phagmo ( Vajravārāhī ), the name attributed to her when she was revealed as an emanation of this deity. In an introductory letter written by Thang Tong Gyalpo before Chökyi Drönma departed from Northern Lato in 1454, he presented her with the following letter describing her names: Now there
10787-523: The Jokhang temple was hidden underground, reportedly 200 people failed to locate it. The images in the Jokhang and Ramoche temples were moved to Jizong in Ngari , and the monks were persecuted and driven from Jokhang. During the anti-Buddhist activity of the late ninth and early tenth centuries, the Jokhang and Ramoche temples were said to be used as stables. In 1049 Atisha , a renowned teacher of Buddhism from Bengal who taught in Jokhang and died in 1054, found
10948-625: The Liang capital Shuofang (in modern Yulin , Shaanxi), Liang Shidu's cousin Liang Luoren ( 梁洛仁 ) killed Liang Shidu and surrendered, finally uniting China. With the Eastern Turkic Khaganate weakened, their vassal Xueyantuo also broke away and formed its own khanate, and Emperor Taizong entered into an alliance with Xueyantuo's leader Yinan, creating Yinan the Zhenzhupiqie Khan (or Zhenzhu Khan in short). In late 629, believing
11109-464: The Prince of Changle, the commandant at Liang Prefecture ( 涼州 , roughly modern Wuwei , Gansu), was accused of allowing his staff to oppress the people and to trade with Qiang and Xiongnu tribesmen, Emperor Taizong sent the chancellor Yuwen Shiji (Yuwen Huaji's brother) to investigate, and in fear, Li Youliang's staff members plotted to hold him hostage and rebel. When this was discovered, Emperor Taizong forced Li Youliang to commit suicide. Late in
11270-500: The Prince of Huai'an; Li Xiaochang ( 李孝常 ), the Prince of Yi'an; and Li Shiji . By the end, he had recovered almost all of the former Xia territory, established his capital at Mingzhou , and proclaimed himself the Prince of Handong. Emperor Gaozu finally sent Li Shimin and Li Yuanji against him in 622 and, after some indecisive battles, Li Shimin defeated him by first erecting a dam across the Ming River and then destroying it, with
11431-642: The Prince of Huaiyang, he again regained most of former Xia territory. Li Jiancheng's staff members Wang Gui and Wei Zheng suggested that Li Jiancheng needed to enhance his own reputation in battle, and so Li Jiancheng volunteered for the mission. Emperor Gaozu thus sent Li Jiancheng, assisted by Li Yuanji, to attack Liu. Li Jiancheng defeated Liu around the new year of 623, and Liu was subsequently betrayed by his own official Zhuge Dewei ( 諸葛德威 ) and delivered to Li Jiancheng. Li Jiancheng executed Liu in his former capital and returned to Chang'an in triumph. China was, by this point, roughly united under Tang rule. For
11592-604: The Prince of Tianzhu and surrendered. Emperor Taizong created Murong Shun the new khan, although Murong Shun was soon assassinated. Emperor Taizong then created Murong Shun's son Murong Nuohebo as the new khan. Also in 635, Emperor Gaozu died, and Emperor Taizong, observing a mourning period, briefly had Li Chengqian serve as regent, and after he resumed his authorities less than two months later, he still authorized Li Chengqian to thereafter rule on minor matters. In spring 636, Emperor Taizong commissioned his brothers and sons as commandants and changed their titles in accordance with
11753-639: The Prince of Xia, who controlled most of modern Hebei . Dou, reasoning that if Tang were able to destroy Zheng, his own Xia state would be next, agreed. He sent his official Li Dashi to try to persuade Li Shimin to withdraw, but Li Shimin detained Li Dashi and gave no response. Meanwhile, during the campaign, Li Shimin chose some 1,000 elite soldiers ( 玄甲軍 ), clad in black uniform and black armor, commanded by himself, to serve as advance troops, with Qin Shubao , Yuchi Jingde , Cheng Zhijie ( 程知節 ), and Zhai Zhangsun ( 翟長孫 ) as his assistants. By spring 621, Luoyang
11914-680: The Sacred Teachings ( 大唐三藏聖教序 ), and Emperor Taizong was at least a nominal Taoist. Also in 627, the general Li Yi the Prince of Yan—a late-Sui warlord who later submitted to Tang, who associated with Li Jiancheng—fearing that Emperor Taizong would eventually take action against him, rebelled at Bin Prefecture ( 豳州 , in modern Xianyang), but was quickly crushed by the official Yang Ji ( 楊岌 ) and killed in flight. Later that year, when Emperor Gaozu's cousin Li Youliang ( 李幼良 )
12075-521: The Sui capital Sui Chang'an, according to the 16th-century Persian traveler Hajji Mahomed, or Chaggi Memet). This account may correspond to the conquest of the Chen dynasty and reunification of China by Emperor Wen of Sui (r. 581–604). Simocatta names their ruler as Taisson , which he claimed meant Son of God , either correlating to the Chinese Tianzi (i.e. Son of Heaven ) or even the name of
12236-566: The Tang general Qibi Heli ( 契苾何力 ), the chieftain of the Qibi Tribe, was kidnapped by his own subordinates and taken to Xueyantuo. In order to ransom Qibi, Emperor Taizong made a promise to eventually give his daughter Princess Xinxing to Yinan in marriage, and Yinan released Qibi. In the winter 642, an event took place in Goguryeo that would eventually precipitate wars between Tang and Goguryeo. According to Chinese accounts King Yeongnyu ,
12397-403: The Turks were fearful of Xueyantuo and initially refused to head to their new location. Emperor Taizong issued an edict to Yinan that he and Li Simo keep their peace and not attack each other, and after receiving from Yinan the assurance that he would not attack, the Turks advanced to the new location. Taizong began a series of campaigns against the Western Turks ( Xitujue ) and their allies,
12558-672: The West. Theophylact Simocatta , a Byzantine Greek historian during the reign of Heraclius (r. 610–641), wrote that Taugast (or Taugas ; Old Turkic : Tabghach , from Tuoba , the Xianbei clan of Northern Wei ), was a great eastern empire in the Far East that ruled over Turkic people , with a capital city roughly 1,500 miles northeast from India that he called Khubdan (from the Turkic word Khumdan , meaning, Chang'an ), where idolatry
12719-577: The Zhenguan era, Tang China flourished economically and militarily. For more than a century after his death, China enjoyed prosperity and peace brought about by the solidification of imperial protection over the Chinese regions. In territorial extent, it covered most of the territories previously held by the Han dynasty as well as parts of modern-day Korea , Vietnam , Russia , Mongolia , Xinjiang , and Central Asia . This era of consolidation and conquest laid
12880-570: The ancestral home Hedong ( 河東 , in modern Yuncheng , Shanxi). Emperor Yang was soon dissatisfied with Li Yuan and Wang Rengong ( 王仁恭 ), the governor of Mayi Commandery ( 馬邑 , roughly modern Shuozhou , Shanxi), over their inability to stop Eastern Turkic incursions and the growing strength of agrarian rebels, particularly the Eastern Turkic -supported Liu Wuzhou , who soon rose against Wang, killed him, and captured Emperor Yang's secondary palace near Taiyuan. Li Yuan also became fearful of
13041-424: The blaze lasting until late that evening. Although photos and videos about the fire were spread on Chinese social media, which showed the eaved roof of a section of the building lit with roaring yellow flames and emitting a haze of smoke, these images were quickly censored and disappeared. The official newspaper Tibet Daily briefly claimed online that the fire was "quickly extinguished" with "no deaths or injuries" at
13202-424: The circuits to see whether the local officials were capable, to find out whether the people were suffering, to comfort the poor, and to select capable people to serve in civil service. (Li Jing initially recommended Wei Zheng , but Emperor Taizong declined sending Wei, stating that Wei needed to stay to point out his faults and that he could not afford to have Wei away even for a single day.) Around this time, Tang
13363-517: The city became known as Lhasa (Place of the Gods). Later, the temple was called the Jokhang —"House of the Jowo"— derived from Jowo Mikyo Dorje, its primary image. The Jokhang's Chinese name is Dazhao (Monastery of Great Distinction); it is also known as Zuglagkang, Qoikang Monastery Tsuglakhang (Chapel of Jowo Śākyamuni) and Tsuglhakhange. King Songtsen Gampo (the first king of a unified Tibet, developed
13524-547: The commands that they received, sending them to their posts—with the exception of his son Li Tai the Prince of Wei, who by this point was beginning to be highly favored by him. He further allowed Li Tai to engage literary men to serve as his assistants, as Li Tai favored literature. From this point on, Li Tai would be so favored that there began to be talks that Emperor Taizong might let him displace Li Chengqian, whose favors began to wane. In fall 636, Empress Zhangsun died. Emperor Taizong mourned her bitterly and personally wrote
13685-411: The contemporary ruler Emperor Taizong. Also in 643, Emperor Taizong would see major turmoil among his own closest family. In spring 643, his son Li You ( 李祐 ) the Prince of Qi, angry over restrictions that his secretary general Quan Wanji ( 權萬紀 ) had often placed on him, killed Quan and declared a rebellion. Emperor Taizong sent Li Shiji against Li You, but before Li Shiji could engage Li You, Li You
13846-446: The contributors to Tang rule and granted them titles and fiefs, naming among the first rank of contributors Zhangsun Wuji , Fang Xuanling , Du Ruhui , Yuchi Jingde , and Hou Junji . When Li Shentong, as his distant uncle, objected to being ranked under Fang and Du, Emperor Taizong personally explained how Fang and Du's strategies allowed him to be successful, and this managed to get the other objectors to quiet down, as Emperor Taizong
14007-548: The daytime she may recline on cushions or in a chair, but during the night she sits in the position prescribed for meditation. [...] In 1716, when the Jungar invaders of Tibet came to Nangartse, their chief sent word to Samding to the Dorjo Phagmo to appear before him, that he might see if she really had, as reported, a pig's head. A mild answer was returned to him; but, incensed at her refusing to obey his summons, he tore down
14168-402: The development of printing. Furthermore, she expressed a particular commitment toward women, promoting their education, establishing nunneries, and even creating religious dances that included roles for them. Chökyi Drönma died at the age of thirty-three, leaving a tangible mark on history not only through her own deeds but even more through what happened after her death: her disciples searched for
14329-683: The development, considered abandoning the region altogether. Li Shimin opposed doing so and offered to lead the army against Liu. Emperor Gaozu agreed and commissioned him with an army. He crossed the Yellow River and approached Liu's major general Song Jingang ( 宋金剛 ) but did not engage him, choosing to try to wear Song out, only having his subordinates Yin Kaishan and Qin Shubao engage the other Dingyang generals Yuchi Jingde and Xun Xiang ( 尋相 ) in relatively low-level engagements. Eventually, in spring 620, when Liu and Song ran out of food supplies, they retreated, and Li Shimin gave chase, dealing Song
14490-406: The discord between him and Li Shimin on Li Jiancheng's staff members Wang Gui and Wei Ting ( 韋挺 ) and Li Shimin's staff member Du Yan , exiling them to Xi Prefecture ( 巂州 , roughly modern Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture , Sichuan). Later that year, Emperor Gaozu, troubled by repeated Göktürk incursions, seriously considered burning Chang'an to the ground and moving the capital to Fancheng ,
14651-459: The earnest opposition by Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, continued to advance. After defeating Sui forces at Huoyi ( 霍邑 , also in modern Yuncheng), he decided to leave a small contingent to watch over Hedong while advancing across the Yellow River into Guanzhong (i.e., the Chang'an region). Once he did, he headed for Chang'an himself, while sending Li Jiancheng to capture the territory around
14812-529: The earth. A number of chapels surround the Jowo Sakayamuni, dedicated to gods and bodhisattvas . The most important bodhisattva here is the Avalokiteshwara , the patron saint of Tibet, with a thousand eyes and a thousand arms. Flanking the main hall are halls for Amitabha (the Buddha of the past) and Qamba (the Buddha of the future). Incarnations of Sakyamuni are enshrined on either side of
14973-447: The emissary Feng Dexia ( 馮德遐 ) to Tibet with an eye toward an alliance against Tuyuhun. In winter 634, he commissioned Li Jing , assisted by the other generals Hou Junji , Xue Wanjun , Xue Wanche , Qibi Heli , Li Daozong , Li Daliang , Li Daoyan ( 李道彥 ), and Gao Zengsheng ( 高甑生 ), to attack Tuyuhun. In 635, Li Jing's forces crushed Tuyuhun forces. Murong Fuyun was killed by his own subordinates, and his son Murong Shun killed
15134-519: The entrance are four "Guardian Kings" (Chokyong) , two on each side. The main shrine is on the ground floor. On the first floor are murals, residences for the monks and a private room for the Dalai Lama, and there are residences for the monks and chapels on all four sides of the shrine. The temple is made of wood and stone. Its architecture features the Tibetan Buddhist style, with influences from China, Indian vihara design and Nepal. The roof
15295-455: The exemplary model against which all future emperors were measured. His era, the "Reign of Zhenguan" ( Chinese : 貞觀之治 ; pinyin : Zhēnguàn Zhī Zhì ) is considered a golden age in ancient Chinese history and was treated as required studying material for future crown princes . Taizong continued to develop imperial examination systems. He asked his officials to be loyal to policies, not people, in order to eliminate corruption . Under
15456-463: The foundation for Xuanzong 's reign, which is considered to be the height of the Tang dynasty. In 630, Emperor Taizong sent his general Li Jing against the Eastern Turks , defeating and capturing their Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi and destroying their power . This made Tang the dominant power in East and Central Asia, and Emperor Taizong subsequently took the title of Tengri Qaghan . He also launched
15617-403: The general Li Anyan ( 李安儼 ), and his brothers-in-law Zhao Jie ( 趙節 ) and Du He ( 杜荷 , Du Ruhui's son) to overthrow Emperor Taizong. During the investigations in the aftermaths of Li You's rebellion, one of the co-conspirators, Li Chengqian's guard Gegan Chengji ( 紇干承基 ), was implicated by association, and in order to save himself, he revealed Li Chengqian's plot. Emperor Taizong was shocked by
15778-704: The girl in whom she had reincarnated and thus initiated a line of female incarnations that became the first and most famous in Tibet." Chökyi Drönma was a leading figure in the Tibetan Bodongpa tradition which gradually waned under Gelugpa rule, but is being gradually restored today. She died at the Manmogang Monastery in Tsari to the southeast of Dakpo, near the Indian border, in 1455. Diemberger also says: [T]he Venerable Lady passed away into
15939-439: The holiest shrine in Tibet and the image, known as Jowo Rinpoche , has become the country's most-revered statue. The oldest part of the temple was built in 652 by Songtsen Gampo. To find a location for the temple, the king reportedly tossed his hat (a ring in another version) ahead of him with a promise to build a temple where the hat landed. It landed in a lake, where a white stupa (memorial monument) suddenly emerged over which
16100-607: The inventor of Tibetan script . The halls are surrounded by enclosed walkways. Decorations of winged apsaras , human and animal figurines, flowers and grasses are carved on the superstructure . Images of sphinxes with a variety of expressions are carved below the roof. The temple complex has more than 3,000 images of the Buddha and other deities (including an 85-foot (26 m) image of the Buddha) and historical figures, in addition to manuscripts and other objects. The temple walls are decorated with religious and historical murals. On
16261-490: The king accepted. His daughter, Bhrikuti, came to Tibet as the king's Nepalese wife ( tritsun ; belsa in Tibetan). The image of Akshobhya Buddha known as Jowo Mikyo Dorje (or Mikyoba), which she had brought as part of her dowry, was deified in the Jokhang. Songsten Gampo, wishing to obtain a wife from China, sent his ambassador to Emperor Taizong (627–650) of the Tang dynasty for one of his daughters. Taizong rejected
16422-478: The king and his two consorts, has been gilded several times. In the main hall on the ground floor is a gilded bronze statue of Jowo Sakyamuni, 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) tall, representing the Buddha at age twelve. The image has a bejeweled crown, cover around its shoulder, a diamond on its forehead and wears a pearl-studded garment. The Buddha is seated in a lotus position on a three-tiered lotus throne , with his left hand on his lap and his right hand touching
16583-438: The king of Mangyül Gungthang and a descendant of the ancient kings of Tibet. Gungthang was an independent kingdom in southwestern Tibet in the 15th century. As a princess, she was married to the prince of southern Lato ( La stod lho ) who was described as a supporter of Bon practices. After the death of her only child, a daughter, she renounced her family and royal status to become a Buddhist nun in about 1442CE. Chökyi Drönma
16744-461: The king of Goguryeo, was apprehensive about his general Yeon Gaesomun and was plotting with his other officials to kill Yeon. When Yeon received the news, he started a coup and killed the king and the high level officials. He declared King Yeongnyu's nephew Go Jang ( King Bojang ) king, while taking power himself with the title of Dae Mangniji ( Korean : 대막리지 ; Hanja : 大莫離支 , Generalissimo ). When Emperor Taizong received
16905-407: The king's proposal, considering Tibetans " barbarians ", and announced the marriage of one of his daughters to the king of Duyu, a Hun . This infuriated Songsten Gampo, who mounted attacks on tribal areas affiliated with the Tang dynasty and then attacked the Tang city of Songzhou . Telling the emperor that he would escalate his aggression unless the emperor agreed to his proposal, Songsten Gampo sent
17066-462: The late night, while The People's Daily published the same words online and added that there had been "no damage to relics" in the temple; both of these reports contained no photos. The temple was temporarily closed after the fire but were reopened to public on February 18. The Jokhang temple covers an area of 2.51 hectares (6.2 acres). When it was built during the seventh century, it had eight rooms on two floors to house scriptures and sculptures of
17227-708: The loss of the Persian heartland to the Islamic Rashidun Caliphate , which may have also prompted the Byzantines to send envoys to China amid their recent loss of Syria to the Muslims . Tang Chinese sources also recorded how Sassanid prince Peroz III (636–679) fled to Tang China following the conquest of Persia by the growing Islamic caliphate . The expansion of China's power into Central Asia under Emperor Taizong seems to have been noticed in
17388-459: The monetary and human costs would be high to keep a permanent garrison at Gaochang, but Emperor Taizong disagreed, and he converted Gaochang into two prefectures and annexed it into his state. In winter 640, Songsän Gampo sent his prime minister Gar Tongtsen Yülsung ("Lu Dongzan" ( 祿東贊 ) in Chinese) as an emissary to Tang, offering tributes and again requesting marriage. Emperor Taizong created
17549-547: The news, and he appointed Zhangsun Wuji , Fang Xuanling , Xiao Yu , and Li Shiji , along with the officials in charge of the supreme court and the legislative and examination bureaus of the government to carry out a joint investigation. At the suggestion of the mid-level official Lai Ji , Emperor Taizong deposed, but did not kill, Li Chengqian, while ordering Li Yuanchang to commit suicide and executing Hou Junji, Li Anyan, Zhao, and Du. Taizong's eldest son Li Chengqian chose to speak Turkic, dress in Turkic clothes and even set up
17710-450: The news, there were suggestions that an attack be launched against Goguryeo, suggestions that Emperor Taizong initially declined. In spring 643, Wei died, and Emperor Taizong mourned him bitterly, authoring Wei's monument himself and, prior to Wei's death, promising to give his daughter Princess Hengshan in marriage to Wei's son Wei Shuyu ( 魏叔玉 ). Later in spring, Emperor Taizong commissioned 24 portraits at Lingyan Pavilion to commemorate
17871-589: The next few years, the rivalry intensified, although during the meantime both Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin served as generals when the Eastern Göktürks made incursions. In 623, when the general Fu Gongshi rebelled at Danyang ( 丹楊 , in modern Nanjing , Jiangsu), Emperor Gaozu briefly commissioned Li Shimin to attack Fu, but soon cancelled the order and sent Li Shimin's cousin Li Xiaogong the Prince of Zhao Commandery instead. In 624, when Li Jiancheng
18032-413: The next morning, convening the senior officials Pei Ji, Xiao Yu , and Chen Shuda to examine Li Shimin's accusations. As Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji approached the central gate leading to Emperor Gaozu's palace, Xuanwu Gate ( 玄武門 ), Li Shimin carried out the ambush he had set. He personally fired an arrow that killed Li Jiancheng. Subsequently, Yuchi Jingde killed Li Yuanji. Li Shimin's forces entered
18193-536: The oasis states of the Tarim Basin , around 640. These hostilities between the Western Turks and Tang would continue until the defeat and conquest of the Western Turks in 657 under Taizong's successor, Gaozong. The kingdoms of Shule and Khotan surrendered to the Chinese in 632, as did the kingdom of Yarkand in 635. Qu Wentai ( 麴文泰 ), the king of Gaochang , who had previously been submissive to Tang, had become increasingly hostile to Tang, allying with
18354-481: The officials began advocating sending the Turks away from the heart of the state. In fall 639, Emperor Taizong created a Turkish prince who had served him faithfully, Li Simo (né Ashina Simo) as the khan of a newly recreated Eastern Turkic state (as Qilibi Khan ), giving him all of the Turks and Xiongnu who had surrendered as his subordinates, to be settled north of the Great Wall and the Yellow River. However,
18515-629: The officials in charge did not recognize Li Yuan's authorities) under attack by the rebel ruler Li Mi the Duke of Wei, Li Yuan sent Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin to Luoyang, ostensibly to aid the Sui forces at Luoyang but instead intending to test whether Luoyang might submit to him. The officials at Luoyang rebuffed his attempt at rapprochement, and Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, not wanting to fight either them or Li Mi for control of Luoyang at this stage, withdrew. Li Yuan subsequently changed Li Shimin's title to Duke of Zhao. In summer 618, when news arrived at Chang'an that Emperor Yang had been killed at Jiangdu in
18676-462: The ones that arrived first. Li Shimin's staff was full of talented men, but Li Jiancheng was supported by Li Yuanji, as well as Emperor Gaozu's concubines , who had better relationships with Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji than they did with Li Shimin. Late in 622, when Liu Heita returned east after receiving aid from the Eastern Turks , defeating and killing Li Shimin's cousin Li Daoxuan ( 李道玄 ),
18837-429: The palace and, under the intimidation of Li Shimin's forces, Emperor Gaozu agreed to create Li Shimin crown prince. Li Jiancheng's and Li Yuanji's sons were killed, and Li Shimin took Li Yuanji's wife Princess Yang as a concubine. Two months later, with Li Shimin firmly in control of power, Emperor Gaozu yielded the throne to him (as Emperor Taizong). One of the first actions that Emperor Taizong carried out as emperor
18998-471: The plan. Meanwhile, the rivalry continued. Traditional historical accounts also indicated that at one point, when Li Shimin visited Li Yuanji's mansion, Li Yuanji wanted to assassinate Li Shimin, but Li Jiancheng, who could not resolve to kill a brother, stopped the plot. There was yet another incident in which Li Jiancheng, knowing that a horse threw its rider easily, had Li Shimin ride it, causing Li Shimin to fall off from it several times. By 626, Li Shimin
19159-612: The platform to place a ceremonial scarf ( katak ) around the Buddha's neck or touch the image's knee. A walled enclosure in front of the Jokhang, near the Tang Dynasty-Tubo Peace Alliance Tablet, contains the stump of a willow known as the "Tang Dynasty Willow" or the "Princess Willow". The willow was reportedly planted by Princess Wencheng. The Jokhang has a sizable, significant collection of cultural artifacts, including Tang-dynasty bronze sculptures and finely-sculpted figures in different shapes from
19320-646: The resultant flood destroying the rebel army. Liu fled to the Eastern Turks , while Li Shimin then headed east and defeated Xu. After leaving Li Shiji, Li Shentong, and Ren Gui ( 任瓌 ) to continue attacking Xu, Li Shimin returned to Chang'an. By this point, Li Shimin and his older brother Li Jiancheng, who was created crown prince in 618, reportedly after Emperor Gaozu first offered the position to Li Shimin due to his contributions, were locked in an intense rivalry, as Li Shimin's accomplishments caused people to speculate that he would displace Li Jiancheng as crown prince, and Li Jiancheng, while an accomplished general himself,
19481-495: The rooftop and roof ridges are iconic statues of golden deer flanking a Dharma wheel , victory flags and monstrous fish. The temple interior is a dark labyrinth of chapels, illuminated by votive candles and filled with incense. Although portions of the temple has been rebuilt, original elements remain. The wooden beams and rafters have been shown by carbon dating to be original, and the Newari door frames, columns and finials dating to
19642-486: The saintly Dorje Phagmo at their head. Filled with astonishment and veneration for the sacred character of the lady abbess, the chief made immense presents to her lamasery. Samding Monastery was destroyed after 1959 but is in the process of being restored. In premodern Tibet, the successive incarnations of Dorje Pakmo were treated with royal privilege and, along with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas, (and when they were in Tibet,
19803-590: The second Dorje Phagmo was Kunga Sangmo (wylie: Kun dga' bzang mo) (1459–1502). The ninth Dorje Phagmo -Choying Dechen Tshomo-, for example, became a renowned spiritual master not only for Samding but also for the Nyingma tradition, discovered some terma and died at Samye . Her skull is still preserved and worshipped as a holy relic in the Nyingmapa monastery on the island of Yumbudo in Yamdrok Tso Lake. The current (12th) Samding Dorje Pakmo Trülku
19964-630: The secondary Jinyang Palace ( 晉陽宮 , which Pei was in charge with and had allowed Li Yuan to do so), all of them would be slaughtered. Li Yuan agreed to rebel, and after secretly summoning Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji from Hedong and his son-in-law Chai Shao ( 柴紹 ) from the capital Chang'an , he declared a rebellion, claiming to want to support Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You the Prince of Dai, nominally in charge at Chang'an with Emperor Yang at Jiangdu ( 江都 , in modern Yangzhou , Jiangsu), as emperor. He made both Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin major generals and advanced southwest, toward Chang'an. He gave Li Shimin
20125-472: The seventh and eighth centuries were brought from the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. In addition to walking around the temple and spinning prayer wheels, pilgrims prostrate themselves before approaching the main deity; some crawl a considerable distance to the main shrine. The prayer chanted during this worship is " Om mani padme hum " (Hail to the jewel in the lotus). Pilgrims queue on both sides of
20286-587: The statue of Jowo from the Ramoche temple to the Jokhang temple to secure it from Chinese attack. The part of the temple known as the Chapel was the hiding place of the Jowo Sakyamuni . During the reign of King Tresang Detsan from 755 to 797, Buddhists were persecuted because the king's minister, Marshang Zongbagyi (a devotee of Bon ), was hostile to Buddhism. During this time the image of Akshobya Buddha in
20447-591: The temple was built. In another version of the legend, Queen Bhrikuti founded the temple to install the statue she had brought. The lake was filled, leaving a small pond now visible as a well fed by the ancient lake, and a temple was built on the filled area. Over the next nine centuries, the temple was enlarged; its last renovation was carried out in 1610 by the Fifth Dalai Lama . The temple's design and construction are attributed to Nepalese craftsmen. After Songtsen Gampo's death, Queen Wencheng reportedly moved
20608-616: The temple's original design and construction. Around the 14th century, the temple was associated with the Vajrasana in India. In the 18th century the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty , following the Nepalese Gorkha invasion of Tibet in 1792, did not allow the Nepalese to visit this temple and it became an exclusive place of worship for the Tibetans. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution in Tibet,
20769-404: The temple, flanking its north and south entrances, are worshiped by Tibetans. The first monument, a March 1794 edict known as the "Forever Following Tablet" in Chinese, records advice on hygiene to prevent smallpox ; some has been chiseled out by Tibetans who believed that the stone itself had curative powers. The second, far older, pillar is 5.5 metres (18 ft) high with a crown in the shape of
20930-499: The text of her monument. In summer 637, Emperor Taizong recreated the feudal scheme that he had considered and abandoned in 631, creating 35 hereditary prefect posts. (By 639, however, the system was again abandoned after much opposition.) Sometime before 638, Emperor Taizong, disgusted with the traditional noble clans of Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng and believing that they were abusing their highly honored names, commissioned Gao Shilian , Wei Ting, Linghu Defen , and Cen Wenben to compile
21091-457: The throne, Li Shimin engaged him, and after a fierce battle between Li Shimin and Xue Rengao's major general Zong Luohou ( 宗羅睺 ), Li Shimin crushed Zong's forces, and then attacked Xue Rengao. Xue Rengao was forced to withdraw into the city of Gaozhi ( 高墌 , in modern Xianyang as well), and once he did, his soldiers began surrendering to Li Shimin en masse. Xue Rengao was himself forced to surrender. Li Shimin had him delivered to Chang'an, where he
21252-399: The time of the 5th Dalai Lama , recognized by the Tibetan government and acknowledged by the emperors of Qing China . In her first incarnation, as Chökyi Drönma (1422 CE –1455 CE ), she was the student and consort of the famous polymath Thang Tong Gyalpo , who first identified her as an emanation of Vajravārāhī , and the consort of Bodong Panchen. The seat of the Samding Dorje Phagmo
21413-609: The time ripe for a major attack on the Eastern Turks , Emperor Taizong commissioned the general Li Jing with overall command of a multi-pronged army, assisted by the generals Li Shiji , Li Daozong , Chai Shao, Xue Wanche ( 薛萬徹 , Xue Wanjun's brother) and Su Dingfang , attacking the Eastern Turks at multiple points. The army was successful in its attacks, forcing Ashina Duobi to flee, and by late spring 630, Ashina Duobi had been captured, and Eastern-Turkic chieftains all submitted to Tang. Emperor Taizong spared Ashina Duobi but detained him at Chang'an, and he considered what to do with
21574-497: The title of Duke of Dunhuang. After defeating local Sui forces loyal to Emperor Yang, he defeated a Sui army of 30,000 men under the command of a veteran general of the wars in Korea outside of modern-day Beijing. However, when Li Yuan arrived near Hedong, his army was bogged down by the weather. With food running out, there were rumors that the Eastern Turks and Liu Wuzhou would attack Taiyuan. Li Yuan initially ordered retreat, but at
21735-454: The walls of the monastery of Samding, and broke into the sanctuary. He found it deserted, not a human being in it, only eighty pigs and as many sows grunting in the congregation hall under the lead of a big sow, and he dared not sack a place belonging to pigs. When the Jungars had given up all idea of sacking Samding, suddenly the pigs disappeared to become venerable-looking lamas and nuns, with
21896-432: The wedding. In summer 634, Emperor Taizong had the generals Duan Zhixuan and Fan Xing ( 樊興 ) lead forces against Tuyuhun, but with Tuyuhun's forces highly mobile and avoiding direct confrontation, Duan, while not defeated, could not make major gains. Once Duan withdrew, Tuyuhun resumed hostilities. In winter 634, with the Tibetan king Songtsän Gampo making overtures to marry a Tang princess as well, Emperor Taizong sent
22057-750: The year, Wang Junkuo ( 王君廓 ), the commandant at You Prefecture ( 幽州 , roughly modern Beijing), also rebelled, but was defeated quickly and killed in flight. However, although there were also reports that Feng Ang ( 馮盎 ), a warlord in the Lingnan region, was rebelling, Emperor Taizong, at Wei's suggestion, sent messengers to comfort Feng, and Feng submitted. Also in 627, Emperor Taizong, seeing that there were too many prefectures and counties, consolidated and merged many of them, and further created another level of local political organization above prefectures—the circuit ( 道 ; dào )—dividing his state into 10 circuits. In 628, with Ashina Duobi and Ashina Shibobi having
22218-578: Was Dou, he surrendered. Xia forces, after initially fleeing back to their capital Mingzhou (now Guangfu, Hebei ), also surrendered. Zheng and Xia territory were Tang's. Li Shimin returned to Chang'an in a grand victory procession and, to reward Li Shimin, Emperor Gaozu awarded both him and Li Yuanji three mints so that they could mint money of their own. He also bestowed on Li Shimin the special title of "Grand General of Heavenly Strategies" ( 天策上將 ; tiāncè shàngjiàng ). Meanwhile, Li Shimin's staff, already full of generals and strategists, were supplemented with
22379-464: Was a frank rationalist and scholar of logic and scientific reason , openly scorning superstitions and claims of signs from the heavens. He also modified important rites in order to ease the burden of agricultural labour. The modern Chinese historian Bo Yang opined that Emperor Taizong achieved greatness by enduring criticism which others would find difficult to accept whilst trying hard not to abuse his absolute power (using Emperor Yang of Sui as
22540-622: Was a sister of Empress Dugu , both of whom were daughters of Dugu Xin , a major Xianbei general during Sui's predecessor dynasty Northern Zhou . Li Shimin's mother, Li Yuan's wife Duchess Dou , was a daughter of Dou Yi ( 竇毅 ), the Duke of Shenwu, and his wife, Northern Zhou's Princess Xiangyang. Li Shimin was also of partial Xianbei descent. Duchess Dou bore Li Yuan four sons—an older brother to Li Shimin, Li Jiancheng , and two younger brothers, Li Yuanba ( 李元霸 ), who would die in 614, and Li Yuanji – and at least one daughter (the later Princess Pingyang ). Li Yuan named Li Shimin "Shimin" as
22701-693: Was besieged by Da shi ( 大食 ; the Arabs of the Umayyad Caliphate ) and their commander "Mo-yi" ( 摩拽 ; i.e. Muawiyah I , governor of Syria before becoming caliph ), who forced the Byzantines to pay tribute. Henry Yule highlights the fact that Yazdegerd III (r. 632–651), last ruler of the Sasanian Empire , sent diplomats to China for securing aid from Emperor Taizong ( considered the suzerain over Ferghana in Central Asia) during
22862-598: Was built in c.640 by King Songsten Gampo to house the Jowo Mikyo Dorje , a statue of Akshobhya Buddha, brought to Tibet by his Nepalese queen, Bhrikuti . Another statue, the Jowo Shakyamuni , brought by his Tang Chinese queen Wencheng , is currently housed in the temple and the Jowo Mikyo Dorje is housed in the Ramoche , in Lhasa. Many Nepalese and Indian artists and craftsmen worked on
23023-445: Was captured by his own subordinate Du Xingmin ( 杜行敏 ) and delivered to Chang'an, where Emperor Taizong ordered him to commit suicide and executed 44 of his associates. The death of Li You drew out news of another plot. Li Chengqian, who had been fearful that Emperor Taizong would eventually remove him and replace him with Li Tai, had begun to conspire with Hou Junji , Li Yuanchang ( 李元昌 ) the Prince of Han (Emperor Taizong's brother),
23184-505: Was concerned. He was also willing to demote his own trusted advisors, as he demoted Gao Shilian after finding that Gao had held back submissions from his deputy Wang Gui. Viewing Sui's Emperor Yang as a negative example, he frequently solicited criticism, rewarding those officials willing to offer them, particularly Wei and Wang Gui. His openness to opposing ideas was also evident in his attempt to reconcile traditional Taoist religion and Buddhism , as demonstrated in his Emperor's Preface to
23345-471: Was developed in 1985. The Sino-Tibetan treaty reads, "Tibet and China shall abide by the frontiers of which they are now in occupation. All to the east is the country of Great China; and all to the west is, without question, the country of Great Tibet. Henceforth on neither side shall there be waging of war nor seizing of territory. If any person incurs suspicion he shall be arrested; his business shall be inquired into and he shall be escorted back". According to
23506-478: Was even willing to rank low such an honored individual as Li Shentong. Emperor Taizong also buried Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji with honors due imperial princes and had their staff members attend the funeral processions. Meanwhile, he appeared to begin to reshuffle government further—which he had already begun after being created crown prince—by dismissing his father's trusted advisors Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda , making his own trusted advisors chancellors. (Xiao, however,
23667-720: Was executed. Around new year 619, Emperor Gaozu made Li Shimin Taiwei ( 太尉 , one of the Three Excellencies ) and put him in charge of Tang operations east of the Tong Pass. In spring 619, Liu Wuzhou launched a major offensive against Tang. He captured Taiyuan in summer 619, forcing Li Yuanji , who had been in charge there, to flee, and then continued his offensive south. Emperor Gaozu sent Pei Ji against him, but by winter 619, Liu had crushed Pei's forces and taken over nearly all of modern Shanxi. Emperor Gaozu, shocked at
23828-570: Was fearful that he would be killed by Li Jiancheng, and his staff members Fang Xuanling , Du Ruhui , and Zhangsun Wuji were repeatedly encouraging Li Shimin to attack Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji first—while Wei Zheng was encouraging Li Jiancheng to attack Li Shimin first. Li Jiancheng persuaded Emperor Gaozu to remove Fang and Du, as well as Li Shimin's trusted guard generals Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Zhijie , from Li Shimin's staff. Zhangsun Wuji , who remained on Li Shimin's staff, continued to try to persuade Li Shimin to attack first. In summer 626,
23989-526: Was forced to withdraw back to Chang'an, and Liu and Yin were removed from their posts. (This would be Li Shimin's only defeat recorded in historical records until the Goguryeo campaign of 645.) Xue Ju, in light of his victory, was ready to launch an assault on Chang'an itself, under Hao Yuan's advice, but suddenly died of an illness in fall 618 and was succeeded by Xue Rengao. Emperor Gaozu then sent Li Shimin against Xue Rengao. Three months after Xue Rengao took
24150-536: Was found to have, against regulations, tried to add soldiers to his guard corps, Emperor Gaozu was so angry that he put Li Jiancheng under arrest. In fear, Li Jiancheng's guard commander Yang Wen'gan ( 楊文幹 ) rebelled. Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin against Yang, offering to make him crown prince after he returned. After Li Shimin left, however, Feng Deyi (now a chancellor), Li Yuanji, and the concubines all spoke on Li Jiancheng's behalf, and after Li Shimin returned, Emperor Gaozu did not depose Li Jiancheng, but instead blamed
24311-464: Was given by a Tibetan to the Dalai Lama. In 2000, the Jokhang became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as an extension of the Potala Palace (a World Heritage Site since 1994) to facilitate conservation efforts. The temple is listed in the first group of National Cultural Protection Relic Units , and has been categorized as a 4A-level tourist site. On February 17, 2018, the temple caught fire at 6:40 p.m. (local time), before sunset in Lhasa, with
24472-416: Was having increasing conflicts with Tuyuhun , whose Busabo Khan Murong Fuyun , under instigation by his strategist the Prince of Tianzhu, had been repeatedly attacking Tang prefectures on the borders. At one point, Murong Fuyun sought to have a Tang princess marry his son the Prince of Zun, but the marriage negotiations broke down over Emperor Taizong's insistence that the Prince of Zun come to Chang'an for
24633-432: Was in desperate situation, and Xia forces had not yet arrived, but Tang troops had also suffered serious casualties, as Luoyang's defenses, aided by powerful bows and catapults, were holding. Emperor Gaozu, hearing that Dou had decided to come to Wang's aid, ordered Li Shimin to withdraw, but Li Shimin sent his secretary Feng Deyi to Chang'an to explain to Emperor Gaozu that if he did withdraw, Wang would recover and again be
24794-400: Was merely again looking at tradition and not the recent contributions. He therefore personally intervened in revising the work, reducing Cui's clan to the third class. In fall 638, Tibet's Songtsän Gampo, displeased that Emperor Taizong had declined to give him a Tang princess in marriage and believing that Murong Nuohebo had persuaded Emperor Taizong to decline the marriage proposal, launched
24955-505: Was one of his teachers. She manifested at Samding Monastery in order to tame Yamdrok Lake , a sacred lake as well as a dangerous flashpoint for massive flooding events in Tibet . However, her effects were more practical: as abbess of Samding, she stopped the invasion of the Dzungars , who were reportedly terrified of her great siddhi powers. When faced with her anger—reputedly by turning
25116-487: Was overshadowed by his younger brother. The court became divided into a faction favoring the Crown Prince and a faction favoring the Prince of Qin. The rivalry was particularly causing problems within the capital, as the commands of the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Qi Li Yuanji were said to have the same force as the emperor's edicts, and the officials had to carry conflicting orders out by acting on
25277-484: Was practiced but the people were wise and lived by just laws. He depicted the Chinese empire as being divided by a great river (i.e. the Yangzi ) that served as the boundary between two rival states at war , yet during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Maurice (582–602 AD) the northerners wearing "black coats" conquered the "red coats" of the south (black being a distinctive color worn by the people of Shaanxi , location of
25438-430: Was releasing a number of ladies in waiting from the palace and returning them to their homes, so that they could be married. He made his wife Princess Zhangsun the empress, and their oldest son Li Chengqian the crown prince. Emperor Taizong also immediately faced a crisis, as the Eastern Turkic leader Illig Qaghan (Ashina Duobi), along with his nephew the subordinate Tuli Khan Ashina Shibobi ( 阿史那什鉢苾 ), launched
25599-465: Was secure, Emperor Taizong attempted to do so by making repeated statements to that effect, but his continued favoring of Li Tai led to continued speculation among officials. Also by 642, Xueyantuo had posed a sufficiently serious threat (albeit still formally submissive) that Emperor Taizong saw two alternatives—destroying it by force or forming into a heqin relationship by marrying one of his daughters to Yinan. This particularly became an issue after
25760-417: Was soon restored to being chancellor, although his career during Emperor Taizong's reign would see repeated dismissals and repeated restorations.) However, he also began to greatly pay attention to the officials' submissions and their criticism of imperial governance, making changes where he saw needed. He also particularly began to trust Wei Zheng , accepting much advice from Wei as far as his personal conduct
25921-481: Was understood to be an incarnation of Machig Labdrön . She rapidly became famous as a dynamic and inspirational follower, possibly a tantric consort ( Wylie : phyag rgya ma ) of three of the outstanding religious tantric masters of the era. She was also recognised as a master in her own right and as the spiritual heir of her main teacher. She contributed to some of the most significant works of art, architecture, and engineering of her time and had seminal influence in
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