Day sepa

Tibetan name
Tibetan script : སྟག་ རྩེ་ པ་ ལྷ་ རྒྱལ་ རབ་ བརྟན
Wylie transliteration : stag rtse pa lha rgyal rab brtan
Other spellings: Tagtsepa Lhagyel Rabten
Chinese name
Simplified : 达孜瓦 • 拉杰 饶 丹; 达孜巴
Pinyin : Daziwa Lajie Raodan; Daziba

Tagtsepa Lhagyel Rabten ( Tib . : stag rtse pa lha rgyal rab brtan ; * 17th century ; † 1720 in Lhasa ) was the ruler of the Tibetan administration during the years of the Djungarian rule in Tibet (1717–1720). He was called Sakyong (Tib .: sa skyong ; "Protector of the Earth"). After the invasion of Emperor Kangxi's troops , he was executed by the Chinese by beheading .

Historical background

The invasion of Tibet by the Djungars has to be seen against the background of the Manchu-Chinese Qing dynasty's aggressive expansion and colonization policy towards Central Asia, which the warlike Djungars under Galden , Tshewang Rabten and Galdan Tsereng opposed in a conflict that lasted almost a hundred years. The Jungaren had been converted to Tibetan Buddhism early 17th century, and always had close religious ties to the Gelug -pa School and the Dalai Lama of Tibet. The conquest of Tibet in 1717 was primarily intended to expand the political and religious power base of the Djungarian state, especially as the 7th Dalai Lama was also planned to move to Lhasa with this conquest. The focus was also on the subordination of the Qoshoten , who ruled Tibet with their chief Lhabsang Khan .

Tagtsepa's role in the conquest of Tibet by the Djungars

Tagtsepa Lhagyel Rabten came from a noble family who had their seat in the Tagtse Dzong district east of Lhasa. For this reason it was also called Tagtsene (Tib .: stag rtse nas ) "Der von Tagtse". He served in the Tibetan administration before and after Lhabsang Khan came to power. He has been described as a plump person with a pale face, a toothless mouth, and an indistinct, stuttering pronunciation.

There is no doubt that he belonged to the faction of the Tibetan nobility that was opposed to Lhabsang Khan and, like the three large monasteries Sera , Drepung and Ganden , apparently maintained contacts with the Djungars.

Tagtsepa made a historical appearance when Tshewang Rabten's troop leader Tshering Dondok with 6000 men surprisingly reached Tibet via the northwest route. He was one of the traitors who betrayed the defense lines of Lhabsang Khan to the Djungars and thus favored their advance.

His betrayal of Prince Surja and other members of the old Tibetan government, who fled the Potala after the death of Lhabsang Khan and took refuge in his house in Tagtse, is dreadfully remembered. Tagtsepa mercilessly delivered these refugees to the Djungars.

Government activity

Tagtsepa was appointed by the Djungars with the title Sakyong (Tib .: sa skyong ) as head of the new Tibetan government. However, the real power remained in the hands of the Djungarian troop leader Tsering Donduk, who only used the Tibetan ministers of the new government as figureheads. The Djungars established a regime of terror aimed at sacking Tibet. Their attempts to transport the treasures of Tibet to the Djungarian Republic largely failed because of the Tibetan resistance.

It should be emphasized that, in view of the terror regime of the Djungars, Tagtsepa ultimately did some support for his Tibetan compatriots. This is how he saved Miwang Pholhane Sönam Tobgye 's life.

Entry of the Chinese army

The expansion of the Djungarian power base in Tibet posed a serious threat to the Chinese aspirations for power. However, a Chinese force of 7,000 sent out in 1718 was wiped out by the Djungars. With the advance of a large imperial army in 1720, the Djungars de facto left Tibet to the advancing imperial troops without a fight.

execution

Significantly, Tagtsepa was at the head of the dignitaries who cheered the advancing Chinese troops and the arriving 7th Dalai. He rode into the holy city almost at the head of the procession which led the Dalai Lama to Lhasa with great pomp.

Shortly afterwards, the Chinese arrested him. Although Pholhane and the father of the 7th Dalai Lama stood up for Tagtsepa's life, Tagtsepa and two of his ministers were taken to the banks of the Lhasa He in a public execution ceremony and there were publicly beheaded by the Chinese.

literature

• Luciano Petech: China and Tibet in the Early XVIIIth Century. History of the Establishment of Chinese Protecturate in Tibet. Leiden 1972.