Kingdom of Derge

Kingdom of Derge
སྡེ་དགེ་
13th century–1956
CapitalDêgê
Common languagesKhams Tibetan
GovernmentMonarchy
Derge Gyalpo 
• 16??–16??
Lodro Tobden
• ?–1812
Tsewang Lhamo
• 1897–1908
Doje Senkel
• 1926–1942
Tsewang Donden
• 1942–1956
Jamyang Palmo
History 
• Established
13th century
1853
1908
• Restored by Tibet
1913
1950
1956
 Succeeded by
China
Today part ofChina
Part of a series on the
History of Tibet
Potala Palace
See also
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The Kingdom of Derge (Tibetan: སྡེ་དགེ་, Wylie: sde dge; Chinese: 德格王國) was a large kingdom in Kham, whose estate was founded in the 13th century by the Gar Clan of Sonam Rinchen in present day Pelyul County.[1] The Gar Clan traces its lineage to minister Gar Tongtsen at Songsten Gampo's 7th century court, and the kingdom lasted until the 20th century.[2] After the 1630s, the Derge Kingdom became a major center of Tibetan culture, printing, industry, Tibetan Buddhism, and politics, and the seat of its kingdom was in the town of Degé.[2] The kings of Derge belonged to the 1300-year old Gar Clan lineage,[2]

"CASTLE OF THE RAJAH OF DE-GE AT DE-GE GONCHEN" (original caption) from Eric Teichman's 1922 book, "Travels of a Consular Officer in Eastern Tibet: Together with a History of the Relations between China, Tibet and India"[3]

At its height, the population of the kingdom consisted of 12–15,000 families.[4]

The northern border of the kingdom was defined by Tso Ngon Lake; on the east, the boundary terminated at those states that utilized the Horpa variation of the Rgyalrongic languages, Chantui and Litang; the southern and western boundaries were defined by Batang, Sanai, Gonjo and Draya; and Lhato and Chamdo, respectively.[4] During the Qing dynasty, a Derge king requested a Tusi title in 1728.[5][6] The kingdom was known for its metal working and was an important center in the establishment of the Rimé movement in Tibetan Buddhism.[7][8] The royal family of Derge were known as supporters of art, producing such artists as Situ Panchen, the kingdom's senior court chaplain, who is also known for his contributions to medicine and religion.[9][10] Regent Queen Tsewang Lhamo (d. 1812) was known for her support of the Nyingma school and for commissioning the printing its texts, including The Collected Tantras of the Nyingma.[11][12]

  1. ^ Chhosphel, Samten (March 2011). "Katokpa Dampa Deshek". The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters.
  2. ^ a b c McCue, Gary (1999). Trekking in Tibet: A Traveler's Guide (2 ed.). The Mountaineers Bookl. p. 239. ISBN 0-89886-662-6. Derge kingdom.
  3. ^ Teichman, Eric (1922). Travels of a Consular Officer in Eastern Tibet: Together with a History of the Relations between China, Tibet and India. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 158–159, plate XXXIX.
  4. ^ a b Coales, Oliver R. (2003). "Narrative of a journey from Tachienlu to Ch'amdo and back via Batang". In McKay, Alex (ed.). The History of Tibet. Routledge. p. 223. ISBN 0-415-30844-5.
  5. ^ Li, Jianglin (2022). When the Iron Bird Flies: China's Secret War in Tibet. Stanford University Press. p. 322. ISBN 9781503629790.
  6. ^ Wouters, Jelle (2022). Routledge Handbook of Highland Asia. Taylor & Francis. p. 68. ISBN 9781000598582.
  7. ^ Rockhill, William Woodville (1891). The Land of the Lamas: Notes of a Journey Through China, Mongolia and Tibet. Century Co. p. 228. Derge kingdom.
  8. ^ Huber, Toni (2008). The Holy Land Reborn: Pilgrimage & the Tibetan Reinvention of Buddhist India. University of Chicago Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-226-35648-8.
  9. ^ Berger, Patricia Ann (2003). Empire of Emptiness: Buddhist Art and Political Authority in Qing China. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 145–146. ISBN 0-8248-2563-2.
  10. ^ "Situ Panchen: Creation and Cultural Engagement in 18th-Century Tibet". Rubin Museum of Art. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  11. ^ Ronis, Jann (October 2011). "Powerful Women in the History of Degé: Reassessing the Eventful Reign of the Dowager Queen Tsewang Lhamo (d. 1812)". Proceedings du deuxième séminaire international des Jeunes Tibétologues (ISYT), Paris 2009. Vol. 21. Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines. pp. 61–81. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  12. ^ Ronis, Jann (May 2013). "Tsewang Lhamo". The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-10-08.