A statue of Emperor Srong-rtsan Sgam-po in his meditation cave at Yerpa

Songtsen Gampo (སྲོང་བཙན་སྒམ་པོ་ Wylie: Srong-btsan Sgam-po) (604–650 CE) was the thirty-third king of the Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet. Born at Gyama at Maldro to Namri Löntsen (Wylie: Gnam-ri-slon-mtshan), he is traditionally credited with bringing Buddhism to the Tibetan people. I took this photo myself in 1993. ... I took this photo myself in 1993. ... The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating the Tibetan script using the keys on a typical English language typewriter. ... Events April 13 - Sabinianus becomes Pope, succeeding Gregory I. September 13 - Pope Sabinianus is consecrated. ... Events Arab conquest of Persia, establishment of Islam as state religion Hindu empire in Sumatra Croats and Serbs occupy Bosnia Khazars conquer Great Bulgarian Empire in southern Russia building of St. ... This article is becoming very long. ... A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found in Sarnath, near Varanasi. ... Ethnolinguistic Groups of Tibet, 1967 ( See entire map, which includes a key) Ethnic Tibetan autonomous entities set up by the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Songtsen Gampo was adept at diplomacy as well as on the field of battle. The king's minister Myang Mang-po-rje Zhang-shang defeated Sum pa circa 627 (Old Tibetan Annals [OTA] l. 2). Six years later (c. 632/633) Myang Mang-po-rje Zhang-shang was accused of treason and executed (OTA l. 4-5, Richardson 1965). Minister Mgar-srong-rtsan succeeded him. Events April 11 - Paulinus, a Roman missionary, baptizes King Edwin of Deira December 12 - Battle of Nineveh: Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeats the Persians Births Deaths November 10 - Justus, Archbishop of Canterbury Categories: 627 ... Events Abu Bakr becomes first caliph or Successor of the Prophet, leader of Islam Abu Bakr defeats Mosailima in the Battle of Akraba. ... Events Oswald of Bernicia becomes Bretwalda. ...

The Chinese records mention receiving an envoy in 634. On that occasion the king requested to marry a Chinese princess and was refused. In 635/636 the king attacked and defeated the 'A zha people (Chinese: Tüyühün), who lived around Lake Koko Nor in the northeast corner of Tibet, and who controlled important trade routes into China. After a successful campaign against China in 635–6 (OTA l. 607) the Chinese emperor agreed to marry Songtsen Gampo to a Chinese princess. Events The Arabs invade Palestine. ... Events Saint Aidan founds Lindisfarne in Northumbria, England Nestorian China Births Pippin of Herstal, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia (approximate date) 23 May - Chan Bahlum II, king of Palenque Deaths Categories: 635 ... Events April 20 - Battle of Yarmuk - Byzantine Empire loses Syria to the Arabs The Arabs invade Persia Rothari marries queen Gundeparga, becomes king of the Lombards city of Basra Iraq founded by caliph Omar on a canal. ... The Tuyuhun (Chinese: 吐谷渾) were a nomadic tribe of East Asia who flourished in the 4th-7th centuries, thought to be related to the Xianbei. ... Qinghai Lake (Chinese: 青海湖; pinyin: qīnghǎi hú; Mongolian: Koro Nor; Tibetan: Tso Ngonpo; the green-blue sea) is the largest and highest lake in China and is the second largest inland saltwater lake on Earth (after the Great Salt Lake in the United States). ...

In about 639, after Songtsen Gampo had a dispute with his younger brother Brtsan srong, the younger brother was burnt to death by his own minister Mkha’s sregs, presumably at the behest of the king (cf. Richardson 1965, OTA l. 8-10). Events Dagobert I succeeded by Clovis II as king of the Franks in Neustria and Burgundy During the Islamic conquest of Persia, Susa is destroyed Births Deaths Pippin I of Landen, father of Gertrude of Nivelles Categories: 639 ...

The Chinese princess Wencheng (Tibetan: Mung-chang Kungco), daughter of the powerful Emperor Taizong of Tang China, left China in 640 to marry Songtsen Gampo, arriving the next year. Peace between China and Tibet prevailed for the remainder of Songtsen Gampo's reign. Emperor Taizong of Tang China (January 23, 599–July 10, 649), born Li Shimin (李世民 Lĭ ShìMín), was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China from 626 to 649. ... Events May 28 - Severinus becomes pope, but dies the same year. ...

Songtsen Gampo’s sister Sad-mar-kar was sent to marry Lig-myi-rhya, the king of Zhang-zhung. However, when the king refused to consummate the marriage, she then helped Songtsen Gampo to defeat Lig myi-rhya and incorporate the Zhang-zhung of Western Tibet into the Tibetan Empire in 645. Zhang Zhung culture (Tibetan: ཞང་ཞུང་; OTT: Shangshung) is an ancient culture of western and northwestern Tibet which pre-dated Tibetan Buddhism and is best known as the source of the Bön religion. ... Events End of the reign of Empress Kogyoku of Japan Emperor Kotoku ascends to the throne of Japan Byzantines recapture Alexandria from the Arabs Births Empress Jito of Japan Categories: 645 ...

Songtsen Gampo died in 650, and was succeeded by his infant grandson Khri-mang-slon. Real power was left in the hands of the minister Mgar-srong-rtsan.

Myths about Songtsen Gampo and his cultural importance

Songtsen Gampo has become a cultural hero for Tibetans, based largely on myths that appeared around him during the Middle Ages. For example, it is said that his Nepalese princess Bhrikuti and his Chinese princess Wencheng brought Buddhism to Tibet. No historical evidence supports the existence of this Nepalese princess or the faith of Wencheng, although Buddhism would have been known in China at the time. These stories are included in such medieval romances as the Mani-bka'-'bum, and historiographies such as the Rgyal-rabs Gsel-ba'i Me-long. Bhrikuti (also Bhrikuti devi) was a princess of the Licchavi kingdom of Nepal during the 7th century. ...

The stories of Thonmi Sambhota, who is supposed to have invented the Tibetan script, and of the original Jowo statue at Lhasa have similar late medieval origins. Thonmi Sambhota is the traditional inventor of the Tibetan script in the 7th C. AD. However, he is not mentioned in any Old Tibetan texts. ...

References

• Beckwith, Christopher I (1987). The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Richardson, Hugh E. (1965). "How Old was Srong Brtsan Sgampo" Bulletin of Tibetology 2.1. pp 5-8.