- Langdarma
Langdarma was the last Tibetan emperor, who
reign ed from838 -841 CE.By tradition Langdarma is held to be have been anti-Buddhist and a follower of the
Bön religion. He is attributed with the assassination of his brother, KingRalpacan , in838 CE and of general persecution of Buddhists. TheAnti-Buddhism portrayal of this emperor has been questioned by several historians, most prominently Yamaguchi Zuiho.Langdarma's reign was plagued by external troubles. The
Uyghur state to the North collapsed under pressure from theKyrgyz in 840, and many displaced persons fled to Tibet.According to one source he only reigned for a year and a half, while others give six or thirteen years. [Stein, R. A. 1972. Tibetan Civilization. Stanford University Press, pp. 70-71. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (pbk).] Langdarma himself was assassinated, apparently by a Buddhist hermit, in 842. [Beckwith, Christopher I. 1987. "The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia: A History of the Struggle for Great Power among Tibetans, Turks, Arabs, and Chinese during the Early Middle Ages". Princeton University Press, pp. 168-169. ISBN 0-691-02469-3.]
Langdarma is said to have had two sons, Yumten, by his first wife, and Ösung by his second wife. They apparently competed for power, the former ruling over the central kingdom of
Ü , and the other of over the 'left wing' - probably the eastern territories. [Stein, R. A. 1972. Tibetan Civilization. Stanford University Press, pp. 70-71. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (pbk).]Footnotes
External links
*http://www.haiweitrails.com/timeline_tibet.htm (accessed: Sunday January 14, 2007)
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