Sengge Namgyal (Ladakhi: སེང་གེ་རྣམ་རྒྱལ, Wylie: seng-ge rnam-rgyal, c. 1570–1642) was a 17th-century king of the Namgyal dynasty of Ladakh, from 1616 to his death in 1642. A Buddhist, he was noted for his immense work in building monasteries, palaces and shrines in Ladakh and is known as the "Lion King".

Quick Facts Reign, Predecessor ...
Sengge Namgyal
Gyalpo of Ladakh
Reign1616 - 1642 CE
PredecessorJamyang Namgyal
SuccessorDeldan Namgyal
HouseNamgyal dynasty of Ladakh
FatherJamyang Namgyal
MotherGyal Khatun
ReligionBuddhism
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The Leh Palace, built by Sengge Namgyal

Biography

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Hemis monastery courtyard

Sengge was born to Jamyang Namgyal and a Balti mother, Gyal Khatun. He was a devout Buddhist.[1][2]

In his youth, he showed great martial skill and a flair for command. Talents which got him the command of the army. In 1614, he captured the mining town of Rudok followed by Spurangs, another important gold mining town, in 1615. The plunder and the output from these towns financed the building projects he would later commission as the King. In 1616, on the death of his father, Jamyang Namgyal, he ascended to the throne. He completed the conquests of Kingdom of Ngaris after a brief siege of Guge castle (Tsaparang) in 1619.[3]

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Hanle Gompa, built by Sengge and Stag-tsang-ras-pa, soon after his conversion to the Drugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism

References

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