Songtsen Gampo
Tibetan emperor (604-650) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Songtsen Gampo (Tibetan: སྲོང་བཙན་སྒམ་པོ, srong btsan sgam po; 569–649) or Songzan Ganbu (Chinese: 松贊干布), was the 33rd Tibetan king and founder of the Tibetan Empire.[lower-alpha 1]
Quick Facts Predecessor, Successor ...
Songtsen Gampo | |||||||||
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Emperor of Tibet | |||||||||
Predecessor | Namri Songtsen | ||||||||
Successor | Mangsong Mangtsen | ||||||||
Born | Songtsen between 557 and 617 Maizhokunggar, Tibet | ||||||||
Died | 649 Zal-mo-sgang, 'phun-yul, Tibet (in modern Lhünzhub County) | ||||||||
Spouse | Pogong Mongza Tricham Bhrikuti (from Nepal, Licchavi kingdom) | ||||||||
Issue | Gungsong Gungtsen | ||||||||
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Father | Namri Songtsen | ||||||||
Mother | Driza Tökarma | ||||||||
Religion | Tibetan Buddhism |
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He helped introduce Buddhism to Tibet. He had a Nepali wife named Bhrikuti and a Tang wife named Princess Wencheng. Both of them were Buddhists.[1] He also helped invent the Tibetan alphabet and made Classical Tibetan the official language of Tibet at the time.
He may have been born in 569 or 605. Tibet used their own calendar so we are still trying to figure it out.