Langdarma
8th Tsenpo of the Tibetan Empire and 41st King of Tibet (?–842)
title: "Langdarma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["emperors-of-tibet", "9th-century-monarchs-in-asia", "anti-buddhism", "9th-century-buddhism", "9th-century-tibetan-people", "9th-century-births", "840s-deaths", "date-of-birth-unknown", "date-of-death-unknown"] description: "8th Tsenpo of the Tibetan Empire and 41st King of Tibet (?–842)" topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langdarma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 8th Tsenpo of the Tibetan Empire and 41st King of Tibet (?–842) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox royalty"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Darma U Dum Tsen |
| | title | Tsenpo | | succession | King of Tibet | | reign | 841 – 842 | | full name | Tri Darma U Dum Tsen () | | predecessor | Tritsuk Detsen | | successor | Era of Fragmentation | | issue | Tride Yumten Namde Ösung | | dynasty | Yarlung | | father | Tridé Songtsen | | mother | Droza Lhagyel Mangmojé | | spouse | Manamza Tsépongza Tsen Mopen | | reg-type | Lönchen | | regent | We Gyaltore Taknye | | birth_name | Darma | | birth_date | After 790s? | | death_date | 842 | | religion | Bön | | place of burial | Trülgyel Mausoleum, Valley of the Kings| | ::
| name = Darma U Dum Tsen
| title = Tsenpo | image = | caption = | succession = King of Tibet | reign = 841 – 842 | coronation = | regnal_name = | full name = Tri Darma U Dum Tsen () | predecessor = Tritsuk Detsen | successor = Era of Fragmentation | issue = Tride Yumten Namde Ösung | royal house = | dynasty = Yarlung | father = Tridé Songtsen | mother = Droza Lhagyel Mangmojé | spouse = Manamza Tsépongza Tsen Mopen | reg-type = Lönchen | regent = We Gyaltore Taknye | birth_name = Darma | birth_date = After 790s? | birth_place = | death_date = 842 | death_place = | religion = Bön | date of burial = | place of burial = Trülgyel Mausoleum, Valley of the Kings|
Darma U Dum Tsen (), better known as Langdarma (, "Mature Bull" or "Darma the Bull"), was the last king of the Tibetan Empire who in 838 killed his brother, Tritsuk Detsen, then reigned from 841 until his assassination in 842. His reign led to the dissolution of the Tibetan Empire, which had extended beyond the Tibetan Plateau to include the Silk Roads with the Tibetan manuscript center at Sachu (Dunhuang), and neighbouring regions in China, Afghanistan, and India. He was assassinated by a Buddhist monk Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje.
History
Earlier in his life as a Tibetan prince, Langdarma was Buddhist, but under the influence of Wégyel Toré (), he became a follower of Bon, after which he assassinated his brother King Ralpachen, which were those of the Nyingma school, the only school of Tibetan Buddhism at that time.
Langdarma only reigned for a year to a year and a half, A Buddhist hermit or monk named Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje is often credited with assassinating Langdarma in 842, but other sources credit Nyingma master Nubchen Sangye Yeshe with frightening him to death His death was followed by civil war and the dissolution of the Tibetan empire, leading to the Era of Fragmentation.
Family
Langdarma had at least two children: sons Tride Yumten by his first wife, and Namde Ösung by his second wife. They apparently competed for power, the former ruling over the central kingdom of Ü, and the other ruling over the "left wing", probably the eastern territories.
One of Langdarma's grandsons, Kyidé Nyima Gön (), conquered Ngari in the late 10th century, although his army originally numbered only 300 men. Kyidé Nyima Gön founded several towns and castles and he apparently ordered the construction of the main sculptures at Shey. "In an inscription he says he had them made for the religious benefit of the Tsenpo (the dynastic title of his father and ancestors), and of all the people of Ngaris (Western Tibet). This shows that already in this generation Langdarma's opposition to Buddhism had disappeared." Shey, just 15 km east of modern Leh, was the ancient seat of the Ladakhi kings.
Following his persecution of Tibetan Buddhism, Atiśa was called from Sumatra to restore Buddhism to Tibet.
The anti-Buddhist portrayal of this king is well documented in primary and secondary Tibetan sources, but reinterpretations have been published from two historians, most prominently Zuiho Yamaguchi.
In Tibetan Buddhist culture, Darma U Dum Tsen was said to be the incarnation of Gośīrṣa, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guardian of hell, thus he got the nickname, Langdarma, literally, "Darma, the bull".
Langdarma was said to have had "a black tongue", and a common gesture of Tibetans briefly sticking out their tongues is interpreted to show agreement, and as a sign of respect. When they demonstrate that they do not have black tongues, they show they are not guilty of evil deeds, and that they are not incarnations of the malevolent king.
Notes
References
- Arthur Mandelbaum, "Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje", Treasury of Lives, 2007.
- Claude Arpi, "Glimpses on the History of Tibet", Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013.
- (2003). "Tibet and her neighbours : a history". Edition Hansjörg Meyer.
- in 838. Following this, he widely [[Persecution of Buddhists
- (1993). "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 Univ. Press.
- (2008). "Tibetan renaissance : Tantric Buddhism in the rebirth of Tibetan culture". Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
- (1914). "Antiquities of Indian Tibet (2 volumes)". S. Chand.
- "The ultimate reason why Atīśa was subsequently invited to Tibet was for the ‘restoration’ and purification of Buddhism again so as to be able to overcome the setback that Tibetan Buddhism had suffered from the persecutions initiated by King Lang Darma".
- Jens Schlieter. "Compassionate Killing or Conflict Resolution? The Murder of King Langdarma according to Tibetan Buddhist Sources". University of Berne.
- (1996). "De Dunhuang au Japon : études chinoise et bouddhiques offertes à Michel Soymié". Droz.
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