Sangs-rgyas rgya-mtsho

Tibetan minister

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July 13, 2026

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Sangs-rgyas rgya-mtsho was a prominent Tibetan minister and regent who served in the late 17th century. He was instrumental in the administration of Tibet during a period of consolidation of power for the Dge-lugs-pa (Yellow Hat) sect. As minister regent, he succeeded his patron, the fifth Dalai Lama, and played a key role in the construction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. His tenure as regent helped establish a unified government in Tibet. The period of his influence also saw significant diplomatic relations between Tibet and the Qing dynasty of China.1

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Tibet
The unification of Tibet
…completed by another great figure, Sangs-rgyas-rgya-mtsho, who in 1679 succeeded as minister regent just before the death of his patron the fifth Dalai Lama. By then a soundly based and unified government had been established over a wider extent than any for eight centuries.
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…completed by another great figure, Sangs-rgyas-rgya-mtsho, who in 1679 succeeded as minister regent just before the death of his patron the fifth Dalai Lama. By then a soundly based and unified government had been established over a wider extent than any for eight centuries.
Read More