History Unwritten

Trisong Detsen is Tibet's second - and most famous - Dharma King. How did he acquire this title? It wasn't for his military achievements, the conquest of Chang'an or victories over the Chinese. No, he earned the appellation because he solidified Buddhism's hold over the country.

Trisong Detsen is credited with building Tibet's first monastery and hosting a Great Debate there in 792. Today, we cover the religious activities of this most famous of Tsenpos.

The Tibetan flag, adorned with the celestial Snow Lion, flies above the cities of the Tarim Basin once again. Over the 40 years of Trisong Detsen's reign, he took the Tibetan Empire from its lowest to its highest point. The signs were clear from the earliest days, as the Tang Empire descended into chaos with the An Lushan rebellion, the Tsenpo sent his armies to capture the capital of China itself, Chang'an.

The young Trisong Detsen is alone in his gilded cage. Having survived a violent coup that claimed his father's life, he must now contend - at the ripe age of 15 - with the greatest struggle since Tibet's unification. A battle for the soul of Tibet, waged between the anti-Buddhists and the followers of the Dharma.

How will the new Tsenpo wage this war? How will he contend with scheming ministers, and mighty mystics? Answers to this and more in our first of three episodes on Tibet's second Dharma King.

In which we break to study the Tibetan royal family and imperial court. The men and women following the Tsenpo's mobile city were integral to our story, it's important we spend some time getting to know them.

In which tensions break at home and abroad for the Tibetans. On the domestic front, conflicts over religion and culture result in the expulsion of the Chinese and two coup attempts. Internationally, the three Asian Great Powers break into total war over the Silk Road.

In the middle, Tibet finds itself on the losing side of nearly every conflict. But, as the saying goes, it's always darkest just before the dawn. And Tibet is on the verge of a glorious, century-long golden age, if it can survive...

In which Tibet recovers from the disastrous end of the Gar Regency. The Emperor Dusong seized power from Gar - only to die some six years later, leaving control of the empire in the hands of a regent.

Meanwhile, in the east, the Tang prepared to make war, even while negotiating a marriage alliance with the new Tsenpo. And in the west, a new player emerged from the deserts of Arabia.

In order to survive, Tibet would need to navigate these growing tensions. How would they fare in this new 8th century?

Blood stains the Silk Road, while at home in Tibet the Tsenpo's chafe under the yoke of their regents. The death of Songtsen Gampo left a power vacuum, one filled by the most powerful man in Tibet, the Prime Minister Gar Tongtsen.

Amidst the backdrop of war, the Gar clan would consolidate control in their own hands, quietly sidelining the Yarlung Dynasty Emperors. But a young Tsenpo, tired of being a mere puppet, would change all of that forever...

In which we discuss the government of the Tibetan Empire. From provincial divisions to the men staffing the bureaucracy, Tibet was a centralized and powerful state capable of punching well above its weight.

In which we conclude our story of the first Tsenpo of the Tibetan Empire.

Songtsen is known today as "Songtsen Gampo" which means Songtsen "the Wise". He earned this title for his contributions to Tibetan culture, especially the introduction of writing and the construction of Buddhist temples.

But Songtsen did not work alone - his many talented ministers, and his two Buddhist wives, were just as active, if not more so. Today we follow that story until Songtsen's early death in 649.

Shortly after his ascension to the throne of the Yarlung Kingdom, the new Tsenpo Songtsen set about transforming his minor state into a great power. His key to success were three strategic marriages - one between his sister and a neighboring king, one between himself and a Nepalese princess and the third between his son and heir and the adopted daughter of the Chinese Emperor.