Ralpacan

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Stone lion on burial mound of King Ralpachen in Chongye Valley

Ralpacan (T. རལ་པ་ཅན ral pa can), or Ralpachen, born c. 806 CE, was the 41st king of Yarlung dynasty and ruler of the Tibetan Empire from c. 815-838. He was the third of the "Three Dharma Kings" of Tibet; the first two were Songtsen Gampo and Trisong Detsen. Ralpachen was the grandson of Trisong Detsen.

Ralpachen was a great supporter of Buddhism in Tibet. He built many temples and he invited many scholars from India to Tibet.[1] He was also a skilled political and military leader, and during his reign the Tibetan empire grew to its largest extent.

Ralpachen was assassinated by his brother Langdarma in 838, marking the end the imperial patronage of Buddhism in Tibet. Langdarma persecuted Buddhism during his reign, and Langdarma's death was followed by civil war and the dissolution of the Tibetan Empire.[2]

Further reading:

Notes

  1. RW icon height 18px.png King Tri Ralpachen, Rigpa Shedra Wiki
  2. Samten Karmay in McKay, Alex (2003). Tibet and her neighbours : a history. London: Edition Hansjörg Meyer. ISBN 3883757187. , pg. 57