Langdarma

Langdarma (T. glang dar ma གླང་དར་མ།) was the 42nd and last king of the Tibetan Empire. He reigned from 841-846. He ascended to the throne by assassinating his brother, King Ralpachen. During his brief reign, he persecuted Buddhism, particularly the monastic communities. He was assassinated by Palgyi Dorje.

Langdarma's death was followed by civil war and the dissolution of the Tibetan Empire.

Cortland Dahl states:

After [the] flourishing of Buddhist activity during the seventh to ninth centuries, the spread of Buddhism suffered a major setback at the hands of Langdarma, the brother of King Ralpachen. Langdarma was bitterly opposed to the spread of Buddhism, which he saw as a threat to the indigenous Bön tradition. During his short reign, Langdarma worked to undo the efforts of his predecessors. His violent persecution dismantled the community of ordained monks and nuns—nearly destroying Tibet’s fledgling Buddhist community—and plunged the country into a period of political and cultural fragmentation.

Buddhism was not entirely wiped out during this dark period, however. While Langdarma and his cohorts decimated most of the monastic community, a few monks escaped to Amdo in northeastern Tibet, where they preserved the lineage of monastic ordination. The community of lay practitioners survived as well, and many tantric lineages that were transmitted by Padmasambhava and other Buddhist masters continued to be taught and practiced in secret.

Sources

• Dahl, Cortland (2009), Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminary Practices, Shambhala 
• McKay, Alex (2003), Tibet and Her Neighbours: A History, London: Edition Hansjörg Meyer, ISBN 3883757187