3rd Taktra Rinpoche

Who was 3rd Taktra Rinpoche?

Ngawang Sungrab Thutob was the third Taktra Rinpoche, and regent of Tibet.

As regent, he was responsible for raising and educating the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

As a regent he succeeded the fifth Reting Rinpoche, Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen, at the beginning of 1941, with whom he got into conflict later. The Reting Rinpoche rebelled, was captured and died in imprisonment under mysterious circumstances in the Potala Palace.

State-controlled media in China claims that he was responsible for the death of the 5th Reting Rinpoche, the teacher of 14th Dalai Lama and previous regent. They praise Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen as a patriot and devout Buddhist while calling Ngawang Sungrab Thutob as a "pro-Britain, pro-slavery separatist." Reting Rinpoche, regardless of his political leanings, will be remembered for discovering and enthroning the current, 14th Dalai Lama.