Songtsän Gampo

Who was Songtsän Gampo?

Songtsän Gampo was the founder of the Tibetan Empire, by tradition held to be the thirty-third ruler in his dynasty. In the Chinese records, his name is given as Songzan Ganbu or Qizong Longzan.

His mother, the queen, is identified as 'Bri-bza' Thod-dkar-ma. The dates of his birth and when he took the throne are not certain. In Tibetan accounts, it is generally accepted that he was born in an ox-year, which means one of the following dates: 557, 569, 581, 583, 605 or 617 CE. He is thought to have ascended the throne at age thirteen, by this reckoning c. 629 CE.

There are difficulties with this position, however, and several earlier dates for the birth of Songtsän Gampo have been suggested, including 569, 593 or 605. The question must remain open.