Songtsen Gampo

A Brief Introduction to Songtsen Gampo

Songtsen Gampo (617-650) is the founder and also the first king of Tubo Kingdom In his whole life, he unified Tibet and established strong slavery regime. He developed Tibet in all rounds (politics, economy, culture and so on) and brought the Tibet to a united, prosperous and wealthy time. He improved the relationship with the inland Tang Dynasty and promoted the communication between Han and Zang peoples, laying solid foundations and making sizeable contributions to the establishment of the multi-national China.

Lifetime Events of Songtsen Gampo

Through the 7th to 9th centuries in Tibet, southwest China, there existed a famous regime -- the Tibetan Regime. Its first ruler, King Songtsen Gampo (617-650), was an accomplished leader. Unifying all the tribes in Tibet, he made Lhasa the capital. He then developed production, created a Tibetan language, made laws, set up official and military systems, and established a Tibetan slavery system.

In order to absorb central China's advanced culture, Songtsen Gampo married Tang Dynasty's Princess Wen Cheng in 641, sent Tibetan aristocratic children to Chang'an for study, invited Han people to take charge of his official documents and letters, dispatched his people to learn central China's production techniques and technology, and promoted economic and cultural exchange between the Han and Tibetan areas.

In 649 the Tang regime granted him title "Commandant-escort". Songtsen Gampo made great contributions to the social, economic and cultural development of the Tibetan region, to good relations between Han and Tibetan people, and to formation and development of a multi-national China.