Trisong

Trisong Detsen, also known as Trisong Detsen (Tibetan: Khri Srong Ldebrtsan), was an 8th-century Tibetan emperor of the Yarlung dynasty who ruled roughly from 755/756 to 797 CE. He is one of Tibet’s best-documented medieval rulers and is remembered for strengthening royal authority and promoting cultural and religious development.

During his reign, Trisong Detsen pursued centralization of power and expanded Tibetan influence in the region. He supported the administration of a growing state apparatus and sought to consolidate Tibet’s external relations with neighboring powers, while also fostering religious and cultural life at court.

A defining aspect of his reign was the promotion of Buddhism as a state-sponsored tradition. According to traditional accounts, he invited the Indian scholars Shantarakshita and the tantric master Padmasambhava to Tibet to teach and to establish a firm Buddhist foundation. They founded Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, and initiated major translation efforts to render Buddhist texts into Tibetan. The introduction of Buddhism faced resistance from adherents of the Bon tradition, but under Trisong Detsen’s patronage the new faith gained imperial support and institutional form, shaping Tibetan religious life for centuries.

Trisong Detsen died around 797 and was succeeded by his son Muné Tsenpo. His reign is considered a turning point in Tibetan history, marking the integration of monastic institutions with royal authority and the establishment of a Tibetan Buddhist scholarly and translation culture that influenced subsequent emperors and the development of Tibetan civilization.