Background
Tenzin Dalai Khan, also known as Konchok Dalai Khan, is usually depicted as the son of Dayan Khan who ruled as the protector-king ("Dharma king, Protector of the Faith") in 1655-1668.
Tenzin Dalai Khan, also known as Konchok Dalai Khan, is usually depicted as the son of Dayan Khan who ruled as the protector-king ("Dharma king, Protector of the Faith") in 1655-1668.
He ruled from 1668 to 1696 (or 1701), in the time of the Fifth and Sixth Dalai Lamas. When Dayan Khan died in 1668, he was succeeded by Tenzin Dalai Khan. Incidentally the Tibetan regent (desi) Trinley Gyatso died at the same time and was succeeded by Lozang Thuthob.
The two new leaders were immediately faced with an attack from Bhutan.
Bhutanese forces assaulted the Achok tribe of the Monpa people, who live in the far south-east of Tibet and present-day Arunachal Pradesh. The Achok asked the Tibetan rulers for assistance and such was given.
A campaign was carried out at the end of 1668 and reached a satisfactory conclusion. New trouble broke out in 1675 since the Bhutanese attacked Sikkim and Achok.
Tibetan and Mongol troops defeated the adversary in a bloody campaign, regained the lost territories and forced the Bhutanese out of Sikkim.
The reign of Tenzin Dalai Khan started inauspiciously. There were disturbances in the royal family in 1670 and there was therefore dissention among the Orö (Oirat) Mongols. The abbot of Gangchen, Konchok Rinchen, was dispatched by the Dalai Lama government and admonished the parties to keep the peace.
An agreement was reached.
Tenzin Dalai Khan then appeared in Lhasa in 1671 and was formally enthroned as "king of Tibet" on 11 April. He was, however, a rather effaced and inactive type and stood in the shadow of the imposing Fifth Dalai Lama and the gifted desi Sangye Gyatso.
He nevertheless played a role when hostilities with the kingdom of Ladakh erupted in 1679. The troops fought their way past the mountain passes of West Tibet and were able to besiege the Ladakhi ruler Delegation Namgyal in his fortified capital Basgo.
After a Bhutanese incarnate lama had mediated, an agreement was eventually reached.
The Ladakhi ruler gave up Guge, Purang and Rudok to the Dalai Lama state. Ganden Tsewang Palzang was subsequently sent back to keep control over the subjugated area. The later years of Tenzin Dalai Khan are not much spoken of in the texts.
He did not investigate the whereabouts of the Fifth Dalai Lama, whose death in 1682 was kept secret for many years by Sangye Gyatso.
Thus a daughter of Tenzin Dalai Khan, Kunga Rabten, married the Dzungar khong tayiji Tsewang Rabtan who later played a fateful role in the history of Tibet. While Tenzin Dalai was acknowledged as the chogyal or Dharma king of Tibet, there were other Khoshut princes who had a role in local governance.
By the end of the 17th century, two descendants of Güshi Khan called Lobsang Tenzin and Erdeni Jinong dominated Amdo and did not conform to the main ruling line. The desi Sangye Gyatso tried to mediate via envoys, but there were bloody disputes among the Khoshut elite at this time, and the meeting was not successful.
The date of Tenzin Dalai Khan"s death is given differently in the literature: 1696, 21 January 1701, 1703.