1. King Srongtsan Gampo [Tib: Srong btsan sgam po]

Srongtsan Gampo [Tib: Srong btsan sgam po] [i.e., Songtsen Gampo], the 33^rd King of Tibet, is perceived in Tibetan history as a legendary king who unified Tibet and ushered in the era of Dharma kings, who established Buddhism as the state religion. He conquered neighboring countries like Zhangzhung in the west^[1]; and attacked China in the east^[2]. King Srongtsan’s army went south to reprimand King Arjuna of India for meddling with the Chinese religious delegation^[3] to India. He attacked Nepal and helped restore the reign of King Narendradeva^[4]. Through his military and diplomatic prowess, he won the hands of the princesses of Nepal, Zhangzhung, Tangut and Chinese royal families. These matrimonial alliances helped him establish diplomatic, cultural and trade relations with its neighboring countries.

Temples were built to house religious idols brought in by the four foreign princesses, as well as the Tibetan queen Mongsa Tricham [Tib.:Mong bz'a khri lcam]. Twelve major temples were built in different part of Tibet to suppress the "Supine She-Demon" [Tib.:Srin mo gan kyal] upon whom the land of Tibet was presumed to rest as believed by the Tibetans at that time. King Srongtsan [i.e., Songtsen Gampo] visited China and built temples at Wutaishan, and in total some 108 temples^[5] were attributed to his patronage. He built Potala Palace on Marpo-ri and shifted the capital from Yarlung to Lhasa. The origin of the Tibetan script is attributed to his initiative. He sent one of his brightest ministers, Thonmi Sambhota to India to learn Indian languages and to design the Tibetan script. The King mastered the Tibetan writing system and the two authoritative texts -Mani kabum^[6] and Kachem Kakholma^[7] -were attributed to his scholarship. He legislated the ten sacred laws of the divine [Tib.:Lha chos dge ba bcu] and sixteen secular laws for the humans [Tib.:Mi chos gtsang ma bcu drug]. His achievements, scholarship and contributions to the nation are considered so profound and vast for a single human being. Later in Tibetan historiography, he is elevated to the realm of bodhisattvas, as an emanation of Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of compassion.

The King‘s achievements stand out in Tibetan Imperial history, his deeds being so great and vast that it presents a quandary to believe he achieved them all in a short span of the twenty years of his reign. This has led to scholarly debates surrounding his prolific career. Although historians and scholars are in agreement regarding his varied feats and achievements, opinions are divided on how long the King lived for, whether up to the age of 33 years or 82 years.