“After a Tsang uprising against the foreign invaders, an incensed Mongolian leader, Gushri Khan gave orders to execute the [already imprisoned] Tibetan Tsang King, Karma Tenkyong together with his ministers Dronyer Bongong and Gangzukpa. The King was administered the capital punishment ko-thumgyab-pa, which in Tibet is “reserved for upper class offenders”. He was put in an ox-hide bag and thrown in the Tsangpo river near Neu. Hardly a dignified way to be murdered, never mind contravening Buddhist vows and ethics of not-killing.”
“Here and there the passage widens as a flight of stairs breaks the monotony of grimy walls. The sleeping cells of the monks are cold, bare and dirty…. It must be confessed, though the words are written with considerable reluctance, that cheap and tawdry are the only possible adjectives that can be applied to the interior decoration of this great palace temple.” –Perceval Landan, Times correspondent, 1904
Today is Dharma Protector Day, as well as the first day of the Indian great festival of Diwali, an auspicious day indeed, for light overcoming darkness! The Potala Palace (or fort) in Lhasa, Tibet is regarded internationally as a shining and magnificent example of Himalayan-Tibetan architecture and cultural symbol of Tibet. Built at an elevation of 12,139 feet above sea level in the Lhasa Valley, the Potala Palace is the world’s highest palace and is one of the stunning example of Tibetan architecture. There are two palaces: the White, which was the seat of government until 1950, and the Red, which houses the stupas—tombs—of eight Dalai Lamas. Between them, the two buildings contain a thousand rooms, 200,000 statues and endless labyrinthine corridors.
However, the history and purpose of the Potala Palace’s construction (as well as the Little Potala near Lijiang, Yunnan China) is not as ‘romantic’ or ‘beautiful’ as Tibet ‘orientalists’ assert. The Palace was built in 1645, on the command of the 5th Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, soon after he was instituted by the Mongolian military rulers, as both the spiritual and political leader of Tibet (albeit one who was still controlled by the Mongolian invaders, and later the Chinese Qing dynasty rulers). Thus, on closer inspection, one discovers the famed Potala was built on a legacy of foreign invasion, destruction, theft and mass murder of Tibetans.
This short article briefly considers the Potala Palace’s political history, its architectural similarities to palaces and monasteries built previously by the Ladakhi King, Senge Namgyal, and by dismantling the Gelug-biased and western ‘orientalist’ narrative of the Potala, considering why its karmic historical foundations and contemporary symbolism now perhaps should stand more as an important reminder of the catastrophic dangers and results of violent ‘invasions’ for worldly power, and of mixing political and spiritual activities. After all, these Mongolian-Gelug rulers were people who thought nothing of callously murdering the [already imprisoned] Tibetan King of U-Tsang, Karma Tenkyong (who was defending Tsang from their horrific theft and onslaughts) by dumping his body in an ox-hide bag in a river [1].
Globally, there are many examples of stunning architecture (building, statues) that arose from violent invasions and conquests by foreign powers. European and Arabic colonial legacies being examples. Like the British royal family’s Buckingham Palace, London, many British people assert it is a symbol of gross wealth, power and inequality albeit a popular tourist attraction. Similarly, some might say the same about the Potala Palace. Beautiful to look at but built on shady, murderous and unequal foundations.
Music? Let’s Return to Homeland by Tsewang Norbu, and for the contemporary historians Tear Your Playhouse Down by Paul Young, Go Off On ‘Em by MIA (they did not have bulldozers and explosives in 17th Century Tibet).
Written by Adele Tomlin, 31st October 2024. Dedicated to restoring the reputation, dignity and memory of the Tibetan Buddhist King of Tsang, Karma Tenkyong, and to all those Tibetan laypeople and monastics who lost their lives, monasteries and sacred objects resisting the Mongolian-Gelug onslaught in Tibet.
The ‘shaky’ foundations of Potala Palace, Lhasa: built on the legacy of Tibet’s Kings by Mongolian-Gelug invaders, who murdered the Tibetan King of U-Tsang by dumping him in a river
According to historical sources, in particular the writings of the 20th Century Tibetan Gelugpa biased politician and historian, Shakabpa, author of Tibet: A Political History, Lozang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the modern Potala Palace in 1645 after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between Drepung and Sera monasteries and the old city of Lhasa. The external structure was built in 3 years, while the interior, together with its furnishings, took 45 years to complete. The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo (‘White Palace’) in 1649. Construction lasted until 1694, some twelve years after his death. The Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time [2].
The site on which the Potala Palace rises is built over a palace said to have been erected by the Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo (r.ca.614-650) on the Red Hill, who envisioned an eleven-storied castle-like architecture to serve as his royal court. Potala Palace’s original Tibetan name ‘Tse Potala Podrang (Rtse Po Ta La’s Pho Brang)’ translated to be ‘Summit Palace of Potala’ refers to Mount Potalaka in India, where it is believed to be the holy site for the compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (ibid).
It could not get more bizarre and ironic than that. After all, according to non-Gelugpa biased Tibetan histories, the 17th Century Mongolian-Gelug military invaders of Tibet, executed the then Tibetan King of Tsang, Karma Tenkyong, even though he had already been imprisoned by them [2]. After a Tsang uprising against the foreign invaders, an incensed Mongolian leader, Gushi Khan gave orders to execute the Tibetan King Karma Tenkyong together with his ministers Dronyer Bongong and Gangzukpa. The King was administered the capital punishment ko-thumgyab-pa, which in Tibet is “reserved for upper class offenders”. He was put in an ox-hide bag and thrown in the Tsangpo river near Neu. Hardly a dignified way to be murdered, never mind contravening Buddhist vows and ethics of not-killing.
Being the last of the Tsang dynasty and a “enemy” of the Gelugpa patriarchs, the memory of King Karma Tenkyong also suffered from the damnation of later Gelugpa-biased historians. He, and the previous Tsangpa rulers, were regarded as inherently evil and opposed to Buddhism in spite of their well-attested patronage of the Karma Kagyu and Jonang sects. So, Potala Palace was literally built on the back of Tibetan Buddhist Kings by the Gelugpa institution imposed by foreign invaders.
One can only wonder at how it was built too. I have not seen any academic research (please let me know if there is any) but it must have taken a huge amount of man-power to build it (and who were those labourers? Monks, laypeople or Tibetan political prisoners of the Mongolian-Gelug powers? Judging by various Tibetan and Chinese accounts of the “iron-fist” abusive Dob-Dob Gelug rule over Tibet, probably the latter, or the serf-like ordinary lay Tibetans who had zero civil liberties or democracy there. An Austrian missionary, Joseph Grueber sketched the Palace in 1661:
Things did not go well for the Dalai Lamas though, eight of whom died at very young ages in suspicious circumstances in the Potala Palace, for more on that, see here. It was noted in the official biography of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, that he once experienced a vision of Padmasambhava, who advised him that “if you do not rely on the siddhi of karmamudra, you will soon die.” Karmamudra means tantric sex, but why the Dalai Lama should have been advised to practice it is as much of a mystery as why he expired after rejecting the guru’s psychical advice. When he was found dead, he was seated in meditation and facing south.”
It seems the interiors of the palace were not well maintained either. In 1904, according to the Times reporter, Perceval Landan, the interiors were ‘grimy, cold, cheap and tawdry’. The 17 point agreement that the 14th Dalai Lama signed before leaving for India into exile, agreed he could maintain 500 bodyguards! In sum, what starts with bad intentions (and actions) always ends badly, as Buddha taught.
Contemporary Potala Palaces: tourist attractions for monetary profit
Nowadays, the Potala palace is still a worldly place, but this time a major tourist and pilgrimage attraction, as I discovered is the Little Potala in in Shangri-la (formerly Dechen), near the Lijiang region (where the 10th Karmapa was forced to flee from Tsurphu Monastery for his life and activities) was built for the same reasons and principles (see my travel report here). Not much genuine retreat or spiritual practice going on there at all. Masses of busloads of tourists taking self-portrait photos for the economic benefit of Chinese people.
Ironically, the Potala Palace still practices Buddhism onsite, such as the annual Tibetan Exorcising Evil Festival which happens on 29th day of the Tibetan calendar’s 12th month, which is highly regarded across all the Tibetan Buddhism monasteries. On the contrary, the new Tibet Museum positioned as a secular
institution derived its collections of artefacts mostly from the Potala Palace, visioned to be the first comprehensive and modern museum in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China. Many of the ‘artifacts’ in this Museum were looted objects of the Mongolian-Gelugpas from the other lineages, such as precious objects given to the Karmapas by Chinese Emperors and so on [3].
As one Singaporean scholar Cheng (2023) writes:
“Potala Palace is seen as an essential factor to rebuild the image of Tibet in Chinese interest. During the 30th anniversary of the ‘Liberation of Tibet’, the Potala Square was constructed right in front of the Palace where a celebration performance at the Potala Square reminded the Tibetan community
of the Chinese authority. ” [4]
Cheng (2023:17) also points out that in 1999, the same year the Tibet Museum was constructed, the Palace was printed on the back of the green (RMB) fifty-yuan banknotes. “This execution demonstrated the state’s intention to boost Tibet economically, by creating more awareness of Tibet, in return to promote the Tibetan tourism.”
The Ladakh King’s Palace and Fort: An Inspiration for the Mongolian-Gelug Potala?
As I wrote about before, in an article about the Dalai Lamas and Ladakh, the Gelug-Mongolian power alliance in Tibet (not content with control of Tibet) began a violent invasion of Ladakh in 1649, which led to the recently passed Ladakhi King Senge Namgyal’s main Tibetan Buddhist Drugpa Kagyu teachers, who followed Zhabdrung Rinpoche being forced to flee the region and found the country Bhutan, which as a result banned the Gelugpas/Dalai Lamas from ever visiting or building monasteries there. That ‘unspoken’ ban continues in Bhutan to this day.
Seeing, the photo of the Ladkhi King’s palace in Leh, Ladakh built in 1640, one can easily see the similarities in the buildings and location. And it might be reasonable to surmise that this palace may well have inspired the Gelugpa/5th Dalai Lama to construct similar ones in Tibet. Nonetheless, it is important to remember, that the Ladakh Palace was constructed by a King for worldly protection purposes, not for Dharma activities per se. Ladakhi King Senge Namgyel also built the Drugpa Kagyu Hanley monastery which is also very similar in size and style (see photo).
Could it be that the Gelugpas were jealous and resentful of such Ladakhi power and worldly architecture and wanted one of their own? Who knows, but one thing is for sure the increasing 21st Century Islamic domination of Ladakh, which is causing concerns in Ladakh to indigenous Ladakhis and Tibetans living there, came about as a direct result of the invasion and influence of the Mongolian-Gelug “land grabs”. In the late 17th century, Ladakh sided with Bhutan in its resistance to their violent invasion and became known as the Tibet–Ladakh–Mughal war of 1679–1684. Kashmiri historians assert that the Ladakhi king converted to Islam in return for the assistance by Mughal Empire. However, Ladakhi chronicles do not mention such a thing and state that the King agreed to pay tribute to the Mughals in return for defending the kingdom.The Mughals, however, withdrew after being paid off by the 5th Dalai Lama. Ironic again, as the Kalacakra Tantra, according to many scholars, states that Islamists are the ‘barbarian religious’ followers that will cause a major world war/destruction of Buddha Dharma.
The yogic caves and humble abodes of Kagyu and Nyingma Buddhist practitioners
The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa recently spoke about how previously in Tibet, prior to the Gelug-Mongol takeover, there were never any huge palaces/forts such as that. Kagyu forefathers like Tilopa, Naropa and Milarepa, as well as lineage heads such as the Karmapas lived in very modest abodes, and even caves! In fact, the 10th Karmapa was forced to live in the cave and walk around like a beggar for many years after the Mongolian invasion, which also destroyed all the Kagyu monasteries and shedras in central Tibet.
Also, in a teaching the 17th Karmapa gave recently about the three major Karma Kagyu and birthplaces of the Karmapas , the 17th Karmapa seemed to subtly allude to the worldly purposes and origin of the Potala Palace. In particular, he stated that historically, Tibetan Buddhist practitioners and lineage heads lived and resided in very simple abodes, not in huge palaces or forts, that might become the cause of “jealousy and resentment in others”.
A legacy of shady and uneven foundations: political power, wealth and violent domination
In any case, the ‘shady’ history of the Potala Palace and its worldly, political foundation and purposes sadly led to the karmic result of it being an even ‘worldlier’ mass tourist attraction controlled and organised by the Chinese communist government up until now. The doors are wide open for anyone to have a look around, whereas before that was the sole privilege of political VIPs, Gelugpas and Lhasa aristocrats.
Globally, there are many examples of stunning architecture (building, statues) that arose from violent invasions and conquests by foreign powers. European and Arabic colonial legacies being examples. Like the British royal family’s Buckingham Palace, London, many British people assert it is a symbol of gross wealth, power and inequality albeit a popular tourist attraction. Similarly, some might say the same about the Potala Palace. Beautiful to look at but built on shady, murderous and unequal foundations.
The Potala Palace as an aesthetic symbol of Tibet is a powerful and enduring one. However, as I wrote about in The Mongol-Shadow over Tibet, and Gelugpa One-Way Street Sectarianism, perhaps the most enduring legacy of the Potala Palace, that will outlast them all, will not be as a symbol of the Dalai Lamas, Tibetan Buddhism and practice, but of 17th Century political Tibet owned and controlled by the Mongolian-Gelug-Qing dynasty alliance? Thus, the enduring symbolism of the Potala Palace is also a ‘shadier’ Mongolian one than the ‘Shangri-la’ Tibet orientalists would have us all believe.
Endnotes
[1] Historical sources state that the Mongolian army invaded the central region of U-Tsang in support of the Gelugpa. when the Tibetan King, Karma Tenkyong met them in battle at Gyathanggang but was decisively defeated. He and his soldiers were then besieged at Chakpori in Lhasa and faced with starvation and death by massacre. At that moment the Panchen Lama of Tashilhunpo and the leaders of the Ganden and Taklung monasteries intervened. These three Gelugpa dignitaries persuaded the Mongols to lift the siege in return for wide concessions, which meant the Tsangpa Tibetans and their rulers had to give all their land to the Mongolians-Gelugpas.
[2] “The Potala Palace resembles a large walled fortress, with its dominant structures—the White and Red Palace—built 384 feet up Red Hill into its sheer rock face so that the cliffs appear to be part of the buildings’ foundations. The structures, built of stone and wood, draw upon Chinese and traditional Himalayan architectural design, most notably in the shape of its four-sided towers, a nod to the culture’s rectangular buildings with flat roofs. Builders did not use nails in the palace’s construction; instead, they connected the dirt and stone with simple tools and utilized copper for reinforcement. “from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/potala-palace-guide
[3] This is not only at Potala Palace though, as another example, Dr. Cecile Ducher has also done extensive research on how many texts discovered in the Gelugpa Drepung Monastery, were stolen and sealed from the other lineages, never to see the light of day again, until the Chinese communist military rule there. See: https://www.academia.edu/43730572/Goldmine_of_Knowledge_The_Collections_of_the_Gnas_bcu_lha_khang_in_Bras_spungs_Monastery
[4] In historical sources it was reported that in the first month of the water-horse year 1642, Shigatse and the nearby Karmapa monastery Tashi Zilnon were taken. On the 25th day of the second month, the fortress itself surrendered and Karma Tenkyong was captured with his family and retainers. He was imprisoned in the fortress Neu near Lhasa. Later in the same year, a Tsangpa/Karma Kagyu uprising took place in several districts. The incensed Gushi Khan gave orders to execute the Tibetan King, Karma Tenkyong together with his ministers Dronyer Bongong and Gangzukpa. The ex-ruler was administered the capital punishment ko-thumgyab-pa, which in Tibet is reserved for upper class offenders. He was put in an ox-hide bag and thrown in the Tsangpo river near Neu.
[5] As one scholar Cheng (2023) writes:
“Potala Palace is seen as an essential factor to rebuild the image of Tibet in Chinese interest. During the 30th anniversary of the ‘Liberation of Tibet’, the Potala Square was constructed right in front of the Palace where a celebration performance at the Potala Square reminded the Tibetan community
of the Chinese authority. Performances also highlighted that Tibetan is just another race among other 55 minority races in China, where Han Chinese is described as dominating father or elder brother figure (ibid). At the Potala Square, the Chinese Liberation Army (CLA) soldiers will patrol here every day, the Chinese national flag flies high in the middle to reinstate Chinese sovereignty. On the whole, CCP intended to normalise Tibet with other cities in China, musealising Lhasa city into a museum relic status for further political representations.”
Sources
FACTS ABOUT THE 17-POINT “Agreement’’ Between Tibet and China. Dharamsala, 22 May 22
Cheng, C. (2023). Musealisation of Tibet: A Critical Review of the Potala Palace. Asian Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, 6(1), 1-21. https://journalajl2c.com/index.php/AJL2C/article/view/122
Jigme Nawang: ‘Why Did Tibet and Ladakh Clash in the 17th Century?: Rethinking the Background to the ‘Mongol War’ in Ngari (1679-1684)’ (2015)
Shakabpa, Tibet: A Political History (Yale University Press, 1967) Bod-kyi srid don rgyalrabs, 2 vols. (Shakabpa House, Kalimpong, 1976. See 2010)
Tsering Shakya, Dragon in the Land of Snows (Columbia University Press, 1999)
Tashi Tsering, Struggle for a Modern Tibet: Autobiography (Routledge, 1997)
W.W. Rockhill. The Dalai Lamas of Lhasa and their Relations with the Manchu Emperors of China, 1644-1908. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, 1998;
Sam von Schaik. Tibet: A History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011;
Adele Tomlin:
The Mongolian-Gelug Shadow Over Tibet: Six Decades of Failed US-Gelug policy (Buddhist Door Global, August 2024)
17th Gyalwang Karmapa speaking (2024) about the destruction of Karma Kagyu monasteries in Tibet:
Loved this essay. I need to read your two books you mentioned. Question: Do you think the Mongols taught some of the people of Tibet how to be Mongol-style guards?
Opps, those are also essays, not books. Got it.
Apparently some sources say the Potala Palace was also used as a horrendous torture chamber and execution place for Tibetan prisoners. Very shady past and history, like that of the Gelugpas, based on murder and intimidation.