Sarat Chandra Das —Contributions on Tibet. 
245 
1881.[ 
cularly under the benign rule of the kings of this dynasty. Although 
some petty fights and quarrels with the disaffected and rapacious ministers 
now and then disturbed the peace of the kingdom, yet on the whole 
the dynasty was most beneficial to Tibet. From the time of Namber- 
Gyal-van’s reign, the chiefs and nobles of IF and Tsan constantly waged 
war with each other, in consequence of which the po\ver of the king waned, 
to a great extent. At this critical time the king of Tsan became very 
powerful and by taking advantage of the reigning king’s weakness gradually 
became de facto sovereign of Tibet. He brought the whole of IF and 
Tsan under his dominion. Thus when fortune was about to turn 
towards the proud king of Tsan, suddenly the Mongolian warrior Gusri 
Ivhan invaded Tibet and speedily completed its conquest. Gusri Khan 
presented the fifth Dalai Lama with the monarchy of all Tibet. From that 
event, in the year 1645 A. D., dates the Dalai Lama’s supremacy. 
CHAPTER IY. 
Ministers and powerful nobles oe Tibet. 
I. The Family of Rinchhen-puh-pa. 
Nah-Thi-fsanpo, the first king of Tibet, chose for his minister one 
of the most powerful and intelligent Tibetan chiefs, whom, owing to his 
imperfect knowledge of the Tibetan language, he used to call Khye-hu 
(or the little man). He was afterwards called by his proper name of 
Gerpal-leg-po. He had three sons, viz., Chhyi Ger, Nan-Ger and Dub-thob- 
Ger. The twenty-seventh descendant of Naii-Ger, named Ralpa Ssin, 
obtained seven boat-loads of turquoises from Gruguiyul. 
The famous Thon-mi Sambhota was a descendant of Chhyi-Ger. 
Among the descendants of Dub-thob-Ger, many illustrious ministers were 
born: Gar, the celebrated prime-minister of king Sron-tsan-Gampo, 
Go, Shan-shi, Da gyal-tshan, &c. s the ministers of Thi-sron-deu-tsan 
were among them. The great saint Vairo-tsana was descended from 
Dub-thob-Ger. Mashan and other enemies of Buddhism also belonged 
O 
to his family. One of the descendants of Dub-thob-Ger became prime- 
minister of King Tagpa-Gyaltshan of the dynasty of Phagmodu. He 
obtained the Jonponship of Rinclihen Pun, the generalship of Chhumig, 
and afterwards became the highest official under the Sakyapa authorities. 
His son and grandson Norpu Ssanpo succeeded him in his dignities. 
The latter became the commander of the army and headed many of the 
chieftains of Tibet. He founded the monastery of Ron-Tsham-chhen 
and became the chief patron of the first Dalai LamaGedunDub. He left 
five sons the eldest of whom became the prime-minister of Wan Tagpo 
junne, and succeeded to his father’s dignities, favoured the Sakyapa 
