Person

Sonam Gyatso

1543–1588 · 16th century · Also known as 3rd Dalai Lama, Third Dalai Lama

Sonam Gyatso was a leading lama of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and abbot of Drepung monastery. In 1578 he met the Tümed ruler Altan Khan near Kokonor, who gave him the title Dalai Lama; he is counted as the third, the title being given posthumously to two predecessors. His mission began the conversion of the Mongols to Buddhism, and he died in Mongolia in 1588; his successor was found among Altan Khan's descendants.

Sonam Gyatso
Image: Unknown tibetan artist. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Tumed (Altan Khan)Tüsheet Khanate

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sonam Gyatso. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sonam-gyatso
MLA
“Sonam Gyatso.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sonam-gyatso. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sonam Gyatso.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sonam-gyatso.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sonam Gyatso’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sonam-gyatso (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻