kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia
Kingdom of Derge
Origins
The royal house of Derge claimed descent from Gar Tongtsen, minister of the Tibetan Empire. The family rose in the 15th century around the Sakya monastery of Lhundrup Teng, which became the royal seat, and gradually extended its rule over large parts of the upper Yangtze valley in Kham.
Rule and society
Its kings combined secular and religious authority and ruled through hereditary officials over farming valleys and nomad pastures. King Tenpa Tsering founded the Derge Parkhang printing house in 1729, which carved woodblocks for the Buddhist canon still used today. In the 19th century Derge patronised the non-sectarian Rime movement of teachers such as Jamgön Kongtrul. Derge recognised Qing suzerainty while remaining close to Lhasa.
Decline and legacy
From 1848 Derge was occupied by the warlord Gönpo Namgyal of Nyarong until Lhasa's troops expelled him in 1865. In 1909 the Qing commander Zhao Erfeng deposed the king and placed Derge under direct Chinese administration.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Kingdom of Derge was a vassal of Qing Empire1728 CE – 1909 CE
- Kingdom of Derge was conquered by Qing Empire1909 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Derge. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-derge
- MLA
- “Kingdom of Derge.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-derge. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Derge.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-derge.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Derge’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-derge (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻