kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia
Phagmodrupa dynasty
Origins
Changchub Gyaltsen, myriarch of Phagmodru, a domain linked to the Kagyu monastery of Densatil, fought the Sakya regime's administrators from the 1340s. By 1354 he controlled most of central Tibet and ruled from Nedong in the Yarlung valley.
Rule and society
Changchub Gyaltsen reorganised the country into districts governed by appointed officials from fortresses (dzong), issued a law code inspired by the age of the Tibetan Empire, and encouraged a revival of imperial traditions. His successors, called gongma, received titles from the Ming Empire. Drakpa Gyaltsen supported Tsongkhapa, who founded Ganden monastery in 1409, the start of the Gelug school.
Decline and legacy
After a succession crisis in 1434, real power passed to the Rinpungpa ministers and later to the Tsangpa dynasty. The Phagmodrupa rulers survived as nominal kings at Nedong until the early 17th century.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Phagmodrupa dynasty paid tribute to Ming Empire1372 CE – 1618 CE
- Rinpungpa was a vassal of Phagmodrupa dynasty1435 CE – 1565 CE
- Phagmodrupa dynasty was conquered by Tsangpa dynasty1618 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Phagmodrupa dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phagmodrupa-dynasty
- MLA
- “Phagmodrupa dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phagmodrupa-dynasty. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Phagmodrupa dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phagmodrupa-dynasty.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Phagmodrupa dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/phagmodrupa-dynasty (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻