kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Tsongkha

1008 CE – 1104 CE (approx.) · capital Qingtang (Xining)

A Tibetan kingdom in Amdo, centred on modern Xining, that allied with the Song against the Tanguts and controlled a southern branch of the Silk Road.

Origins

After the Tibetan Empire fragmented, Tibetan tribes in the Huangshui valley of Amdo brought in Gusiluo, a youth claiming descent from the old royal line, around 1008. After years as a figurehead of local strongmen he established his own court at Qingtang (modern Xining) around 1032.

Rule and society

Gusiluo was a Buddhist ruler presiding over a loose federation of Tibetan clans. He allied with the Song Dynasty, which gave him titles and subsidies, and defeated Tangut attacks from Western Xia in the 1030s. When Tangut wars disrupted the Hexi Corridor, caravans used the Qinghai route through his territory, and Qingtang grew rich on trade in horses and other goods.

Decline and legacy

After Gusiluo's death in 1065 the kingdom was divided among his descendants and weakened by feuds. The Song annexed the region in campaigns of 1099 and 1104, though Song control was soon lost to the Jin dynasty (1115-1234) and Western Xia.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tsongkha. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tsongkha
MLA
“Tsongkha.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tsongkha. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Tsongkha.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tsongkha.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tsongkha’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tsongkha (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻