Imperial Preceptor
The Imperial Preceptor, or Dishi, was a high title and powerful post in the Yuan dynasty. It was created by Kublai Khan as part of Mongol patronage of Tibetan Buddhism and the Yuan administrative rule of Tibet.
The title was originally created as the State Preceptor or Guoshi in 1260, the first year of Kublai Khan's enthronement. In that year he appointed the Sakya lama Drogön Chögyal Phagpa to this post and soon placed him in charge of all Buddhist clergy. In 1264, he founded the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs and appointed Phagpa as the first director of this important new agency. The lama was offered nominal rule over all Tibet and also supervised Mongol relations with the Buddhist clergy. In 1270, Phagpa became Imperial Preceptor when the title was renamed. As Imperial Preceptor, he was authorized to issue letters and proclamations to the temples and institutions of Tibet, and he advised the emperor regarding official appointments in Tibet. Kublai Khan dispatched the lama to Tibet in 1264 to help persuade his people to accept Mongol rule.
A member of the Sakya sect, acting as Imperial Preceptor and residing in China, supervised the Buddhist clergy throughout the empire. The Mongols also selected a Tibetan official titled dpon-chen to live in and administer Tibet. This pattern of religio-political relations prevailed for the remainder of the Yuan period. After the overthrow of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty by the Han-led Ming dynasty, Yuan titles such as Imperial Preceptor were revoked, replaced with titles of lesser status.
Introduction of the Yuan dynasty and beginnings of the Imperial Preceptor
Pre-Yuan history
The Yuan dynasty was founded by Kublai Khan. During the last century of the Song dynasty, a new dynasty called the Western Xia came into existence in northwest China. The Western Xia was ruled by a Tibetan people, the Tanguts. The Tangut monarch Emperor Renzong of Western Xia fought against the Mongols and other northern steppe tribes. He formed a close relationship with the Buddhist prelates and Tibetan priests, which led to the creation of the Xia/Hsia Institution of the Imperial Preceptorship. The role the Imperial Preceptor carried would later emerge in the Yuan dynasty and be largely influential to the Buddhist religion during Yuan rule.Rise of the Yuan dynasty
, leader of the Mongol Borjigin clan, established the Yuan dynasty eight years before he took over all of China. He proclaimed himself Emperor of China in 1271 and subsequently conquered the Song dynasty. Under Kublai Khan, the Yuan dynasty was structurally divided in a similar manner as the Mongol Empire. He also established his rule under the Mandate of Heaven, a Chinese political and religious doctrine used to justify emperorship over China. This doctrine helped Kublai Khan establish his legitimate rule as he was considered to have the divine right to rule. Not only did he establish religious and political rule over China, he kept his ancestral roots as a Mongol leader by following Confucianism. Kublai Khan expanded the Chinese commercial, scientific, and cultural industries. He improved the Silk Road, created better infrastructure, circulated paper banknotes, and spread Mongol peace, leading to a prosperous and flourishing period.The Influence of Buddhism on Yuan dynasty Tibet
The Buddhist influence on Yuan rule under Kublai Khan was heavily dependent on the Tibetan Buddhist Imperial Preceptors. In twelfth-century Asia, Western Xia Buddhism was vigorously promoted and there were religious scriptures translated to Chinese and Tangut in order to spread the religion. Use of these Buddhist scriptures continued even during the Mongol conquest for the Western Xia dynasty in 1227. By the mid-twelfth century onward shows a special relationship between the Western Xia throne and the Sangha that is distinct from the Song dynasty courts. Before the Yuan dynasty, the role of the Imperial Preceptor had already been established during the early rule of Renzong Emperor in 1139–1193. During the Yuan dynasty, the Imperial Preceptor's position was continued in response to overseeing the political situation in Central Tibet. The role of the Imperial Preceptor was to coordinate all of the Buddhist activities and establishments in the Yuan Empire and promoting Buddhism.Roles of the Imperial Preceptor
In the 12th century, under the Emperor Renzong of Western Xia, the role of the imperial preceptor was serving as the emperor's chaplain, teacher and consecrator and, more generally, teaching, writing, translating and editing. Later, under the Yuan dynasty, this post had also the added responsibility of overseeing the political situation in Central Tibet. Phagpa was a State Preceptor who eventually became Mongol Imperial Preceptor. The Mongol imperial preceptor resided within the precincts of the imperial palace in order to serve the imperial family. The role of the imperial preceptors was to issue decrees under the emperor's authority to both protect and command monasteries in Tibet. At some point, the imperial preceptor's decrees began to be equally effective as the emperor's in Tibet, as the Yuan court had begun tending to leave Tibet politically under the supervision of the imperial preceptor. He also advised the emperor regarding official appointments in Tibet. Moreover, being members of the Sakya sect, they directed all Buddhist establishments in the Yuan empire and were charged with promoting Buddhism in the empire. They also oversaw routine Buddhist ceremonies and special rituals upon the enthronement and funerals of the emperors. They held rituals and dedicated stupas to the protection of the state and its subjects, in general terms or in specific instances, such as to prevent flooding or thunderstorms. Nevertheless, the roles of the dishi focused on religious matters rather than political ones.Imperial Preceptors in the Yuan dynasty
Drogon Chogyal Phagpa (1235–1280)
was born in 1235 as the son of Sönam Gyeltsen, in Ngari. Phagpa was the first Imperial Preceptor of Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty, division of the Mongol Empire, and was simultaneously named the director of the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs. He was the fifth leader of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Mongol ruler Kublai Khan ordered Phagpa to create a new writing system, for which he received a title of Imperial Preceptor in 1270. To design the script, Chogyal Phagpa made modifications to the Tibetan alphabet and made the Phags-pa script. The scripts was completed in 1268. Although the script was made into the official writing system of the empire there was a lot of opposition by the people and not many texts were written in that script. Although due to his important political role, he was to always stay close to the emperor and had a supreme authority over the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs, he apparently did not meet with the emperor that often and mostly lived in Lintao in Gansu. He gave up his position and passed it on to his brother in 1274.In his last years, Phagpa spent his time trying to build up the power of the Sakya-Yuan, in Tibet. He died in Sakya on 15 December 1280. There were rumours that his death was a murder by Kunga Zangpo, who was a past pönchen. Kunga Zangpo was then executed by the army.
Rinchen Gyaltsen (1238–1279 or 1282)
was born in 1238 as the son of Zangtsa Sonam Gyaltsen. He was the second preceptor of the Yuan dynasty. Rinchen Gyaltsen's family members were very important members in the Mongol government. His older half-brother had the title of the Dishi and had a close relation with the emperor. His other brother was the viceroy of Tibet from the period 1264 to 1267. Also, Rinchen Gyaltsen's father belonged to the Khon family who were hereditary rulers of the Sakya monastery in Western Tibet.When Rinchen Gyaltsen's older half-brother left Sakya, he became the “somewhat” abbot of the monastery of Sakya. Although his brother Phagpa was given the title of the Imperial Preceptor, he gave up the post in 1274 and it was passed on to Rinchen Gyaltsen.
The year of the death of Rinchen Gyaltsen seems to be uncertain. It is said to be either 1279 or 1282. His death occurred in Shingkun and his post was passed on to his nephew and a son of Chakna Dorje.
Dharmapala Raksita (1269–1287)
was born after the death of his father, in 1268. In addition to the title of the Imperial Preceptor, he was also the head of the Sakya School. Since birth, because he was born fatherless, his care was assigned to the lord of Zhalu. At the age of 14 in 1892, he succeeded his uncles title and was appointed as Dishi. Although he was given the title, he did not have much experience and knowledge about the position and he never became the abbot. After receiving the title he stayed close to the great Khan. During his period of being Dishi, he mostly participated in building activities. He had a stupa built in the memory of Phagpa. Also, he built the Metog Raba which then became an official residence for the imperial preceptors until the end of the Yuan dynasty. Dharmapala married two women, Palden, a granddaughter of Köden, and to Jowo Tagibum, a lady from Zhalu. He had a son with the latter, who died at the age of 5, this is why his part of the Khon family died out and the next Dishi or Sakya abbot were not part of the Khon lineage.Dharmapala gave up his position as the imperial preceptor in 1286 and left the court to visit Sakya and Tibet. However, he died before getting there on 24 December 1287, at Tre Mandala.