7th Dalai Lama

Kelzang Gyatso (1708–1757) was the seventh Dalai Lama, a Gelug Tibetan Buddhist leader who governed Tibet from 1751 until his death.

Dalai Lama: The lineage of Tibetan Buddhist leaders regarded as manifestations of Avalokiteśvara. Kelzang Gyatso held the lineage’s seventh position.
Tibetan Buddhism: A form of Buddhism shaped by Indian Buddhist traditions and Tibetan religious institutions and practices. Kelzang Gyatso’s authority rested on its teachings and monastic institutions.
Pholhané Sönam Topgyé: A Tibetan aristocrat and military leader who governed Tibet from 1728 to 1747. His government preceded Kelzang Gyatso’s assumption of direct rule.
Lhasa: A city in central Tibet that became the region’s religious and political capital. Kelzang Gyatso governed from Tibet’s capital during his final years.
Qing dynasty: China’s last imperial dynasty, ruled by the Manchu Aisin Gioro house from 1644 to 1912. Qing forces shaped the political crisis surrounding his recognition.
Gelug: A Tibetan Buddhist school founded by Je Tsongkhapa, known for monastic scholarship and disciplined training. Kelzang Gyatso belonged to the school whose institutions supported his religious leadership.
Gürin Namgyal: A Tibetan official whose killing by Qing representatives in 1750 triggered an uprising in Lhasa. His death precipitated the revolt during Kelzang Gyatso’s tenure.
Tibetan uprising of 1750: A revolt in Lhasa against Qing representatives after the killing of the Tibetan official Gürin Namgyal. The uprising reshaped Qing-Tibetan relations shortly before Kelzang Gyatso took direct power.
Lha-bzang Khan: A Khoshut ruler of Tibet who governed from 1705 until his defeat in 1717. He rejected Kelzang Gyatso’s recognition and installed a rival Dalai Lama.
Tulku: A Tibetan Buddhist teacher recognized as the rebirth of a predecessor or an enlightened being. Recognition as a tulku established Kelzang Gyatso’s claim to the Dalai Lama lineage.

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