Overview
Güshi Khan, born Törö Baikhu, a Khoshut prince descended from Genghis Khan's brother Qasar, made himself the protector of the Gelug school and the Fifth Dalai Lama. His conquests united Tibet under the Dalai Lama's government, with the Khoshut khans as its kings.
Rise to Power
Born in 1582, the third son of the Khoshut chief Khanai Noyan Khonggor, he led the Khoshut south to Qinghai in the 1630s at the Fifth Dalai Lama's call.
Rule and Achievements
- In 1637 defeated and killed the Khalkha prince Choghtu Khong Tayiji, an enemy of the Gelug school, near Kokonor
- Subdued Kham between 1639 and 1641 and executed the Bön king of Beri
- Took Shigatse early in 1642 and ended the rule of the Tsangpa kings; on 13 April 1642 the Fifth Dalai Lama proclaimed him king of Tibet
- Received a seal from the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing in 1654
Legacy
He died on 14 January 1655. His sons divided his realm: Dayan Khan ruled in central Tibet, and the others settled Kokonor, where their descendants, the Upper Mongols, remained.