Overview
Lhazang Khan tried to restore the power of the Khoshut kings in Tibet. He broke the regent Sangye Gyatso, replaced the Sixth Dalai Lama, and in the end lost Tibet and his life to the Dzungars.
Rise to Power
He came to power in 1703, either by poisoning his brother Tenzin Wangchuk, as the traditional account says, or at the Sixth Dalai Lama's recommendation.
Rule and Achievements
- Defeated the regent Sangye Gyatso in 1705; the regent was killed in September
- Removed the Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, from the Potala in June 1706 and had him declared deposed; the Kangxi Emperor approved and named Lhazang regent of Tibet
- Installed his own candidate, Ngawang Yeshe Gyatso, as Dalai Lama, whom many Tibetans and Mongols refused to accept
Legacy
In 1717 a Dzungar army under Tseren Dondub, sent by Tsewang Rabtan, reached Lhasa by an unexpected route. Lhazang fled the Potala on the night of 3 December 1717 and was killed fighting his pursuers. The Qing drove the Dzungars out in 1720 and ended Khoshut rule in Tibet.