Timeline of the Era of Fragmentation
# Timeline of the Era of Fragmentation

This is a timeline of the Era of Fragmentation, the period of Tibetan history lasting from the death of the Tibetan Empire's last emperor, Langdarma, in 842 until Drogön Chögyal Phagpa gained control over the three provinces of Tibet in 1253 under Mongol rule.

## 9th century

| Year | Event |
| - | - |
| 842 | Langdarma dies and the Tibetan Empire enters its Era of Fragmentation; Tibet is split between Langdarma's sons Ösung [fr] in the west, and Yumtän [nl] in the east |
| 843 | Karasahr and Kucha are occupied by the Kingdom of Qocho |
| 847 | Tibetan troops raid the Hexi Corridor but are defeated by Tang troops at Yanzhou |
| 848 | Zhang Yichao, a resident of Dunhuang, rebels and captures Shazhou and Guazhou from the Tibetans |
| 849 | Tibetan commanders and soldiers in seven garrisons west of Yuanzhou defect to the Tang |
| 850 | Zhang Yichao takes Hami, Ganzhou and Suzhou |
| 851 | Zhang Yichao captures Gaochang and Khotan becomes independent |
| 866 | Tibetans retreat to the Tibetan plateau |

## 10th century

| Year | Event |
| - | - |
| 904 | A popular revolt breaks out in Tibet |
| 910 | Popular revolt breaks Tibet into numerous principalities: Tsangto Yul, Rutsham Zhunye, Panyul, Yarlung, Tamshul Lhodrak, Cho, and Chokhor |
| 925 | The kingdom of Ngari Korsum [fr] is founded by Ösung's grandson, Kyide Nyimagon, in the capital of Purang |
| 930 | Ngari Khorsum splits into three kingdoms under Kyide Nyimagon's sons: Purang-Guge Kingdom controlled by Tashigon, Maryul controlled by Lhachen Dpalgyimgon, Zanskar and Spiti controlled by Detsugon |
| 970 | Songne becomes king of Purang-Guge Kingdom |
| 975 | Songne sends Rinchen Zangpo to study Buddhism in Kashmir |
| 988 | Songne abdicates to become a monk and changes his name to Yeshe-Ö; his brother Khore becomes king |
| 996 | Yeshe-Ö founds the Tholing Monastery |
| 997 | The elders of Amdo find a descendant of the Yarlung dynasty in Gaochang by the name of Qinanling Wenqianbu. They take him to Hezhou, where he is named Gusiluo, otherwise known as Gyelsé, meaning "son of Buddha". |
| 998 | Tabo Monastery is built by Rinchen-zangpo in Spiti |

## 11th century

| Year | Event |
| - | - |
| 1008 | Gusiluo is enthroned at Kuozhou as Tsenpo. |
| 1017 | Tsongkha is defeated by the Song dynasty commander Cao Wei. |
| 1020 | Due to a large number of refugees from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and regions around Delhi fleeing Mahmud of Ghazni, the Ngari king passed a law restricting foreigners from staying in the country for more than three years |
| 1024 | King Ode of Purang-Guge expands his realm |
| 1025 | Gusiluo relocates to Miaochuan. |
| 1032 | Gusiluo relocates to Qingtang. Around the same time his eldest son Xiazhan establishes himself in Hezhou and his second son Mozhanjiao in Tsongkha. |
| 1037 | King Ode dies in battle against the Kara-Khanid Khanate near Skardu |
| 1042 | Atiśa, a Bengali Buddhist master, visits Ngari and stays at Mangnang Monastery for a year |
| 1054 | Tsongkha assists the Song army in resolving a dispute among Tibetan tribes. |
| 1058 | A Khitan princess marries Gusiluo's son Dongzhan. Dongzhan kills his brothers, Xiazhan and Mozhanjiao. |
| 1065 | Gusiluo dies and is succeeded by his son Dongzhan. Mucheng, son of Xiazhan, declares independence in Hezhou. |
| 1070 | The monks Jiewuchila and Kangzunxinluojie attempt to enthrone Mucheng's younger brother Donggu at Wushengjun but fail. |
| 1072 | The Song dynasty gains control of Wushengjun. |
| 1072 | Purang-Guge Kingdom splits into independent Guge and Purang, ruled by the brothers Tsede and Tsensong respectively; another brother Tsende may have founded the Khasa Kingdom |
| 1074 | Dongzhan and Mucheng submit to Song governance. |
| 1076 | King Tsede of Guge organizes the Toling Chokhor (religion conference for Tibetan and Indian Buddhists) |
| 1099 | Tsongkha is briefly occupied by the Song dynasty before regaining independence. |

## 12th century

| Year | Event |
| - | - |
| 1102 | The Song dynasty occupy Tsongkha and rename Qingtang to Xining. |
| 1109 | The Song dynasty registers all the Tibetan towns of Kokonor under Chinese names. |
| 1110 | King Sonamtse's sons split Guge into three kingdoms |
| 1120 | Guge regent Jowo Gyalpo founds the kingdom of Khunu |
| 1136 | The Jin dynasty (1115–1234) incorporates the area of Tsongkha and cedes some territory to the Western Xia. |
| 1150 | The Khasa Kingdom emerges as the strongest power in Ngari |
| 1159 | The first Nyingma monastery since Langdarma is built |

## 13th century

| Year | Event |
| - | - |
| 1201 | Sakya Pandita travels to India and studies under Indian gurus. He becomes a great religious and cultural figure and creates a Tibetan literary tradition inspired by Sanskrit poetry. |
| 1220 | The Khasa Kingdom expands into the territory of Garhwal and Kumaon |
| 1230 | Khabpa (Prince of Khab) establishes himself as ruler of Mangyül Gungthang |
| 1239 | The Khasa Kingdom defeats Mangyül Gungthang |
| 1240 | Mongol invasions of Tibet: Doorda Darkhan sacks Reting Monastery; a proxy administration is set up at Drigung Monastery |
| 1252 | Mongol invasions of Tibet: Qoridai [fr] invades Tibet as far as Dangquka |
| 1253 | Kublai Khan meets Drogön Chögyal Phagpa and promotes the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism |
