12th Dalai Lama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Trinley Gyatso
Religion	Tibetan Buddhism
Personal
Born	(1857-01-26)26 January 1857 Lhoka, Ü-Tsang, Tibet, Qing Dynasty
Died	25 April 1875(1875-04-25) (aged 18) Lhasa, Tibet, Qing Dynasty
Senior posting
Title	12th Dalai Lama
Period in office	1860–1875
Predecessor	Khedrup Gyatso
Successor	Thubten Gyatso
Chinese name
Chinese	成烈嘉措
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chénglìe Jiācuò
Tibetan name
Tibetan	འཕྲིན་ལས་རྒྱ་མཚོ།
Transcriptions Wylie 'phrin las rgya mtsho Tibetan Pinyin Chinlai Gyaco

Trinley Gyatso (born January 26, 1857 – died April 25, 1875) was the 12th Dalai Lama of Tibet. The Dalai Lamas are important spiritual leaders in Tibetan Buddhism.

Trinley Gyatso had a very short life. He lived during a time when Tibet's neighbors were facing many wars and political problems. Tibet itself was affected by these issues.

Tibet's Challenges During His Time

Tibet was especially impacted by the weakening of the Qing Dynasty. This was a powerful empire in China that had previously offered some support to Tibet. At the same time, the British Empire was growing. It had already taken control of India and wanted to expand its influence into Tibet.

Early Life and Recognition

Trinley Gyatso was recognized as the new Dalai Lama in 1858. This means he was believed to be the rebirth of the previous Dalai Lama. He was officially placed on the throne in 1860.

During his childhood training, Tibet made a rule that Europeans could not enter the country. This was because Britain was fighting wars against Sikkim and Bhutan. These two areas were largely influenced by the lamas, or religious teachers, in Lhasa, Tibet's capital.

Many Tibetans saw these wars as attempts by Britain to take over Tibet. This was something the lamas found unacceptable. Also, Christian missionaries were trying to enter Tibet through the Mekong and Salween rivers. Because of these threats, Tibetans tried to show that the Qing Dynasty still had authority over Tibet in the 1860s.

A Short Reign

Trinley Gyatso officially became the full Dalai Lama on March 11, 1873. However, he could not fully lead Tibet for long. He sadly died from a mysterious illness on April 25, 1875.

He was one of several Dalai Lamas who died young. During this period, the Panchen Lama, another important spiritual leader, often took on a bigger role. This helped fill the gap left by the young Dalai Lamas.

See also

In Spanish: Trinlé Gyatso para niños