The Mongol Conquest of Tibet: Steppe Warriors and the Snow Lion

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the little-known Mongol conquest of Tibet, a campaign that began under Genghis Khan's grandson Köden and culminated in the establishment of a unique priest-patron relationship between the Mongol Yuan dynasty and the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. We discuss the diplomatic mission of the Sakya lama Sakya Paṇḍita to the Mongol court, his nephew and successor Phagpa who became Kublai Khan's imperial preceptor, and the invention of the 'Phags-pa script for writing Mongolian. We also examine the military campaigns led by Generals Dörbei and Uriyangkhadai against Tibetan resistance, the role of the Sakya hierarchy in administering Tibet on behalf of the Mongols, and the lasting impact of Mongol rule on Tibetan politics, religion, and culture. Key figures and concepts include Köden, Kublai Khan, Sakya Paṇḍita, Phagpa, Dörbei, Uriyangkhadai, the Sakya school, the Phags-pa script, the priest-patron relationship (chö-yön), and the Yuan administrative structure in Tibet. #MongolConquestOfTibet #KödenKhan #SakyaPaṇḍita #PhagpaLama #KublaiKhan #PhagsPaScript #ChöYön #TibetanBuddhism #YuanDynasty #Uriyangkhadai #Dörbei #SakyaSchool #TibetanHistory #MongolEmpire #CentralAsia #13thCentury #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo