Lungshar

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Lungshar born Dorji Tsegyal(1880 - 1938) was a noted Tibetan politician.

He served as an influential governor in Lhasa for many years.

His father was a Major (Rupön) in the Tibetan Army and he was an Accountant of the 6th rank in the Accountant-General's Office at Lhasa during the 13th Dalai Lama leadership.^[1]

However following the Dalai Lama's death in 1934, Lungshar, a moderate reformist, carried out a series of plans to take control of the government, but was outmanoeuvred by the more conservative minister Trimön. Lungshar was arrested and punished by blinding.

His son is Lhalu Tsewang Dorje also a noted politician .

According to some sources^[2], during the late 1920s, Lungshar promoted the idea that another of his sons was the reborn 16th Karmapa. The Dalai Lama and most of the officials in his government are members of the Gelug sect, while the Karmapa is the leader of the Karma Kagyü sect. These sources state that the Dalai Lama initially supported this claim in opposition to the supporters of the previous Karmapa, who had already recognised Rangjung Rigpe Dorje as the new Karmapa. However, the Dalai Lama later withdrew his support of Lungshar's son and agreed to the recognition of Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.