Khyungpo Pungse Sutse

Khyungpo Pungse Sutse (Tibetan: ཁྱུང་པོ་སྤུང་སད་ཟུ་ཙེས་, Wylie: khyung po spung sad zu tses , ? – ?) was a general of the Tibetan Empire.

Born in Khyungpo (mordern Dêngqên and Biru in Kham). He killed his king and surrendered to the Tibet king Namri Songtsen. He was so witty that Namri Songtsen extremely trust him.

Pungse still served as high minister after Songtsen Gampo ascended the throne. At that time, the Tibetan king and the king of Zhangzhung had married each other's sisters in a political alliance. However, sad mar gar, one of Songtsen's sister who married the Zhangzhung king rig myi rhya, complained of poor treatment by the king's principal wife. Songtsen was angried, prepared to invade Zhangzhung, and let Pungse to predict the outcome. The oracle said it would be a major victory. Songtsen led a large number of troops invaded Zhangzhung in 642, many high ministers participated in the mission, including Khyungpo Pungse and Gar Tongtsen. After three years bloody war, Zhangzhung was finally conquered by Tibet, and Pungse was appointed as the governor of Zhangzhung.

The "Great Minister" (Tibetan: བློན་ཆེན, Wylie: blon chen ), Nyang Mangpoje Shangnang, owned very high reputation in Tibet, Songtsen realised it could be a threat to the central authority of him. Pungse notified this, sowed discord among them. It was a successful conspiracy; Shangnang returned to his castle, and was considered as rebellion. Songtsen's troops occupied the castle, captured Shangnang and executed him.

Later, Pungse was appointed as Great Minister, but came into conflict with another high minister Omade Lotsen. Pungse was dismissed due to his age, had to retire to his castle. There, Pungse plotted another conspiracy. He invited Songtsen came to visit his fief, tried to murdered him. Songtsen agreed, and sent Gar Tongtsen to set up his camp. The conspiracy was detected by Tongtsen; Tongtsen fled stealthily and told the conspiracy to the king. Finding Tongtsen's disappeared, Pungse had to commit suicide.

As he told, his son ngag re kyung cut off his head, brought it to Songtsen, exposed the conspiracy, and asked for absolution. All members of the Khyungpo clan were survived.

It was said that Khyungpo was good at playing "go".

References

• (in English)(in Tibetan)Old Tibetan Chronicle, P.T. 1287