His reign is particularly remarkable for the introduction of the Tibetan alphabet, which is a modification of the Sauscrit alphabet. Srongdean Gambo died in 699. Ilia successors carried on war with China, in which they were often successful ; but in 821 Tibet was compelled to pay tribute to China. Under King Dharma, who ascended the throne in 901, Buddhism was almost destroyed, the king having adopted the Black religion, or the Islam. Buddhism ?gain became the dominant religion after Dharma had been murdered in 925.
In the beginning of the 11th century, each of the seven grandsons of King Bilamgur-Dsang became an independent prince; and from this event dates the entire decline of the kingdom of Tibet, the power of which had been already broken by the civil troubles which accom panied the persecution of Buddhism. One of the new kingdoms was Tarroce, in the northern part of Tibet. Genghis Khan subdued all Tibet in 1206, and It was not before the end of the 13th century that the country recovered from the calamity of the Mongol war by the careful administration of Khublai Khan. The easternmost parts of Tibet were gradually conquered by the Chinese in 1123, 1255, 1362, and 1371. Since the year 1720 all Tibet has been a tributary vassal
of China, and Chinese garrisons are in its towns, and they watch the passes in the frontier mountains. The nnmber of Chinese troops in Tibet amounts to about 64.000 men. The government of Tibet is supported by a hierarchy. The name of the chief priest is Lama, and the Dalai-Lama is the first of them ; the second is the Teske, or Bogdo-Lams. The people are kind, tolerant, polite, and much more civilised than the Mongols, although they are generally poor. Brothers are allowed to have one woman in common. Arts and literature are onitivated. Both the lamas are absolute princes In religious matters, but their sovereignty is checked by the authority of the emperor of Chloa, whose generals in Tibet have the command of the army and the direction of temporal affairs. The high functionaries are almost all Chinese.
(Ritter; Turner, Embassy to the Court of Takeo Lame in Tibet; Asiatic Journal ; Klaproth ; Remusat ; Kircher ; Sananx Sateen, History of Me Mongols; Schmidt, Porscleungen is* alsiete der Volker Mittelasiens.)