The Eighth Dalai Lama

Jamphel Gyatso, the Eighth Dalai Lama of Tibet (1758-1804) was born in Tobgyal, Upper Tsang, on July 29, 1758 and ascended the throne as the Eighth Dalai Lama on August 29, 1762, although he did not assume full power until 1781. Much like his predecessor, he allowed the affairs of Tibet to be handled exclusively by his regent, Ngawang Tsulthim, who spent much of his time retained in Peking, while the Chinese 'amban' rulers acted in his place. During the reign of Jamphel Gyatso, Tibet fought in the Bhutan-Koch Bihar war of 1772 between Bhutan and the English East Company of Calcutta, the Nepal-Sikkim war of 1775, and the Nepal-Tibet wars of 1789 and 1792, based largely upon conflict over inequities in the exchange of gold and silver currency. Tibet also became the focus of much attention from Great Britain, due to its strategic location on the Asian continent. As a result, the Tibetan government began to restrict the passage of foreign visitors. Jamphel Gyatso died in 1804 at the age of 46.