The Eleventh Dalai Lama

Khendrup Gyatso (1838-1856), the Eleventh Dalai Lama, was the third in a series of Dalai Lamas who died at an early age. He was born on December 19, 1838 at Teling, near Gerthar, Kham, coincidentally the same location where the Kelsang Gyatso, the Seventh Dalai Lama was discovered and later founded a monastery. Khendrup Gyatso ascended the throne as the Eleventh Dalai Lama on May 25, 1842. In a break with tradition, he assumed his full power at the young age of 17 on March 1, 1855 at the request of his government. He died mysteriously eleven months later. During his short reign, Tibet fought a war with Jammu, China's influence in Tibet was weakened by the Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion, and Tibet continued its conflict with the kingdoms of Nepal and Ladakh.