Shenzong of Yuan reorganizes Tibetan affairs

1332

The Mongol court in Khanbaliq tightened administration of Tibet through the dpon-chen of Sakya, channeling tribute and reasserting the patron-priest relationship that had defined Yuan-Tibetan relations since Kublai Khan first elevated the Sakya lamas to spiritual authority over the plateau. The arrangement was already fraying as Mongol prestige declined within China itself and rival Tibetan sects challenged Sakya dominance.