3rd Taktra Rinpoche
Ngawang Sungrab Thutob (Standard Tibetan: སྟག་བྲག་ནག་དབང་གསུང་རབ།; Chinese: 达扎·阿旺松绕) (1874–1952) was the third Taktra Rinpoche, (Wylie transliteration: sTag-brag, also Takdrak, Tagdrag, etc.) and regent of Tibet. As regent, he was responsible for raising and educating the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. In 1941, he succeeded the fifth Reting Rinpoche, Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen. The Reting Rinpoche later rebelled, was captured, and died imprisoned in the Potala Palace under mysterious circumstances.
Ngawang Sungrab Thutob | |
|---|---|
སྟག་བྲག་ནག་དབང་གསུང་རབ | |
| 3rd Taktra Rinpoche | |
| In office 1874–1952 | |
| Preceded by | Lobsang Khyenrab Wangchug |
| Succeeded by | Tenzin Geleg |
| Regent of Tibet | |
| In office 1941–1950 | |
| Dalai Lama | Tenzin Gyatso |
| Preceded by | 5th Reting Rinpoche |
| Succeeded by | title abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1874 Kyarpa, Tibet, China |
| Died | 1952 (aged 77–78) Lhasa, Tibet, China |
State-controlled media in China claims that Thutob was responsible for the death of the 5th Reting Rinpoche, the teacher of 14th Dalai Lama and previous regent. They praise Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen as a patriot and devout Buddhist while calling Ngawang Sungrab Thutob as a "pro-Britain, pro-slavery separatist." Reting Rinpoche, regardless of his political leanings, will be remembered for discovering and enthroning the current, 14th Dalai Lama.