Kingdom of Derge

The Kingdom of Derge (Tibetan: སྡེ་དགེ་, Wylie: sde dge; Chinese: 德格王國) was a large kingdom in Kham, whose estate was founded in the 13th century by the Gar Clan of Sonam Rinchen in present day Pelyul County. The Gar Clan traces its lineage to minister Gar Tongtsen at Songsten Gampo's 7th century court, and the kingdom lasted until the 20th century. After the 1630s, the Derge Kingdom became a major center of Tibetan culture, printing, industry, Tibetan Buddhism, and politics, and the seat of its kingdom was in the town of Degé. The kings of Derge belonged to the 1300-year old Gar Clan lineage,

At its height, the population of the kingdom consisted of 12–15,000 families.

The northern border of the kingdom was defined by Tso Ngon Lake; on the east, the boundary terminated at those states that utilized the Horpa variation of the Rgyalrongic languages, Chantui and Litang; the southern and western boundaries were defined by Batang, Sanai, Gonjo and Draya; and Lhato and Chamdo, respectively. During the Qing dynasty, a Derge king requested a Tusi title in 1728. The kingdom was known for its metal working and was an important center in the establishment of the Rimé movement in Tibetan Buddhism. The royal family of Derge were known as supporters of art, producing such artists as Situ Panchen, the kingdom's senior court chaplain, who is also known for his contributions to medicine and religion. Regent Queen Tsewang Lhamo (d. 1812) was known for her support of the Nyingma school and for commissioning the printing its texts, including The Collected Tantras of the Nyingma.