410 klaus sagaster
Dalai Lama must have aroused the interest and probably also unrest
on the part of the Ming emperor Wanli (1573–1619), who would have
invited the Dalai Lama to Beijing in 1578 if the latter had not resided
with the nominal Mongolian Great Khan Úasatu Tümen Khan in
the aqar territory, not far from the Chinese capital. Even if this
announcement is correct, the Dalai Lama could not have complied
with the invitation, since he died in 1578.
Tibetan sources report that emperor Wanli sent an envoy to the
fourth Dalai Lama Yon-tan-rgya-mtsho in 1616.^145 The aim of this
mission was not only to bestow the Dalai Lama with an honorary title,
but also the wish to become informed about the growing strength of
the dGe-lugs-pa.
8.2. Contacts between Qing China (the Manchus) and TibetSoon, the interest of the dGe-lugs-pa was no longer directed towards
the increasingly weaker Ming Dynasty, but towards the growing power
that shortly after would take over the rulership of China: the Manchus.
The interest was a mutual one. In 1637 and 1639, the prince Hûwang
Taize invited the fth Dalai Lama to the Manchu capital Mukden.^146
In 1642, a Tibetan mission headed by Ilausan Seen Chos-rje, obvi-
ously a Mongolian dignitary, reached Mukden.^147 It was signi cant that
the envoys handed over the writings of three leading political powers
in Tibet: the fth Dalai Lama, Karma bsTan-skyong-dbang-po, the
regent of gTsang, and the seventh “Red Hat” (Zhva-dmar-)Karma-pa
Ye-shes-snying-po (1631–1694).^148 They all hoped for support from the
coming power in China. The answers of Hûwang Taize were cautious,
as he was not yet able to judge the situation in Tibet with certainty,
but it was clear that the Manchus also were sympathetic towards the
dGe-lugs-pa.^149
This sympathy very soon developed into a close relationship. When
the fth Dalai Lama learnt that in the year 1644 the Ming Dynasty
had collapsed and that Shunzhi (r. 1644–1661), the rst emperor of
the Manchu Qing Dynasty, was enthroned, he sent him his felicita-
tions. Thereupon, the Dalai Lama was invited to Beijing in 1651. The
(^145) Tucci 1949, p. 55; Shakabpa 1967, p. 96 (without date).
(^146) Úiral 1996, p. 213.
(^147) Tucci 1949, pp. 64–65.
(^148) Ferrari 1958, p. 168 n. 704; Douglas & White 1976, p. 149.
(^149) Tucci 1949, pp. 64–65.