Lhachen

Lhachen, meaning great deity, was the title borne by the kings of the first dynasty of Maryul, the Tibetan kingdom later known as Ladakh. After the collapse of the Tibetan Empire, Kyide Nyimagon fled to western Tibet and built a kingdom.

Around 930 his eldest son, Lhachen Palgyigon, inherited the western portion and founded Maryul, with his capital at Shey. The kingdom ran from the Kashmir border in the west to Demchok and Rudok in the east.

The Lhachen kings, whose history is recorded in the Ladakh Chronicles, ruled from Shey for more than five centuries. In 1460 prince Bhagan allied with the people of Leh, dethroned King Lodrö Chokden and his brothers, and took the surname Namgyal, founding a new dynasty that ruled Ladakh for nearly four centuries.