Tibetan Buddhist Monastery System

Timeline

1. c. 1050–1170Ü-Tsang (Tsang) · Ü-TsangSince the Later Diffusion period, ancient temples such as Samye were rebuilt, and Kagyu, Sakya, Nyingma and other sects successively founded monasteries, which became central nodes for scripture translation, tantric lineage transmission, and local worship.
2. 1180–1190Sakya · SakyaAt this time the Sakya school consolidated its base in the Sakya region, while Kagyu branches maintained large monastic communities at Phagmodru, Drigung and elsewhere; the monastery system already had a complete structure of colleges, assembly halls, monk quarters, and local patronage.
3. c. 1250–1400Lhasa · LhasaDuring Sakya rule and the subsequent Phagmodru regime, the monastery system became further bound to administration, land, and corvée, forming a theocratic governance model that lasted for centuries.