Gelug-Mongol Alliance Consolidation and Altan Khan's Conversion in the 1570s

Timeline

1. 1571–1577Tumed Mongol territory · MongoliaSeeking to consolidate leadership over the Mongol tribes and gain religious legitimacy, Altan Khan repeatedly sent envoys inviting Gelug leader Sonam Gyatso (later honored posthumously as the Third Dalai Lama) to teach; through envoy exchanges the two sides gradually established a political framework for cooperation.
2. 1578Yanghua Monastery · QinghaiSonam Gyatso arrived at Yanghua Monastery by Qinghai Lake to teach Altan Khan and his followers; Altan Khan converted to the Gelug school, honored Sonam Gyatso as 'Vajradhara Dalai Lama' (meaning Dalai of the Ocean of Wisdom), from which the title 'Dalai' originated; the two exchanged honorific titles, establishing an alliance of Mongol military protection for the Gelug.
3. 1578–1580Mongolian steppe · MongoliaAltan Khan built Buddhist temples throughout his domain and issued bans on killing, promoting the rapid spread of Gelug's Yellow School among the Mongol tribes; the combination of Mongol arms and Gelug religious authority gave the Tibetan Gelug a decisive advantage in Tibetan competition and deeply shaped later Ming-Qing relations with the Mongols.