Güshi Khan
| Güshi Khan Гүүш хаан གུ་ཤྲི་ཧན | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khan Protector-ruler of Tibet | |||||
| 1st Khan of the Khoshut Khanate | |||||
| Reign | 1642-1655 | ||||
| Successor | Dayan Ochir Khan | ||||
| Born | Torobaikhu (Төрбайх) 1582 | ||||
| Died | 14 January 1655 Ü-Tsang, Tibet | ||||
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| House | Borjigin | ||||
| Dynasty | Khoshut Khanate | ||||
| Father | Khanai Noyan Khonggor | ||||
| Mother | Akhai Khatun | ||||
Güshi Khan (1582 – 14 January 1655) was a Khoshut prince and founder of the Khoshut Khanate, who supplanted the Tumed descendants of Altan Khan as the main benefactor of the Dalai Lama and the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1637, Güshi Khan defeated a rival Mongol prince Choghtu Khong Tayiji, a Kagyu follower, near Qinghai Lake and established his khanate in Tibet over the next years. His military assistance to the Gelug school enabled the 5th Dalai Lama to establish political control over Tibet.