The Phagmodrupa dynasty or Pagmodru (, ; ) was a dynastic regime that held sway over Tibet or parts thereof from 1354 to the early 17th century. It was established by Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen of the Lang () family at the end of the Yuan dynasty. The dynasty had a lasting importance on the history of Tibet; it created an autonomous kingdom after Yuan rule, revitalized the national culture, and brought about a new legislation that survived until the 1950s. Nevertheless, the Phagmodrupa had a turbulent history due to internal family feuding and the strong localism among noble lineages and fiefs. Its power receded after 1435 and was reduced to Ü (East Central Tibet) in the 16th century due to the rise of the ministerial family of the Rinpungpa. It was defeated by the rival Tsangpa dynasty in 1613 and 1620, and was formally superseded by the Ganden Phodrang regime founded by the 5th Dalai Lama in 1642. In that year, Güshi Khan of the Khoshut formally transferred the old possessions of Sakya, Rinpung and Phagmodrupa to the "Great Fifth".
The foundation of the Phagmodrupa
Founder Changchub Gyaltsen came from the monastic principality Phagmodru ("sow's ferry crossing"), which was founded as a hermitage in 1158 by the famous Kagyu scholar Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo. It was situated in the Nêdong district southeast of Lhasa. Some time after the death of the founder in 1170, some of his disciples met and organized a true monastery, called (Wylie: gdan sa mthil, 1198). Phagmodru evolved into a large and wealthy estate around the monastery, which was governed by members of the Lang family. They maintained a variant of the Dagpo Kagyu school of Buddhism known as the Phagdru Kagyu. When Mongol rule was imposed on Tibet in the mid-13th century, Phagmodru became an appanage under Hülegü Khan (d. 1266), forming one of the thirteen myriarchies (divisions) of Central Tibet. Towards the end of the 13th century the myriarchy fell on hard times and lost territory. Its fortunes were revived by Changchub Gyaltsen, who became lord of the fief in 1322. He managed to defeat various local opponents at a time when the Yuan dynasty, overlord of Tibet, was on the decline. The Sakya regime, centered in Tsang (West Central Tibet) had hitherto wielded power over Tibet on behalf of the Mongols. However, Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen superseded Sakya in the period 1354–1358, thereby recreating an autonomous Tibetan state.
Mongol ruler Toghon Temür was beset by inner troubles, and so preferred to confirm the acquisitions of Changchub Gyaltsen, and conferred the titles darakache and tai situ (grand tutor) on him. The Ming dynasty made no attempt to reinstate the tight grip on Tibet once exercised by the Mongols. In 1372 the Hongwu Emperor conferred the title Guanding Guoshi on Changchub Gyaltsen's successor Jamyang Shakya Gyaltsen (r. 1364–1373) together with a jade seal.
Administrative renewal
The new regime governed from their palace in Nêdong in the Yarlung Valley. Changchub Gyaltsen did not take royal titles but preferred the title desi (sde srid) that means regent, namely for the ancient kings of Tibet (600-842) whose glory he wished to revive. The new regent reorganized the old Mongol-Sakya administration by sharing up the territory in divisions (de or dzongchen), under which were dzong (rdzong), districts. These were headed by dzongpons who governed from fortified cities (also called dzong) and combined civil and military functions; these were chosen from among Changchub Gyaltsen's close followers and initially were not hereditary. He abolished Mongol laws and customs in favour of traditional Tibetan ones, which were much less harsh. Three centuries later his laws were revised by the Fifth Dalai Lama and Sangye Gyatso, and then remained in effect until the invasion of Tibet by Maoist China. The dynasty in the first place wielded power over Central Tibet (Ü and Tsang).