Lozang Gyatso, 5th Dalai Lama

Lozang Gyatso, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, (1617-1682), is one of only two Dalai Lamas formally titled "Great". He initiated the construction of the fabulous Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. He also instituted many monastic practices and rituals that remain in use today. Most importantly, the 5th Dalai Lama is known for unifying Tibet under the control of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, defeating the rival Kagyupa sect. He accomplished this by forging a military alliance with Gushi Khan , the powerful Mongol military leader. The Dalai Lama also established warm relations with Shunzhi, the second emperor of the Qing Dynasty, during a state visit to Beijing in 1652. The emperor gave him the honorific title Dalai Lama, Overseer of the Buddhist Faith on Earth Under the Great Benevolent Self-subsisting Buddha of the Western Paradise. (西天大善自在佛所领天下释教普通瓦赤喇怛喇达赖喇嘛)From this meeting onwards, the Dalai Lamas were considered priests to the throne by successive Qing emperors.