The construction of Tawang Monastery in the late 17th century was intrinsically linked to the political and religious unification under which Tibetan religious and political authority?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The establishment of Tawang Monastery was directly commissioned and blessed by the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, who instructed Merak Lama to construct a major monastic institution in the Tawang region to consolidate Gelugpa Buddhist teachings among the Monpa people. While Desi Sangye Gyatso was a prominent regent later, the founding initiative stems from the direct visionary authority of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. This act cemented enduring spiritual ties between Tawang and Lhasa.