3. Trisong Detsen (2nd Dharma King)

As the 38th King of Tibet, Trisong Detsen (742–797) was the principal architect of the First Diffusion of Buddhism. Rejecting the influence of the indigenous Bön priests, he invited the scholar Śāntarakṣita and the master Padmasambhava to establish the first monastery at Samye. He presided over the Great Debate at Samye, where Indian gradualism was chosen over Chinese sudden enlightenment. His patronage ensured that Buddhism became the official state religion, cementing Tibet’s spiritual identity.