The Treasury of Lives

Dechen Trinle Rolpa (bde chen 'phrin las rol pa) was born in the prominent Lhagyari (lha rgya ri) family in Lhokha (lho kha), who are descended from the last of the Yarlung kings, Namde Osung (gnam lde 'od srungs, b.842), and based at Gyari Castle (rgya ri) and Rigo Tashi Chodzong Castle (ri sgo bkra shis chos rdzong).  

Dechen Trinle Rolpa is said to be invested with the title of eleventh head of Lhagyari family in 1772, the water-dragon year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle. Apparently he was a skilled writer and a talented administrator.

The Lhagyari family had a relationship with the Ganden Podrang government (dga' ldan pho brang), which Dechen Trinle continued to maintain. During the Gurkha invasion of 1788, sparked by a currency dispute between Nepal and Tibet, King Prithvi Narayan Shah (1723-1775), who had begun expanding his kingdom, sent 18,000 soldiers into Tibet. To add to the Tibetan defenses, Dechen Trinle voluntarily provided 700 men. The Tibetan defenses were no match for the Nepalese forces, which captured Shigatse and sacked Tashilhunpo Monastery (bkra shis lhun po). The Tibetans turned to the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799) in China, who sent 70,000 troops to rout the Nepalese army. The affair ended up strengthening Qing control over Tibet.

In order to repel the Gurkhas, Dechen Trinle also built a giant statue of Padmasambhava in which he put the string of pearls that the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 05 ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682) had given to Lhagyari Lobzang Tutob Chogyel (blo bzang mthu stobs chos rgyal, 17th century). Also inserted into the statue were a set of the Kangyur (bka' 'gyur) and Tengyur (bstan 'gyur) written in golden ink that had been produced by Tsering Pelbar (tshe ring dpal 'bar), the tenth head of the Lhagyari and possibly Dechen Trinle's father.

There is some confusion over his dates. Zhabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol (zhabs dkar tshogs drug rang grol, 1781-1850) exchanged empowerments with Tsering Pelbar in the 1820s. But Dechen Trinle Rolpa is said to have been invested as head of Lhagyari, following Pelbar's death, in 1772. Either Zhabkar mistook the name or Dechen Trinle Rolpa was invested at a much later date. However, given his involvement in the Gurka War, the later date does not solve the problem. Most likely Zhabkar met a different Lhagyari Tsering Pelbar.

Dechen Trinle Rolpa's successor was Zilnon Wangchuk (zil gnon dbang phyug, 19th c.). Their kinship relation is not recorded but Zilnon Wangchuk was likely his eldest son.