The
Gelug,
Gelug-pa,
dGe Lugs Pa,
dge-lugs-pa or
Dgelugspa is the newest of the schools of
Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by
Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), a
philosopher and
Tibetan religious leader. The first
monastery he established was named
Ganden, and to this day the
Ganden Tripa is the nominal head of the school, though its most influential figure is the
Dalai Lama. Allying themselves with the
Mongols as a powerful patron, the Gelug emerged as the pre-eminent Buddhist school in Tibet since the end of the 16th century.