This article discusses the life of Skyid shod sde pa chos rje bstan 'dzin blo bzang rgya mtsho (1593-1638), chief of the Skyid shod region of central Tibet, as well as his paternal ancestry and its role in governance, his immediately previous lifetime, and the history of the Skyid shod region before it was controlled by his ancestors. (Steven Weinberger 2006-12-19)