Je Tsongkhapa, a mainfestation of the Bodhisattva Mañjuśri, and founder of the Gelugpa Order established Ganden monastery in 1409.
After Je Tsongkhapa's death in 1419 the supreme head of the Gelugpa Order was designated to be the Throneholder of Ganden, the elected head of Ganden monastery. This position is also referred to as the Ganden Tripa, Ganden Trichen, or Tri Rinpoche.
The first few Ganden Tripas were direct students of Je Tsongkhapa and later many, but not all, of the Ganden Tripas were Rinpoches.

Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, the new Ganden Monastery has been relocated to Mundgod, Karnataka State in India.
Since 1959 H.H. the Dalai Lama has played a greater role in determining the acting Ganden Tripa.

Details of the, to date, 102 Ganden Tripas are shown in the schematic table below which indicates their life span, time as Ganden Tripa, as well as a link to further biographical information.