The Pandatsang were an extremely rich Khampa trading family with enormous influence in Kham.

[3] The mastermind of the rebellion was Pandastang Togbye of the rich and powerful Kham Pandatsang family.

The reason was that the family was the main exporter of Tibetan wool abroad, and any further incident could affect government funds.

[citation needed] Rapga fled from Kham to Kalimpong via Kanting and Nanking after the revolt failed.

[6] Gray Tuttle, Leila Hadley Luce Professor of Modern Tibetan Studies, believes that it was possible that Rapga "was a devout believer in the political ideology of Sun Yat-sen and had translated some of Sun's more important writings into Tibetan" during this rebellion.