The end of the monarchy

At the beginning of the eighth Century Lo and the nearby Dolpo became part of the Tibetan Empire, which emerged from the conquests of the Yarlung Dynasty in Central Asia. Later, during the 10th Century, both territories were incorporated into the Kingdom of Purang in the Western part of Tibet. Around the middle of the 10th Century, the newly formed Kingdom of Gungthang in the north of Tibet subdued Lo. In the following centuries, a new kingdom emerged in the West under the name of Jumia. Finally, in the 14th Century, Jumia attacked the neighbor Kingdom of Gungthang and Lo came temporarily under the control of the Kingdom of Jumia. 

Around 1400 Amepa emerged to become the founder and first King of the Lo Empire. Legend has it that Amepa’s bloodline, as direct descendent of the Gungthan Empire, reaches out even to the Yarlung Dynasty at the very beginnings of the Tibetan Empire. What followed was not only a religious rebound, but also an increase of all commercial activities around the north – south route. In the centuries to come, Lo evolved to be a more or less stable Kingdom, although there were continuous feuds and troubles with the neighbor Kingdoms of Ladakah and Jumia. Lo gained stability also due to the tribute they had to pay to the respective rulers. After the Gorkha Kings conquered the valley of Kathmandu in the 18th Century, the Kingdom of Lo was annexed as well and became part of what would be Nepal. 

In 1950, the newly founded People’s Republic of China occupied Tibet. This had considerable consequences in the Kingdom of Mustang. The continuous activities of the Tibetan resistance who operated from the Kingdom led to political instability. The situation culminated in the closing of all borders. The trade routes from Tibet to India were intercepted. The Kingdom of Mustang became more and more isolated. 

Today, Mustang is integrated into the political landscape of Nepal, constituting the northern part of the District of Dhaulagiri. De facto, the Monarchy and the Kingdom of Lo survived until the summer of 2008. The actual government of Nepal has ended the tradition of the Rajas (Kings). Subsequently, the Kingdom of Mustang ended as well. The former King Jigme Palbar Bista regency goes back 25 generations. He is highly respected by the people of Mustang, regardless of the derecognizing of his Raja title.

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High mountains and canyons

Most of the tiny Kingdom of Mustang is situated at 3000 to 4000 meters above sea level, north of the Himalaya range at the so called “Roof of the World”. The territory covers 2500 km2 and adjoins Tibet on its northern border. Its location in the shadows of the mountains makes Mustang dry with annual rainfall of only 250 to 400 mm.

The country is characterised by powerful rivers such as the Kali Gandak and the deep valleys. The river rises in the north of Mustang near the Tibet boarder and flows through the country up to India in the southwest. The central trade route between Tibet and India leads along the riverbank. The main item traded was salt. The river runs through many of the deepest valleys of the world. The traditional capital of Mustang is Lo-Manthang. Administrative centre of the district is Jomsom. Since 1962, Jomsom has an airport. The whole territory of Mustang is under special national protection.

Harsh conditions of life in a rough environment

The beauty of the Kingdom is breathtaking, backed with a deep silence. The wasteland and meagre vegetation compass a richness of forms and rock formations. The deep valleys are monumental witnesses of the very long history of the territory.

The population of approximately 6000 inhabitants lives in about 30 villages. Most of the villages are situated near the river Kali Gandak. The denomination of the habitants in the northern part of Mustang is „Lo-pa“ or „Lo-wa“ which literally means „People from Lo“. Religion and culture are of Tibetan origin and their language is also a Tibetan dialect.

Around the villages lie fields of corn and some vegetables, which require hard work to cultivate. Irrigation consists of an open canal system with glacier water. The people live a very humble life with no running water, electricity, infrastructure and little medical care. 

With autumn harvest, the whole population moves down the valley to escape the cold and the lack of food during winter. The younger generation moves into the big cities or to India to earn a living.

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Buddhism – the teaching of reincarnation

The origins of Buddhism go back to India to Gutama Buddha from the dynasty of Sakaya. In the eighth century, during the Yarlung Dynasty, Buddhism reached Tibet. Form Tibet it spread further to Mustang. In the highlands of Tibet a new form of Buddhism emerged as part of the Mahayana Buddhism in which the Lama (Guru) played the central role integrating many rituals and locale religious tradition.

In Buddhism the concept of Karma, the law of cause and effect and the belief in reincarnation are essential. All beings suffer and take part in the eternal circle of reincarnation. Thos who dedicate their lives to teaching and meditation can escape this circle and reach the Buddha status – the enlightenment. This way they reach Nirvana and redeemed. One special characteristic of the Mahayana Buddhism in the Kingdom of Mustang is the ideal of Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva is an enlightened being that renounces to the last step of enlightment in order to provide the force of redemption to all creatures. 

Like in all Buddhist parts of the Himalaya prayer flags are raised to spread blessings through the country.

The Nepalese education system

The illiteracy rate in Mustang remains very high. Amongst women it is nearly 70 percent. To make sure all children have access to education the Nepalese government in recent years promoted the opening of schools in many villages. Nevertheless, the teachers are mostly Hindus, who not only don’t belong to the local culture, but also don’t speak Tibetan. 

All Mustang children receive Nepalese first names at school but the difference in cultural backgrounds often leads to understanding problems. These deepen further the repression of the Tibetan language, culture, and traditions. 

The Tibetan language can only be learned in private schools like the Great Compassion Boarding School.

All info taken from the main page of Himalayas children Foundation. http://himalayas-children.ch/en/foundation-current-projects.html

All photos are my own.