Kashmir

The Rajadom of Lo
Lo Manthang

[[]] [[]] state flag coat of arms
[[]] map of Lo
Capitals
Royal	Mantang
Administrative	Jomsom
Provinces with Capitals
Mustang	Jomsom
Dolpo	Dunai
Manang	Chame
Government	absolute monarchy
Head of State and Government	His Royal Highness Ashtok Bista
Demonym	Lotian
Religions
Official	Buddhism
Other	Hinduism
Languages
Official	Tibetan, Lepcha, Limbu
Other	Nepali
Founding	1380
Independence	1790
Area	10,293 km² 3,974 mi²
Population (2001)	54,113
Ethnicities	Bhutia 53% Lepcha 25% Limbu 12% Nepali 10%
Currency	1 Himalayan Rupee (Rs) = 20 sukaa (?) = 240 paisa (?)
Time zone	CET UTC+5:30
Telephone Code	?
Registration
Aviation	LOM
Amateur radio	LOM
Radio prefix	LOM
Organizations	Commission on Very Small States Himalayan Confederacy
Sports
Official	soccer
Other	cricket

Texts in bold print are points of departure.

History

Kashmir was one of the major centers of Sanskrit scholarship. According to the Mahabharata, the Kambojas ruled Kashmir during the epic period with a republican system of government from the capital city of Rajapura. Later, the Panchalas established their sway and their king Pravarasena II founded the city of Parvasenpur. Asoka, the great ruler of the Mauryan Empire introduced Buddhism to the region.

Kashmir became an important seat of Buddhist learning, dominated by the Sarvastivadan school. Monks from eastern and central Asia visited the kingdom. In the late fourth century A.D., the famous Kuchanese monk Kumarajiva, born to an Indian noble family, studied Dirghagama and Madhyagama in Kashmir under the great scholar Bandhudatta. He later became a prolific translator who helped introduce Buddhism to China. Vimalaksa, a Sarvastivadan Buddhist monk, travelled from Kashmir to Kucha and there instructed Kumarajiva in the Vinayapitaka.

Muslim rule

Shah Mir Swati (Reigned 1339-42)

Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir was a ruler of Kashmir and the founder of the Shah Miri dynasty named after him. Jonaraja, in his Rajatarangini mentioned him as Sahamera. He came from Swat, the then (Tribal) territory on the borders of Afghanistan and played a notable role in subsequentive political history of the valley. Shahmir became the ruler of Kashmir and reigned for three years.He was the first ruler of Swati dynasty, which had established in 1339.

Shah Mir was succeeded by his eldest son Jamshid, but he was deposed by his brother Ali Sher probably within few months, who ascended the throne under the name of Alauddin[1].

In the 14th century, Islam gradually became the dominant religion in Kashmir, starting with the conversion in 1323 of Rincana, the first king of the Sayyid Dynasty from Ladakh. The Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir lived in relative harmony, since the Sufi-Islamic way of life that ordinary Muslims followed in Kashmir complemented the Rishi tradition of Kashmiri Pandits. This led to a syncretic culture where Hindus and Muslims revered the same local saints and prayed at the same shrines. The famous sufi saint Bulbul Shah was able to persuade the king of the time Rinchan Shah from Ladakh to adopt the Islamic way of life, and the foundation of Sufiana composite culture was laid when Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists were co-existing.

Several Kashmiri rulers, such as Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, were tolerant of all religions in a manner comparable to Akbar. However, several Muslim rulers of Kashmir were intolerant to other religions. Sultãn Sikandar Butshikan of Kashmir (AD 1389-1413) and his (former Brahmin) minister Saif ud-Din are often considered the worst of these. Historians have recorded many of his atrocities. The Tarikh-i-Firishta records that Sikandar persecuted the Hindus and issued orders proscribing the residence of any other than Muslims in Kashmir.

The Caliphate used Persia as something of a staging post for their expansions into Afghanistan and India (also enslaving many Turkic peoples and taking them back to Baghdad to serve as cavalry troops) but had little effect on the mass of the people. For some three centuries, a largely Zoroastrian populace sullenly submitted to Muslim rule. However, with the extinction of the Zoroastrian élite, much of the Zoroastrian scripture and learning was lost during Abbasid rule.

Government

Provinces (anchal)

Province	Capital	Area	Population	Prefectures	Notes
Mustang	Jomsom	3,573 km²	29,545 (2001)	15	slightly larger than *here's* Luxemburg
Dolpa	Dunai	7,889 km²	(2001)	19	about the size of *here's* Slovenia
Manang	Chame	2,246 km²	9,587 (2001)	14	slightly smaller than *here's* Isle of Majorca

• Thus, the total area of the rajadom is 13,708 km², about the size of *here's* Montenegro.
• The 15 Mustang prefectures are Chhonkup, Lomanthan, Chhoser, Chanang, Sukkang, Dhami, Chhusang, Kagbeni, Jhong, Muktinath, Marpha, Tukuche, Kowang, Junjo, and Lete.
• The 14 Manang prefectures are Fu, Nar, Thoche, Tanki Manang, Khangsar, Bhraka, Nyawal, Gyasu, Manang, Pisang, Chame, Tachi Bogarcchap, Thoche, Dharapani.
• The 19 Dolpa prefectures are Bhijar, Saddang, Tinje, Phoksundo, Dho,Chhenka, Mukot, Sakartana, Dunai, Lawan, Raha, Tripunakot, Likhu, Pahada, Lohai, Kalika, Narku, Rimi, Sarmi.

Geography

Borders

Lo is bordered by on the:

North: Tibet
West: Nepal (Mugu, Jumla)
Southwest: Nepal (Jajarkot)
South: Nepal (Rukum, Myagdi, Kaski)
Southeast: Nepal (Lamjung)
East: Nepal (Gorkha)

The Rajahdom of Lo is contiguous with *here's* Nepali districts of Mustang, Dolpo, and Manang.

Culture

National symbols

• National mammal 1: Kashmiri stag (Cervus elaphus hodgsoni)
• National mammal 2: Wikipedia: ()
• National bird: Lanceolated jay (Garrulus lanceolatus]
• National flower: Common rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum)
• National tree: birch (Betulus utilis)
  • The hoist half of the flag is white, the color of the snows on the sacred Himalayas, which symbolizes the secular tradition of the Rajadom. The auspicious Parasol in the blue color of peace symbolizes His Majesty the King, whose noble actions enhance the Rajadom. Hence, it symbolizes that His Majesty is protector of the people of the Rajadom and the upholder of the secular foundations of the Rajadom.
  • The fly half of the flag is maroon, the color of the robes of the monks and symbolizes the spiritual tradition. The golden dharma wheel, with the gankyil in the center, symbolizes the flourishing of the Buddhist teachings in the Rajadom.
  • The pale wavy green symbolizes the Gandaki River that flows through the Rajadom.
  • The lung ta (wind horse) flies from fly to hoist symbolizing that the Buddhist tradition infuses the government of the Rajadom.
• National emblem:
  • Per pale white and maroon, a pale wavy vert, on the dexter an auspicious parasol azure, on the sinister the Wheel of Dharma or; on a chief vert a wind horse courant to the dexter.
  • For supporters, on the dexter a sand fox and on the sinister a musk deer, all proper.
  • For a crest, a vajra or rising out of a lotus white.
• National aviation roundel: a circle divided in half, white and red, a green stripe down the center.
• National instrument: Wikipedia:

Lotian holidays

(Dates in italics are postponed)

Date	Name	Notes
14 February	Losar	New Year
21 February	The King's Birthday
28 February	Chotrul Duchen	Butter Lamp Festival (2010 only)
21 March	The King's Birthday	Father's Day
27 May	Suga Dawa Duchen	The Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment, and Parinirvana (2010 only)
21 June	Guru Rinpoche's Birthday
15 July	Chokhor Duchen	The Buddha's First Sermon (2010 only)
24 August	Ulambana	Ancestor Day (2010 only)
23 September	Thri-bab	Blessed Rainy Day (2010 only)
17 October	Dashain	Victory of the Goddess Durga (2010 only)
29 October	Lhabab Duchen	The Buddha's Descent to Earth (2010 only))
6 November	The King's Coronation