Kingdom of Lo

The Kingdom of Lo
Lo Manthang

[[]] [[]] Flag of the Kingdom of Lo emblem
[[]] map of Lo
Capitals
Royal	Mantang
Coordinates	latitude: 29° 10' 60" N longitude: 83° 58' 0" E
Administrative	Jomsom
Coordinates	latitude: 28° 47' 0" N longitude: 83° 43' 50" E
Government	absolute monarchy
Head of State and Government	His Royal Highness Ashtok Bista
Demonym	Lotian
Religions
Official	Bön 94%
Other	Shaivism 6%
Languages
Official	Tibetan, Lepcha, Limbu
Other	Nepali
Founding	1380
Independence	1790
Area	10,293 km² 3,974 mi²
Population	54,113
Ethnicities	Bhutia 53% Lepcha 25% Limbu 12% Nepali 10%
Currency	1 Himalayan Rupee (Rs) = 20 sukaa (s) = 240 paisa (p)
Time zone	UTC +6:00
ISO Code	RL
Telephone Code
Registration
Aviation	LOM
Amateur radio	LOM
Radio prefix	LOM
Organizations	Commission on Very Small States Himalayan Confederacy
Sports
Official	soccer
Other	cricket

History

Text in bold print indicate points of departure.

Early History

• The Kingdom of Lo has a long, rich and complex history. Its early history is shrouded in legend, myth and mystery, but there are records of events in the Kali Gandaki Valley as early as the 8th century. According to local legend Padmasambhava, the great founder of Tibetan Buddhism came to the Kali Kandaki Valley on his way to Tibet.
• The first emperor of Tibet, Trisong Detsen, (742-797) was desirous of introducing Buddhism to his empire, but his desire was thwarted by evil mountain deities. Learning of the holiness of Padmasambhava, the emperor invited him to come and do battle with these evil powers. Guru Rinpoche, as he is known in Tibet, on his way through eastern Lo in 775 built the temple of Ghar Gompa (House Temple) which still stands guard today. He arrived in Tibet in 810 and used his tantric powers to subdue the evil deities he encountered along the way. He founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa, initiated the first monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism.
• It is also quite likely that the Tibetan poet Milarepa, who lived from 1040 to 1123, visited Lo.
• For a time, Lo was part of Ngari, a name for far western Tibet. Ngari was not a true political entity, but rather a loose collection of feudal domains that also included parts of Dolpo. By the 14th century, much of Ngari, as well as most of what today is western Nepal, was part of the Malla Empire governed from their capital at Sinja, near Jumla.
• Until the late fourteenth century, Lo was part of Ngari, a name for far western Tibet. Ngari was not a true political entity, but rather a loose collection of feudal domains that also included parts of Dolpo. By the 14th century, much of Ngari, as well as most of what today is western Nepal, was part of the Malla Empire governed from their capital at Sinja, near Jumla.

14th Century

• 1380 - Shresrab becomes the dzongpon (military commander and provincial commissioner) of Lo for the Gung-thang kings of Tibet. He holds a semi-independent status, which allows him to secure the government for his lineal descendants. He transfers his capital from Sarang to Manthang, constructing many gompas (temples). He subjugates Guge and Purang in western Tibet and founded the Thub-stan shad-rub dar-gyas-ling Monastery at Sarang, which accommodated over 2,000 resident monks and served as a major center of religious learning and worship. He is venerated as a bodhisattva by his people and dies at the Kra-this ge-phel Palace in Manthang in 1447. The ancestry of the present king can be traced back 25 generations to Ama Pal.

15th Century

• 1400 - Shesrab's son, Tshang, is recognised as dzongpon of Lo, Nar, Nyishang, Manang, Phug, and Nubri.
• 1425 - His son, the warrior-monk Ama Pal, succeeds as dzongpon.
• 1440-1442 – Ama Pal consolidates his power in the upper Kali Gandaki Valley and extends his influence over a wide region in western Tibet, thus founding the Buddhist Kingdom of Lo. He defeats the Zhang-pa army, declares his independence, and is enthroned as gyalpo, although his kingdom remains closely tied by language and culture to Tibet.
• 1442 - Ama Pal is recognized as an independent ruler by the Gung-thang king of Tibet and assumes the title of chogyal.
• 1443 – Ama Pal transfers his capital from Sarang to Manthang (the present-day capital), constructing many gompas (temples). He subjugates Guge and Purang in western Tibet and founds the Thub-stan shad-rub dar-gyas-ling Monastery at Sarang, which accommodated over 2,000 resident monks and served as a major center of religious learning and worship.
• 1447 - Tenzing Zampo, succeeds his father as Lo Gyal-po. He was born in 1419, the eldest son of Ama Pal. He was an enlightened ruler who patronized literature and religion, reorganized the administration and developed the economic welfare of the kingdom, during a reign that was largely peaceful and prosperous.
• 1482 - Kra-this-gon succeeds his father as Lo Gyal-po. He was born in 1443, his father’s eldest son. He was appointed as heir apparent with the title of gyal-chung and served as drung-pa chen-po during his father's retreats to monasteries.

16th Century

• 1513 - Ragspa succeeds his father as Lo Gyalpo. The growing power of Jumla sees a contraction of his hegemony to little more than the traditional areas of Dolpo, Manang and Lo, eventually losing his independence in 1544.
• 1544 Lo is divided into separate districts ruled by the three sons of Ragspa, under Jumla sovereignty, until 1560.
• 1560 Gyahor, the eldest of the three sons is appointed khri-thog-pa by the Jumla authorities and succeeds in re-establishing the principality. He was a great patron of literature, religious sculpture and a builder of stupas, but he died having no sons.
• 1565 – Sodnams, the younger son of Krathis is appointed depa by his elder brother.
• 1572 – Sodnams succeeds his brother as Lo Gyalpo.
• 1580 - Dongrub, the second son of Sodnams succeeds his father. He did much to revive the fortunes of the state, constructed palaces and strong forts, and recovered authority over Serib, Gelung and Khangkar.
• 1594 – Samgrub, the eldest son of Dongrub, succeeds on the death of his father.

17th Century

• 1609 – Rabtan, the only surviving son of Samgrub, succeeds on the death of his father.
• 1655 – Rabtan abdicates in favour of his third son. He marries Nyizla, a princess from Ladakh. He died in 1664.
• 1656 – Sa ang, the third son of Rabtan, succeeds his father. He fought several wars against Jumla, regaining his independence through military help from Ladakh several times during his reign. He lost the Thak-Panchgaun region to Parvat in 1687.

18th Century

• 1710 - Sa ang abdicates in favour of his son.
• 1711 - Je ang succeeds on the abdication of his father.
• 1723 - Krathis Namgyal succeeds his father.
• 1728 - Tenzing Anjia succeeds his father, but reigns under the regency of his mother, Norzin, daughter of Nyima, the King of Ladakh.
• 1734 - Tenzing Anjia comes of age and assumes full ruling powers.
  • The Malla Empire declined and split into numerous petty hill states. By the 18th century, Jumla had consolidated and reasserted its power. In an effort to develop their domain as a trading center and to obtain Tibetan goods, the rulers of Jumla turned their attention eastward.
• 1740 - Jumla assumes control over Lo, from which they extract an annual tribute.
  • Since the valley was the easiest corridor through the mighty Himalaya linking the Tibetan Plateau to southern Asia, it became a major trading center. Great caravans of sheep and yaks brought loads from Tibet to Lo where they were transferred to the mules and goats more suited to travel in the warmer lowlands. Southwards the trade was in salt, wool, musk, borax and tsampa; heading north was rice, grain, and textiles.
• 1760 - Wanggyal Dorje succeeds on the death of his father.
• 1762 - When he ascended the throne, Prithvi Narayan Shah, founder of the house of Gorkha, began to consolidate what is present-day Nepal. He conquered Jumla and laid claim to Lo. Although Lo was forced to pay tribute for protection, they regained a large measure of autonomy. Prithvi Narayan Shah went on to conquer much of what is now modern Nepal. At the time of his death in 1775, the kingdom extended from Gorkha eastward to the borders of Sikkim. His descendants directed their efforts westward and by 1789, Jumla had been annexed.
• 1765-1788 - The vassal rulers of Lo make several unsuccessful, attempts to re-establish their independence.
• 1788 - The Nepalese Regent, Prince Bahadur Shah, requests an alliance to complete his plans for unifying Nepal. He needs the help of Wanggyal Dorje to subdue the Raja of Jumla, Lo’s overlord.
• 1788 - Wanggyal Dorje enters into an alliance with the Nepalese to defeat his overlord, the Raja of Jumla.
• 1790 - After the successful completion of the war, Wanggyal Dorje is awarded for his participation some of the lands seized by Jumla, namely, Manang and Dolpo. He is thereafter recognized as a sovereign ruler with the hereditary title of Gyalpo of Lo. He receives a crown acknowledging his new status from the Maharajadhiraja of Nepal and was granted a golden plumed crown by the Qianlong Emperor of China. This now forms part of the tog-sum or regalia of the kingdom. He was a religious and cultural reformer who renovated monasteries and monuments, built several temples and a modern palace, and invited learned lamas to settle in Lo.
• 1797 - Krathis Ningpo succeeds his father.

19th Century

• 1815 - Jampal Graldus succeeds when his uncle abdicates. He was a religious man who spent long hours meditating with his lamas in remote caves and other holy places.
• 1837 - Kunga Norbu succeeds his father. He served in the Nepalese War against Tibet in 1855.
• 1857 - Jamyan Angdu succeeds his father, reigning under the regency of his mother, Krathis bukhrid. He was never installed or crowned and thus was gyalras (prince) only.
• 1863 - Ngodup Palbar left the monastic life and succeeded his brother. He reigned under the regency of his sister-in-law, Je-chog, from 1863 to 1868.
• 1893 - Jambyang Pelbar succeeds upon the death of his uncle.
• 1935 - Angun Tenzing Trangul succeeds his father.

20th Century

• 1926 - At the request of Maharaja Tribhuvan Bir, Gyalpo Jambang closes the mountain passes to Tibet. This puts severe restrictions on the Lotian economy and trade with Nepal increases.
• 1945 - The mountain passes are opened by Gyalpo Angung Tenzing Trandul at the defeat of the Chinese Empire by Australasia.
• 1955 – Angun Tenzing Trandul abdicates in favor of his eldest son.
• 1955 - Angdu Nyingpo succeeds his father. He had been appointed heir apparent by his father and invested with the title of gyal-chung. He died at the Manthang Palace in 1958.
• 1958 - Angun Tenzing Trandul resumes the throne upon the death of his son. He marries Rani Kelsang Choeden, of the Zhalu Kushang family of the Che clan, the elder sister of His Excellency Ngawang Khyenrab Thupten Lekshe Gyatso, the 18th Chogye Trichen Rinpoche of the Phenpo Nalanda Monastery in Tibet. He dies at Phre-mkhar Palace in 1964.
• 1963 - Jigme Pelbar marries, at Shigatse, Tibet, Rani Sahiba Sidol Palbar Bista, a lady from a noble family of Shigatse.
• 1964 - Jigme Pelbar succeeds his father as the 25th King of Lo. He had been appointed heir apparent by his father and invested with the title of gyal-chung in 1959.
• 1966 - Jigme Tenzing is born and appointed the gyalchung.
• 1974 – The gyalchung dies at the age of eight years.
• 1975 - Lo joins Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim to form the Himalayan Confederacy. The four nations agree to be in the same time zone: UTC +6:00.
• 1978 - the nations of the Himalayan Confederacy entered into a postal union.
• 1982 - Lo joins Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim to create the Himalayan Railway System.
• 1994 - the final section of the the Himalayan Railway System tracks was laid.

21st Century

• 2004 - In September, Jigme Pelbar adopts as his own son his nephew, Jigme Singi Palbar Bista, the son of his older brother, Lama Shabtung Rinpoche, and appoints him gyalchung.
• 2005 - Jigme Pelbar abdicates to his nephew, now the 26th Gyalpo of Lo.

The Rajas of Lo

Name	Succeeds	Reign	Died	Notes
Shresrab lama		1380-1401	1401	Provincial commissioner for kings of Tibet
Tshang Chos-kyong-bum	father	1401-1425	1425	of Lo, Nar, Nyishang, Manang, Phug and Nubri
1) Ama Pal	father	1425-1447	1447	independence recognized; founds Buddhist Kingdom of Lo
2) Tenzing Zampo	father	1447-1482	1482
3) Kra-this tog-gyal	father	1482-1513	1513
4) Rags-pa-tha-yas	father	1513-1544	1559	loses independence in 1544 to Jumla
Division into three districts		1544-1560		ruled by Rags-pa-tha-yas' three sons
5) Gya-hor-pal-zang	father	1560-1565	1565	eldest son of Rags-pa-tha-yas
6) Sod-nams Kra-this	brother	1565-1580	1580	younger son of Rags-pa-tha-yas
7) Don-grub-dorje	father	1580-1594	1594	recovered Serib, Gelung, and Khangar
8) Sam-grub Dorje	father	1594-1609	1609
9) Sam-grub Rab-tan	father	1609-1655	1664	abdicates
10) Sa-ang	father	1656-1710	1712	loses and regains independence several times; abdicates
11) Je-ang	father	1711-1723	1723
12) Kra-this nam-gyal	father	1723-1728	1728
13) Ten-zing Anjia	father	1728-1760	1760	under mother's regency until 1734; tribute to Jumla from 1740
14) Wanggyal Dorje	father	1760-1797	1797	in 1788 defeated Jumla; recognized as raja
15) Krathis Ningpo	father	1797-1815	1821	abdicates
16) Jampal Traldus	uncle	1815-1837	1837
17) Kunga Norbu	father	1837-1857	1857
18) Jamyand Wangdi	father	1857-1863	1863	never installed or crowned
19) Ngodup Palbar	brother	1863-1893	1893	leaves monastic life to succeed
20) Jambyang Pelbar	uncle	1893-1935	1935
21) Angung Tenzing Trandul	father	1935-1955		abdicated
22) Angdu Nyingpo	father	1955-1958	1958
Angung Tenzing Trandul	son	1958-1964	1964	resumes throne on death of son
23) Jigme Singi Pelbar Bista	grandfather	1964-2005	2005
24) Ashok Bista	uncle	2005-

Styles

• The ruler of Lo has the titles His Royal Majesty Gyalpo of Lo and Manang and Dzongpon of Dolpa.
• The wife of the king, the queen, has the style of Her Royal Majesty.
• The heir apparent has the style of His Royal Highness.
• The younger sons and daughters of the king have the style of Their Royal Highnesses.

Rule of Succession

Male primogeniture among the legitimate descendants of Raja Ama Pal.

Toponymy

Mustang is a corruption of the Tibetan Mun Tan which means fertile plain. It is found in the name of the royal capital Manthang. Lo is from the Tibetan lho, southern. Thus, the Kingdom of Lo means the southern rajadom.

Government

• The Kingdom of Lo is an absolute monarchy. The gyalpo is advised by a privy council (lodyo tshogdu) which consists of the three provincial governors (lumbo), four of the prefects (dzongnpon) (elected from among their membership), and the royal abbot (je khenpo).
• There is also a family council which the gyalpo consults on matters concerning the royal family.
• The kingdom is comprised of three provinces (dzongdey), each of which is governed by a hereditary governor (lumbo) whose powers are limited by an elected provincial council.
• Each province is divided into several prefectures (dzongkhag), each governed by an elected prefect (tshonpon). Each prefecture has a prefectural council whose members are elected by universal sufferage.
• The town of Lo Mantang in the province of Mustang is the gyal-sa (the royal residence). It is independent of any province, being governed by the gyalpo himself.
• The town of Jomson in the province of Mustang is the provincial capital and the adminstrative capital and the seat of the legislative and judicial branches of the government. It is independent of any province, being governed by the National Assembly (tshogdu).
• The lumbos, who serve at court, are the only Lotians with the right to marry into the royal house.
• The monasteries of the kingdom are governed by the the royal abbot of Lo.

Provinces

Province (dzongdey)	Capital	Area	Population	Prefecture (dzongkhag)	Notes
Gandaki (G)	Jomsom	3,573 km² 1,380 mi²	14,000	Lomantang GL) Marpha (GM)
Dolpa (D)	Dunai	22,043 km² 8,511 mi²	29,000	Phoksundo (DP) Chharka (DC) Dunai (DD) Saldang (DS)
Manang (M)	Chame	2,246 km² 867 mi²	9,000	Nar (MN) Manang (MM) Chame (MC)

• Thus, the total area of the rajadom is 27,862 km² (10,758 mi²), the same size as *here's* Haiti.

The Treaty of Kathmandu between the Maharajadom of Nepal and the Rajadom of Lo, 1790

• By means of this Treaty the Maharajadom of Nepal restores sovereignty over the districts of Dolpo and Manang to the People of the Kingdom of Lo in the Person of His Highness Wanggyal Dorje who is recognized as a sovereign ruler with the hereditary title of Gyalpo of Lo.
• These sovereignties are granted in perpetuity.
• The Maharajadom of Nepal shall continue to guarantee the military security of the Kingdom of Lo. The Kingdom of Lo in turn agrees not to engage in any activity that would compromise or endanger the national security of the Maharajadom of Nepal.
• Ambassadors to the Maharajadom of Nepal shall likewise be accepted as ambassadors to the Kingdom of Lo. They must, however, upon acceptance of their credentials by the Maharajadhiraja of Nepal, also present their credentials to the Gyalpo. Without this recognition, that country shall be deemed not to have entered into diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Lo.
• These accredited ambassadors and their families and staffs shall be given the same immunity as if they were in the Maharajadom of Nepal.
  • Diplomatic immunity is accorded neither to the members of the ambassador's family nor to diplomatic staff if they are accused of a violation of the Law in the Kingdom of Lo.
• The Maharajadom of Nepal agrees to accept students into its institutions of higher learning at the rates of Nepali students.
• Maharajadom of Nepal Customs shall not levy duties on goods imported by citizens of the Kingdom of Lo and destined for use in the Kingdom of Lo.

Geography

• The Kingdom of Lo is an enchanting land of windswept vistas, red walled monasteries, and feudal towns, located on the Central Asian plateau. It is an extension of the Tibetan plateau with an average elevation of over 3,000 m. Located to the north of the highest mountains Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and to the north of the main Himalayan range and geographically part of the Tibetan highlands, it is roughly 80 km long (north-south) and 45 km at its widest giving it an area of 3,573 sq. km.
• The kingdom lies in the Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, an area of 121,300 square kilometres (46,800 sq mi), extending along the north and south faces of the Himalaya Range from the Kali Gandaki Gorge eastwards through Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, and on into northernmost Burma.
• The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately 4,000 and 5,500 metres (13,000 and 18,000 ft) elevation. Permanent ice and snow lie above 5,500 metres (18,000 ft). The Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests lie below 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) along the southern slopes of the range, from Lo to Bhutan.
• The main feature of the Kingdom of Lo is the Kali Gandaki river, its valley and tributaries. It runs northeast to southwest towards Nepal Terai, bisecting the country. The river was once the major trade route between Tibet and India, especially for salt. Part of the river valley, the Thak Khola, a downfaulted graben, is the deepest gorge in the world. According to the difference between the river elevation and these peaks, this is the world's deepest gorge. The gorge separates the major peaks Dhaulagiri (8,167 m/26,795 ft) to the west and Annapurna (8,091 m/26,545 ft) to the east. The river runs at elevations between 1,300 and 2,600 metres (4,300 and 8,500 ft), 5,500 to 6,800 metres (18,000–22,300 ft) lower than the peaks. The river is older than the Himalayas. As tectonic activity forced the mountains higher, the river cut down through the uplift. The river rises along the Tibet border and the coincident Ganges-Brahmaputra divide and flows south through the kingdom. The gorge begins at Kagbeni where the Himalayan ranges begin to close in. The river then continues southwards past Jomsom, Marpha and Tukuche to the deepest part of the gorge in the area of Lete. The gorge then broadens past Dana and Tatopani towards Beni.

• The landscape is of indescribable vastness and beauty, a vast high valley, arid and dry. The valley is characterized by eroded canyons, colorful rock formations with a barren, desert-like appearance. The hills tend to be great red fluted cliffs of tiny round stones cemented together by mud. One of the most fascinating features of the Kingdom of Lo is the thousands of cliff dwellings, some of which look completely inaccessible. Rimmed by more than 20,000 snowcapped peaks and bathed in hues of orange and red rocks with sporadic fields of vibrant green, yellow and red of barley, maize, and buckwheat, the Kingdom of Lo is a step back to a simpler time.

• The countryside is similar to the Tibetan plateau with its endless expanses of yellow and grey rolling hills eroded by wind. Strong winds often blow across the valley in the afternoon, generally subsiding at night. Lying in the rain shadow of the Himalaya, Lo has much less rain than Nepal. Annual precipitation is between 250 and 400 mm. During the monsoon the skies are cloudy and there is some rain. In the winter there is usually snow; sometimes as much as 30 or 40 cm accumulating on the ground.

• Villages are several hours apart and appear in the distance almost as mirages; during the summer season, after the crops are planted, they are green oases in the desert-like landscape.

Borders

Lo is bordered by on the:

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

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

Climate

• The province of Mustang is largely dry and arid with annual precipitation in the range of 250–400 mm due to its position in the rain shadow of the Annapurna Massif and the Dhaulagiri Range to the south.

Culture

National symbols

• National mammal: yak (Bos grunniens)
• National bird: blue rock-thrush (Monticola solitarius]
• National flower: Mann's phalaenopsos (Phalaenopsis mannii)
• National dish: momos (dumplings)
• National flag:
  • 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 kingdom. Hence, it symbolizes that His Majesty is protector of the people of the kingdom and the upholder of the secular foundations of the kingdom.
  • 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 kingdom.
  • 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 green, a wind horse white courant.
  • For a crest, an auspicious parasol blue.
  • For supporters, standing on a grassy compartment semy of Mann's phaelaenopsos, on the dexter a yak and on the sinister a snow leopard rampant guardant proper, each charged on the shoulder with a Dharma wheel.
• National aviation roundel: a circle divided in half, white and red, a green wavy stripe down the center.
• National language: Tibetan, Lepcha, Limbu,
• National instrument: gyaling
• National colors: azure and gold

Lotian holidays

Date	Name	Notes
1 January	Constitution Day	Remembrance of the Gyalpo's decretal of the Constitution in 1966
28 February 2011; 19 March 2012	Chotrul Düchen	Butter Lamp Festival
5 March 2011; 22 March 2012	Losar	New Year
21 March	The King's Birthday	Father's Day
27 May	Suga Dawa Düchen	The Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment, and Parinirvana
10 July 2011; 29 June 2012	Guru Rinpoche's Birthday
14 August 2011; 31 August 2012	Ulambana	Ancestor Day
23 September 2011; 22 September 2012	Thri-bab	Blessed Rainy Day
28 September 2011; 10 October 2012	Dashain	Victory of the Goddess Durga
6 November	The King's Coronation
12 December	The Queen's Birthday	Mother's Day

Flora and fauna

The mountains are home to some 100 species of mammals including snow leopard, musk deer, Tibetan argali, Tibetan wolf, Tibetan fox; 474 species of birds; 39 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibians; as well as the mythical mehti (abominable snowman). A total of 1,226 species of plants can be found in the mountains including 38 orchid species and nine rhododendron species