Political history of the Kingdom of Lo/Mustang (Tibet, Nepal, China)

This dissertation presents a political history of a Tibetan cultural region and a kingdom located in the trans-Himalayan region of western Nepal. As one of the four major Buddhist cultural centers of the Ngari (mnga'-ris) region of western Tibet and also an important north-south trade nexus, Lo (today called Mustang) was an important regional entity. This study employs an abundance of local genealogical, chronological, and governmental sources to explain how geographical, cultural, and political factors have shaped Lo/Mustang's political and cultural identities.; Despite its importance to the understanding of Tibetan and Himalayan frontier cultures, only a few scholars have attempted to conduct a general survey of the region. Lo/Mustang's remoteness, difficult terrain, and the Nepali government's restrictions until the early 1990s on research and travel by foreigners are largely responsible for this.; The political history of the Lo/Mustang region cannot be considered independently from Bon and Buddhist cultural activities. Therefore, this study also recounts the cultural antiquity of the region. From the historical beginnings of Lo/Mustang in the seventh century and through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Bon and Buddhist masters conducted many of their activities there. Lo/Mustang, as one of the western Tibetan frontier provinces, had been dominated by adjacent powers such as Zhang-zhung, central Tibet, Guge, Gung-thang, and the Khaśa/Ya-tshe kingdom. It then emerged as an independent kingdom and dominated the territory between the Nubri valley in the east and the Mt. Kailāśa region in the west until the mid-sixteenth century.; Around this time, however, Lo/Mustang formally came under the rule of the Kingdom of Jumla and became known as “Mustang rajya.” After Lo/Mustang's incorporation into Gorkha/Nepal in 1789 as a dependent tributary, it nevertheless continued to maintain its cultural identity as a Tibetan frontier region.; Today, Lo/Mustang's northern area remains largely beyond Nepali law and regulation and according to tradition, the raja (king of Lo/Mustang) is still the key figure in local administration.; The present political study considers only one of several important aspects of the history of this region. Future scholarly studies in surface archaeology, anthropology, art and architecture, and biographical literature would all contribute to a more complete understanding of Lo/Mustang and its people.