Legend and History of Upper Mustang Nepal

The caves all over Mustang bear testimony of prehistoric settlers. However, little is known about their origin and life.Tibetan and Ladakhi chronicles have mentioned lo since the seventh century AD. Its history as an independent kingdom began after 1380, when Ame Pal, a warrior and devout Buddhist from Western Tibet, built the fortress of Ketcher Dzong. With his sons, he defeated the local warlords and constructed a walled capital Lo-Manthang. The present king Jigmi Plbar Bista is believed to be his twenty-first descendant in the direct line.

Ame Pal’s son Angun Sangpo provided funding and leadership, while his minister Kalun Sangpo organized and oversaw the building of the walled city and the first monasteries. Ngorchen Kunga Sangpo a renowned teachers of the Sakya sect was invited from Tibet to bring religious life to the new kingdom. Angun, Kalten chhewang and Ngorchen Kunga are therefore known as the Three Holies.

Because the passes on its northern border are relatively easy to cross the small kingdom occupied a strategic position on the trade route between Tibet and India. The lamas of Lo went to Tibet to study, and religious teacher from all direction crossed the land. Economy and culture thrived. Off course, the kingdom’s wealth attracted frequent attacks from Tibetan bandits. The resulting custom of closing the gate of Lo-Manthang every night was observed until a few years ago.

At the end of the sixteenth century, Lo-Tsho Dyun came under the power of Ladakh, and around 1760,the kingdom of Jumla in western Nepal finally succeed in making Lo its vassal, At the end of the 1700s Prithivi Narayan shaha, the Gorkha king who founded Nepal, annexed Jumla’s vassal states in the course of his conquests. Under the new powerful rulers in Kathmandu, Lo largely retained autonomy in its internal affairs, but the central government regulated the revenue of the area. The economy of Lo, Bahragaon and Panchgaon suffered since the Thakalis gained control over the salt trade along the Kali Gandaki in 1862.

The introduction of a constitutional monarchy in Nepal in 1951 resulted in Mustang becoming a district, and took away much of the King’s power. Following the Chinese exaction of full control over Tibet in 1959, the Khampa guerillas based their resistance movement in Lo. The Nepal government declared the Mustang District a restricted area. After the Khampa movement started its customary development activities. Lower Mustang opened for tourism, but Upper Mustang was left in economic isolation.

When there was parliamentary democracy in Nepal after 1990 revolution, the new government decided to reopen Upper Mustang partially for foreigners. The first trekking groups entered Upper Mustang in 1992. In the same year, the Annapurna conservation area was extended to include Upper Mustang.

Source: National Trust for Nature Conservation

Annapurna conservation Area Project.