Like the Mighty Himalaya's this book too is huge with 550+ pages and it ought to be; and as the name goes - its more about the human history - of the people living there, over a period of time, and people who have visited there, the politics, plants, mountaineers and personalities. Switching mostly between 18th to 20th Century, and covering places like Tibet, Nepal, Gharwal more - but at times covering the other time period, and places; by all means, the book is a Himalaya, with it's heights and valleys.
Undoubtedly, a lot of research has gone into this book of History covering the Pilgrims, coming here; Tethys sea narrowing and disappearing over 10s of Millions of years, Everest being below the sea once upon a time. the early explorers and different religion, lost kingdoms, trade wars, forbidden city, mountaineers and among many other things, the history of even mapping the Himalaya's - connecting it to the history of other regions and countries as well which cannot be left in isolation for everything is connected.
The book speaks on the fall of the East India Company and it being rescued, linked to the Boston Tea Party and The American War of Independence.
History of Nepal - Sherpas and Gorkhas, Fight for Bhaktapur, Katmandu and Patan - Rana Bahadur, Damodar Pande to Birendra being murdered by Dipendra to the plights of Koirala and Tibet is covered extensively, including the appointment of various Dalai Lama building of Potala on the old site of Songtsen Gampos's palace by 5th Dalai Lama., subsequent ones had to flee Tibet a couple of times, and finally for ever. In due course light is thrown on China history as well.
On example in the Chapter crossing borders is that of Milam the last village situated in Johar valley of Pithoragarh district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is now a ghost village with very few inhabitants. Before the Sino-Indian War of 1962, it used to be a trade center bustling with 500 families. As of now all trade with Tibet is stopped and the families have settled in Munsiyari and other places in the lower ranges as the border is closed. Being closer to Tibet, they had found trading with Tibet easier than comming down the mountains. Its the Bhot pradesh of Uttarakhand.
The Dalai Lama's regent Polhane was incredulous : "Kashmiri, Newari, Azara (meaning Indians), Chinese, Turkish, Kazakhs, Kirghiz and other peoples living in Tibet adhere to their own religions and are supported as much as possible and not harmed. But you have spoken evil of the Tibetan religion. If any of us were to go to your country and preach our religion to you in the same manner as you have done with us, would you punish him? Destroying other religions implies nobody may follow his own religion. We have to defend our religion as you are defending yours. You came here of your own accord, we did not call you; as a consequence it is up to you to decide where to go and what to do. "
According to Huc, a Hashmiri merchant in Lhasa told him how 'Pelings' , meaning the British,
are the most cunning of men. They are getting control of all parts of India, but it is always by trickery rather than by open force. Instead of overturning the authorities, they cleverly try to win them over to their side and share the spoils with them. In Kashmir there is a saying: "The world is Allah's, the land is the Pasha's, but the East India company rules.'
There were varying portraits of Tibet, mostly negative, Mahatma Koot Hoomi showed Blavatsky a very different Tibetan world:
For centuries we have had in Thibet a moral, pure hearted, simple people, unblest with civilization, hence - untained by its vices. For ages has been Thibet the last corner of the globe not so entirely corrupted as to preclude the mingling together of the two atmospheres - the physical and the spiritual.
The myth of the 'forbidden' city of Lhasa and the fantasies invented around its 'secrets' would have dangerous consequences. As the Tibetan historian Tsering Shakya wrote:
The western perception of Tibet and the images that have clustered around Tibet have hampered the Tibetan political cause. The constant mythologisation of Tibet has obsured and confused the real nature of the Tibetan political struggle.
It's interesting to know how himalayan flowers especially the blue poppy was taken to the west and tea cultivation began in large scale on the mountains, especially Assam and Darjeeling.
Great Himalayan View - Mountaineers : Kangchenjunga from Darjeeling, Nanda Devi and Trisul from Naini Tal and Nanga Parbat from the Murree hills. Karakoram was very vast; Siachen glacier, meaning 'abundance of roses' in K2, and ofcourse Chomolungma the local name of Eve - rest. Much credit to Alpine Club.
In the story of Hillary and Tenzing climbing the Eve-rest, how Tenzing born in tibet, spent time in Khumbu and living in Darjeeling was called by all as 'Our People' remind of Rishi Sunak. The fight for everest, the secret division of one side belonging to Nepal and other to China, and the on and off, allowing of tourisam and stopping is an ongoing phenomena. The Tibetan name is Chomolungma, which means “Mother Goddess of the World.” The Nepali name is Sagarmatha - means "Kissing the sky"
Nun's like Ngawang Sangdrol and many of her companions had to go through hell lot for protesting against communist in Tibet; Maoism believed human nature is a blank slate. Tibetan minds could simply be scraped clean and the party's wishes written over the past. It did'nt work out like that. Though people knew that Tibet could transform under communist leadership and it does at a good speed; resistance to change was deeply entrenched.
Indeed a real place with its own history and culture; that is our Himalaya.
As I read - it's clear - Himalaya is one Unique stretch of land, with differences around, protecting and providing life but divided by Human; giving life among various things to number of rivers that help human survive. But we pollute and divide it as well. Like Himalaya we are also one, Unique Human being, all related, but divided by thoughts and deeds, with unnecessary friction.
Himalaya + Indu = Hindu.
Mountain+River = Human.
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