Zhang Zhung

Zhang Zhung was an ancient culture of western and northwestern Tibet, which pre-dates the culture of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet. Zhang Zhung culture is associated with the Bön religion, which in turn, has influenced the philosophies and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. Also known as the Shang Shung, the Zhang Zhung are mentioned frequently in ancient Tibetan texts as the original rulers of central and western Tibet. Only in the last two decades have archaeologists been given access to do archaeological work in the areas controlled by the Zhang Zhung.

Recently, a tentative match has been proposed between the Zhang Zhung and an Iron Age culture now being uncovered on the Chang Tang plateau of northwestern Tibet. Fact|date=February 2007

Extent of the Zhang Zhung kingdoms

According to "Annals of Lake Manasarowar", at one point the Zhang Zhung civilization was comprised of 18 kingdoms in the west and northwest portion of Tibet. The Zhang Zhung culture was centered around sacred Mount Kailash and extended west to Sarmatians and present-day Ladakh & Baltistan, southwest to Jalandhar, south to the Kingdom of Mustang in Nepal, east to include central Tibet, and north across the vast Chang Tang plateau and the Taklamakan Desert to Shanshan. Thus the Zhang Zhung culture controlled the major portion of the "roof of the world".Fact|date=February 2007

Tradition has it that Zhang Zhung consisted "of three different regions: sGob-ba, the outer; Phug-pa, the inner; and Bar-ba, the middle. The outer is what we might call Western Tibet, from Gilgit in the west to Dangs-ra khyung-rdzong in the east, next to lake gNam-mtsho, and from Khotan in the north to Chu-mig brgyad-cu rtsa-gnyis in the south. The inner region is said to be sTag-gzig (Tazig) [often identified with Bactria] , and the middle rGya-mkhar bar-chod, a place not yet identified." While it is not certain whether Zhang Zhung was really so large, it is known that it was an independent kingdom and covered the whole of Western Tibet. [Karmey, Samten G. (1979). "A General Introduction to the History and Doctrines of Bon", p. 180. The Toyo Bunko, Tokyo.] [Stein, R. A. (1972). "Tibetan Civilization". Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7.]

The capital city of Zhang Zhung was called Khyunglung (Khyunglung Ngülkhar or Khyung-lung dngul-mkhar), the "Silver Palace of Garuda", southwest of Mount Kailash (Mount Ti-se), which is identified with palaces found in the upper Sutlej Valley. [Allen, Charles. (1999). "The Search for Shangri-La: A Journey into Tibetan History". Abacus Edition, London. (2000), pp. 266-267; 273-274. ISBN 0-349-11142-1.]

The Zhang Zhung built a towering fort, Chugtso Dropo, on the shores of sacred Lake Dangra, from which they exerted military power over the surrounding district in central Tibet. Fact|date=February 2007

The fact that some of the ancient texts describing the Zhang Zhung kingdom also claimed the Sutlej valley was Shambhala, the land of happiness (from which James Hilton possibly derived the name "Shangri La"), may have delayed their study by Western scholars.Fact|date=February 2007

History of the Zhang Zhung

Paleolithic findings

Pollen and tree ring analysis indicates the Chang Tang plateau was a much more liveable environment until becoming drier and colder starting around 1500 BC. One theory is that the civilization established itself on the plateau when conditions where less harsh, then managed to persist against gradually worsening climatic conditions until finally expiring around 1000 CE (the area is now used only by wandering nomads). This timeframe also corresponds to the rise of the Tibetan kingdoms in the southern valleys which may also have contributed to the decline of the plateau culture.Fact|date=February 2007

Iron Age culture of the Chang Tang — the Zhang Zhung?

Recent archeological work on the Chang Tang plateau finds evidence of an Iron Age culture which some have tentatively identified as the Zhang Zhung. This culture is notable for the following characteristics:
* a system of hilltop stone forts or citadels, likely used as a defense against the steppe tribes of Central Asia, such as the ScythiansFact|date=February 2007
* burial complexes which use vertical tombstones, occasionally in large arrays, and including up to 10,000 graves in one locationFact|date=February 2007
* stone temples located in the mountains adjacent to the plains, characterized by windowless rooms, corbelled stone roofs, and round wallsFact|date=February 2007
* evidence of a stratified social structure, as indicated by royal or princely tombsFact|date=February 2007
* petroglyphs which shows the culture was a warrior horse cultureFact|date=February 2007

These characteristics more closely match the Iron Age cultures of Europe and the Asian steppes than those of India or East Asia, suggesting a cultural influence which arrived from the west or north rather than the east or south.Fact|date=February 2007

The Conquest of Zhang Zhung

There is some confusion as to whether Central Tibet conquered Zhang Zhung during the reign of Songtsän Gampo (605 or 617? - 649) or in the reign of Trisong Detsän (Wylie: Khri-srong-lde-btsan), (r. 755 until 797 or 804 CE). [Karmey, Samten G. (1975). "'A General Introduction to the History and Doctrines of Bon", p. 180. "Memoirs of Research Department of The Toyo Bunko", No, 33. Tokyo.] The records of the Tang Annals do, however, seem to clearly place these events in the reign of Songtsän Gampo for they say that in 634, Yangtong (Zhang Zhung) and various Qiang tribes "altogether submitted to him." Following this he united with the country of Yangtong to defeat the 'Azha or Tuyuhun, and then conquered two more tribes of Qiang before threatening Songzhou with an army of more than 200,000 men. He then sent an envoy with gifts of gold and silk to the Chinese emperor to ask for a Chinese princess in marriage and, when refused, attacked Songzhou. He apparently finally retreated and apologised and later the emperor granted his request. [Lee, Don Y. (1981). "The History of Early Relations between China and Tibet: From Chiu t'ang-shu, a documentary survey", pp. 7-9. Eastern Press, Bloomington, IN.] [Pelliot, Paul. (1961). "Histoire ancienne du Tibet", pp. 3-4. Librairie d'Amérique et d'orient, Paris.]

Early Tibetan accounts say that the Tibetan king and the king of Zhang Zhung had married each other's sisters in a political alliance. However, the Tibetan wife of the king of the Zhang Zhung complained of poor treatment by the king's principal wife. War ensued, and through the treachery of the Tibetan princess, "King Ligmikya of Zhangzhung, while on his way to "Sum-ba" (Amdo province) was ambushed and killed by King Srongtsen Gampo's soldiers. As a consequence, the Zhangzhung kingdom was annexed to Bod [Central Tibet] . Thereafter the new kingdom born of the unification of Zhangzhung and Bod was known as Bod rGyal-khab." [Norbu, Namkhai. (1981). "The Necklace of Gzi, A Cultural History of Tibet", p. 30. Information Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Dharamsala, H.P., India.] [Beckwith, Christopher I. (1987). "The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia", p. 20. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Fourth printing with new afterword and 1st paperback version. ISBN 0-691-02469-3.] [Allen, Charles. "The Search for Shangri-La: A Journey into Tibetan History", pp. 127-128. (1999). Reprint: (2000). Abacus, London. ISBN 0-349-11142-1.] R. A. Stein places the conquest of Zhang Zhung in 645. [Stein, R. A. (1972). "Tibetan Civilization", p. 59. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. ISBn 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7.]

Revolt of Zhang Zhung in 677 CE

Zhang Zhung revolted soon after the death of King Mangsong Mangtsen or Trimang Löntsän (Khri-mang-slon-rtsan, r. 650-677), the son of Songtsän Gampo, but was brought back under Tibetan control by the "firm governance of the great leaders of the Mgar clan". Beckwith, Christopher I. "The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia. A History of the Struggle for Great Power among Tibetans, Turks, Arabs, and Chinese during the Early Middle Ages," 1987, Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02469-3, p. 43.]

The Zhang Zhung language

A handful of Zhang Zhung texts and 11th century bilingual Tibetan documents attest to a Zhang Zhung language which was related to Old Tibetan, although it included words of Kinnaur origin. The exact relation to Old Tibetan is subject to dispute. The Bönpo claim that the Tibetan writing system is derived from the Zhang Zhung alphabet, while modern scholars consider the question open. Given the rarity of text samples, another possible explanation is that the 11th century Bönpo, struggling for legitimacy as Kadampa and Nyingmapa sought to marginalize Bön, resorted to creating an artificial ancient writing system.Fact|date=February 2007

Modern-day Zhang Zhung speakers

A language called Zhang Zhung is still spoken by approximately 2,000 native speakers in the Sutlej Valley of Himachal Pradesh. [ [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=JNA Ethnologue 14 report for language code:JNA ] ] . It is not clear if this language, of the Himalayish family of the Tibeto-Burman family, derives from the language spoken by the Zhang Zhung, or if they are the descendants of the Zhang Zhung as claimed, although this seems plausible.

Zhang Zhung culture's influence in India

It is noteworthy that the Bönpo tradition was founded by a buddha like figure named Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche [http://www.ligmincha.org/bon/founder.html] , whose teachings are similar in scope to the teaching espoused by the historical Buddha. Bönpos claim that Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche lived some 18,000 years ago, and visited Tibet from the land of Tagzig Olmo Lung Ring, or Shambhala. Bönpos also suggest that during this time Lord Shenrab Miwoche's teaching permeated the entire subcontinent and was in part responsible for the development of the Vedic religion. An example of this link is that Mount Kailash, as the center of Zhang Zhung culture, is also the most sacred mountain to Hindus. In turn, Buddhism evolved from the spiritual teachings of the Vedic religion. As a result, the Bönpos claim that the much later teaching at least indirectly owes its origin to Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche.

ee also

*Zhang Zhung Meri
*History of Tibet
*Guge

Footnotes

References

* Allen, Charles. (1999) "The Search for Shangri-La: A Journey into Tibetan History". Little, Brown and Company. Reprint: 2000 Abacus Books, London. ISBN 0-349-111421.
* Hummel, Seigbert. (2000). "On Zhang-zhung". Edited and translated by Guido Vogliotti. Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. Dharamsala, H.P., India. ISBN 81-86470-24-7.
* Karmey, Samten G. (1975). "A General Introduction to the History and Doctrines of Bon". Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko, No. 33, pp. 171-218. Tokyo.
* Stein, R. A. (1961). "Les tribus anciennes des marches Sino-Tibétaines: légends, classifications et histoire". Presses Universitaires de France, Paris. (In French)

External links

* [http://www.zhangzhung.org/Intro02.htm website of John Bellezza, an archeologist researching the Zhang Zhung]
* [http://www.berzinarchives.com/comparison_buddhist_traditions/bon_tibetan_buddhism.html Berzin archive article on Bon and the Zhang Zhung]