Final
Tibetan kingdom. Located in a mountain principality in the
Nepalese/Tibetan borderland, Mustang remains one of the last places in the
Himalayas where ancient Tibetan customs are observed. Formeraly a part of Tibet, Mustang is now Nepalese, although it has remained an distinctly Tibetan culture since the earliest recorded time. The name Mustang is derived from
Monthang, Tibetan for "Plain of
Aspiration." The people of this region are known as
Bhotians, the name of
Buddhist-Tibetan dialect speakers of the Himalayas. Neither the language nor the culture has been studied in great detail, and virtually nothing about Mustang was known to outsiders until the 1950's.
Mustang has been called the "lost kingom" and "forbidden kingdom" because only Nepalese and a select group of outsiders have been allowed to enter. Much of Mustang's history is contained in the Mollas, a literature recited at religious gatherings. These tell the history of the princes who ruled Mustang beginning in the 4th century and whose power peaked around the 15th century.
The contemporary people of Mustang are mainly farmers, livestock breeders or traders. Once a crucial center for Nepal's trade, Mustang declined because of warfare between western Bhotia states and the rise of the Gorkha state. Trade has since been directed to eastern passes.
The Dictionary of Global Culture Appiah and Gates.