Himalayan Civilization-Nepal Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

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- Buddhist Studies, Himalayan culture, Buddhist Iconography, Buddhist Art

Membership in Newar Buddhist monasteries includes individuals from the Vajrācārya and Śākya castes who serve as Tantric Buddhist householder monks. Of this population, the ten eldest members of each monastery are known as the Daśa Sthavira Ājus (Ten Elders of the Highest Esteem). Because of their position, these Ājus are the ritual specialists for their communities and serve as exemplars of the monastic ideal in Newar society. This paper explores the ways in which Newar Buddhists at the Kwā Bahā monastic complex in Patan, Nepal, utilize ceremonial dress to reinforce their Buddhist identity and publicly reaffirm their ancient Buddhist heritage in Nepal. This study, the first to analyze the Ājus’ ceremonial regalia, provides an analysis of the garments, headdresses, and ornaments worn by these figures to explain the ways in which dress embeds Buddhist iconographic symbolism into Newar visual culture. Additionally, this paper demonstrates that the ritual veneration of the Ājus gives their regalia agency, reinforcing their public, ritual role as living embodiments of buddhahood. [PDF of article available in link]

- by Kerry Lucinda Brown
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- Buddhism, Art History, History of Dress, Cultural Heritage
- by Ian Gibson
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- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal, Nepal

The concept of Original Artistic Intent is difficult to apply to Tibetan thangkas. Thangkas are composite objects produced by painters and tailors with differing intents, skills and training. Iconographic specifications, regional and doctrinal differences in style, changes in form from harsh treatment and altered mountings all complicate the issue. 2008

- by ann shaftel
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- Buddhism, Art History, Buddhist Philosophy, Art Theory

The medieval architecture of western Nepal has so far received little attention in scholarly literature. In particular, the region is known as the centre of the Khaśa Malla empire, which lasted from the 12th to the 14th century. Previous work on the subject has interpreted the śikhara temples (locally called deval) as manifestations of the economic and political success of the Khaśa Malla emperors. This paper questions the dating and purpose of deval temples in the Karnali basin by mobilizing field data. The study reveals that deval temples were not the sole preserve of the imperial era but also of the later one. Regional architectural preferences are identified and historically contextualized. Similarly, it is proposed that the temples were mainly erected for memorial purposes, to honour
individuals or lineages.

- by David C . Andolfatto
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- Himalayan culture, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal, Nepal, Archaeology of Nepal

How does the rampant industrialization, the needs of the growing population in Nepal, and other contributing factors affect the water sources and environments that support these fresh water reserves? What policies and regulations are... more

- by Liam Gully
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- Environmental policy, Geopolitics, Tibet, Environmental Policy and Governance
- by Veronique BOUILLIER
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- Hinduism, Indian studies, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal

This painting, dated Śaka Samvat 1530/ 1609 CE is a unique representation of King Vikram Shahi (1602-1631: Vikramaśāhi, Vikramasāhi), an early 17th century King of the Kalyāla (or Kallala) dynasty of the Jumla valley, one of the hill states of Nepal that were the heritors of the great Khasa Malla kingdom of the 13/14th centuries (fig. 1). [1] It is an unprecedented combination of Tibetan thanka painting format and style and Indian courtly portraiture. King Vikram Shahi was known for his close relationship with and protection of the Buddhist lamas and monasteries of his kingdom, a continuation of the remarkable bi-cultural and bi-lingual tradition of the Khasa Malla kings. The painting’s two inscriptions in Nepali in Devanagari script and Tibetan in Tibetan U-me script continues a combination of dual script/ dual language inscriptions previously encountered only on the earlier sculptures and inscriptions of the Khasa Malla period.

- by Ian Alsop and +2
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- Himalayan Civilization-Nepal, Nepal, Nepalese Art, Nepali Buddhism
- by Samuele Poletti
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- Anthropology, Himalayan culture, Life history, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal

The book is a reassessment of the triangular relationship between India, China, and Nepal. From the historical and cultural lens, it comprehends the various complexities and contradictions in their relationship. The vision is to envisage... more

- by GEETA KOCHHAR
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- China, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal, Nepal, Contemporary China

The fi xed fi gures of kingship expressed in the rituals, and the fl exible event-and actor-based depictions presented in the " royal " narratives off er two contrasting portrayals of kingship in Nepal. We aim at outlining their internal dynamics, starting with the centralisation of the state (late-18th–mid-19th centuries), through the examination of the major royal ritual and the analysis of a royal chronicle. At the centre of these two realities of the kingdom stands the person of the king. In each confi guration, his puzzling position at the crossroads of several identities raises questions about the agency of this polymorphous personage in the functioning of the kingdom. This exploration will lead us to fi nally address the gradual simplifi cation of the fi gure of the king over time, which culminated in the straightforward and opposite statements foreshadowing his end, as either an incarnation of Vishnu or as an anachronistic authoritarian and demonic being.

«L’âme est le seul oiseau qui soutienne sa cage.»
Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Beaucoup de choses ont déjà été dites en général sur la culture Gurung et plus particulièrement sur leur pratique funéraire, dans les quatre livres de référence de Bernard Pignède, Alan Macfarlane, Stan r. Mumford, D.A. Messerschmidt et S.S Strickland. Ces œuvres abordent un grand nombre de sujets, de la vie profane aux mythes et des origines à leur foi. Nous avons néanmoins pu faire certaines observations pour la cérémonie rhiteba du deuxième enterrement, effectuée au cours du rituel posthume appelé pae. Dans cet article, après un bref rappel sur ce groupe ethnique, nous présenterons de nouveaux éléments qui serviront, en complément avec les œuvres citées ci-dessus, à préciser le déroulement de la cérémonie funéraire.

The Chattri Memorial is a first of its kind, a truly unique place dedicated to the members of the Indian Army who fought in World War 1. To my knowledge it is the first place in the UK where Gurkha soldiers were commemorated. My aim with this article is to raise awareness about the two memorials, the Gurkhas and Indian Army soldiers cremated here in WW1. To let this be part of their story and memory, not to be forgotten in the annals of history. Jai Gurkha!

- by vk kunwor
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- History, Military History, Cultural Studies, Cultural Heritage

Research of who are the Gurkhas and what is their contribution to military history.

- by vk kunwor
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- Cultural Heritage, British History, Indian studies, South Asian Studies

Le chamane est un guérisseur et un guerrier. Lors des séances de cures, il s’applique pour le bien de sa com- munauté à renverser l’emprise des entités malfaisantes sur les humains, afin de rétablir la protection du groupe. Pour ce faire, le guerrier-guérisseur part à la recherche d’un diagnostic, d’une âme ou d’une bataille à livrer, évo- luant dans un monde sauvage, peuplé d’aïeux et d’esprits bienfaiteurs, de créatures démoniaques et de fantômes sournois. Afin de devenir le réceptacle des êtres invisibles et de montrer sa force d’intervention, le chamane se pare d’accessoires et de vêtements rituels. Ce couple d’attributs élabore le costume du chamane, véritable ar- mure, où réside dans chaque élément qui le compose le pouvoir des ancêtres. Et c’est ce rattachement transgéné- rationnel du costume à une lignée de chamanes qui anime le guérisseur d’un concentré de force, accumulé à travers les âges.

- by Bharat Dahiya and +1
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- Urban Geography, Urbanization in Developing Areas, South Asian Studies, Urban Planning

King Prithivi Narayan Shah of Nepal instructions of Statehood, 1774 AD, Nuwakot Darbar,Nepal. The first document on statehood and nation making, a basis for the Shah dynasty and modern Nepal! As Nepal enters the Constitution writing... more

King Prithivi Narayan Shah of Nepal instructions of Statehood, 1774 AD, Nuwakot Darbar,Nepal.
The first document on statehood and nation making, a basis for the Shah dynasty and modern Nepal! As Nepal enters the Constitution writing process, federalism and much else a highly needed reading as written by the King and translated by Stiller.

- by vk kunwor
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- Southeast Asian Studies, South Asian Studies, South Asian History, South Asian Politics

1. Background The Gorkhas of Garhwal and Kumaon Himalaya, consist of various communities that come from the diverse regions of the Nepal at various point of time. They now residing as an ordinary citizen of India and done well in many spheres for the local communities and for the Indian State. In his ethnographic account on Gorkhas, Crooke (1896:468) maintained that Gorkha/Gorkhali is a name of the community that aggregates various races who internally distributed at numerous valleys of Nepal Himalaya. While in Indian context term Gurkha/Gorkha in general applied to the persons of Nepal origin (NCBC 2007:7). Garhwal and Kumaon Himalaya has ruled in turns by various kingdoms including the Kushana, Katyuri, Guptas, Pauravas, Pals, and Gorkhas. Among all of them, the distinguish highlanders from Nepal, particularly Gorkhas and generally other hill tribes from the Nepal were control two regions of Central Himalaya; Kumaon and Garhwal, for more than twenty-five years from 1790 to 1815. Therefore, the distribution of Gorkhas in the West of the Kali River is more than two centuries old. Last year 1st Gorkha regiment of Indian Army celebrated their bicentenary, therefore, the history of early Gorkha rulers of Central Himalaya is as interested as present Gorkha garrison's heroic saga. The Balbhadra Thapa was one of the brave Gorkha leader, who hold their position in Khalanga fort till the end and impressed British. The British, later on, imposed some treaties over Nepal Darbar and after considering the martial skill of Gorkhas, rose various Gorkha regiments. This work provides a brief historical account of the rise and westward expansion of Gorkha kingdom, then it put light on Gorkha's war against much modern and larger British army and final section describes subsequent British-Gorkha treaty that paves the way for Gorkha regiments in foreign armies. 2. Rise of the Gorkhalis The Gorkhali first emerge in the history of Nepal in the eighteenth century. At that time, Nepal was divided and ruled by numbers of principalities. Narbhupala Sah the ruler of petty Gorkha principality, observed the defenseless condition of surrounded territories thus he encouraged to add them in the Gorkhali land (Atkinson, 1881). In his course of expansionism, he invaded in the territory of Vaisya King of Noakot. The King of Noakot defended well his territory and obliged Narbhupala to go back. Now, Narbhupala realised that his force was insufficient to subordinate surrounded valley chiefs hence, he keeps staying away themselves from all further territorial tasks. In 1742 A.D Prithvi Narayan Sah succeeded his father Narbhupala and with the conquest of Noakot he fulfilled the past unsuccessful wish of his father. Till 1768, he occupied and unified a great territory of Nepal as Gorkhali land and establish Kathmandu as the erstwhile capital of Nepal Darbar or Gorkhali kingdom. After the death of his father Prithvi Narayan Sah in 1775, Sinha Partap Sah ruled Nepal, only for three years. Since Ran Bahadur Sah succeeded his father Sinha Partap Sah quiet in young age in 1778, therefore, his mother Rani Indur Lachhmi managed all state affairs (Atkinson, 1881:608). Under her leadership, the Nepal Darbar expanded frequently in all direction. At this time, the political condition of Kumaon was not stable, so the Nepal Darbar resolved to move westward. Moreover, to this, Harak Deb Joshi a prominent figure in the kingdom of Kumaon wrote and revealed about the political instability of his country to the Gorkhas and asked for their cooperation, probably for the mutual benefits out of it. Abstract: The two regions of Central Himalaya: Kumaon and Garhwal, have ruled by the Gorkha for more than two decades. The erstwhile Gorkha Kingdom, who extended their territory even westward to the Tons River have faced major challenges from British. The Gorkha fought fearlessly and impressed British with their warrior skills. Thus, British not only employ and rectify the treaty with Gorkha and rise various Gorkha Regiments but maintain a good office with Nepal Darbar. The objective of this article is to provide first, historical account of the rise of Gorkha Kingdom as major Central Himalayan power. Then, the study seeks to engage with the courageous attitude of Gorkha against British military advancement in specific reference to Khalanga war at foothill Himalaya. Finally, paper pays attention toward British-Gorkhali Treaty that still after more than two centuries later remain as a foundation that defining Nepal relations with India and Great Britain.

- by Rakesh Prasad
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- Geography, Space and Place, Himalayan culture, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal

This survey translates the major references and descriptions of Nepal in Classical Chinese sources, both secular sources and Buddhist texts. The Chinese often provides eyewitness accounts of medieval Nepal. The Indian literature preserved... more

- by Jeffrey Kotyk
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- History, Asian Studies, Sinology, History of India

Since the mid-twentieth century China and India have entertained a difficult
relationship, erupting into open war in 1962. Shadow States is the first book to
unpack Sino-Indian tensions from the angle of competitive state-building -
through a study of their simultaneous attempts to win the approval and support
of the Himalayan people. When China and India tried to expand into the
Himalayas in the twentieth century, their lack of strong ties to the region and
the absence of an easily enforceable border made their proximity threatening -
observing China and India’s state-making efforts, local inhabitants were in a
position to compare and potentially choose between them. Using rich and
original archival research, Bérénice Guyot-Réchard shows how India and China
became each other’s ‘shadow states’. Understanding these recent, competing
processes of state formation in the Himalayas is fundamental to understanding
the roots of tensions in Sino-Indian relations.

The medieval arts and history of western Nepal remain poor relatives of Himalayan studies. In 1994, Ian Alsop published in this magazine the first study ever dedicated to the metal sculptures of the Khasa Malla kingdom (Alsop, 1994). His contribution to the field is of the greatest value as it brought to light an overlooked 12th- to 14th-century central Himalayan empire, stretching from Uttarakhand to Mustang, and demonstrated its appeal to Buddhism and Buddhist art. The purpose of this paper is to further Alsop’s study by focusing on Ripu Malla, a particularly active Khasa Malla ruler of the early 14th century. By doing so, the metal sculptures attributed to the period of the Khasa Malla kings will be contextualized with the artistic heritage of western Nepal, where the rulers had their capitals.

Introduction, translation & edition of Ch. 7 of the Black Pillar, root text of the Bon Phurpa tantras. Examining its indigenous deity binary, Hawks and Wolves, we consider Bon influence on Tibetan Buddhist Heruka iconography. Pages 153-170 of "From Bhakti to Bon. Festschrift for Per Kværne", ed. Charles Ramble and Hanna Havnevik. The Institute for Comparative Religion in Human Culture/ Novus Forlag, Oslo 2015.

- by Robert Mayer
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- Religion, Buddhism, Comparative Religion, Anthropology

Since the rise of ethnic activism and cultural politics in post-1990 Nepal, religion among the various Kiranti groups, its framework of ideas and practices, has undergone tremendous changes, in particular in the urban contexts. This contribution first sketches out the major features of “traditional” Kiranti religion, above all its foundation in the oral tradition and ancestral rituals as performed in a highly kinship-based, local society. The major part then deals with the pervasive changes of these features in the modern, national and increasingly secular political arena of contemporary Nepal. The scripturalisation of oral texts, the establishment of a written canon, and the promotion of a single iconic festival are effective strategies to increase visibility in the wider publice sphere. Likewise the construction of a common shrine and sacred site for all Kiranti in the Kathmandu Valley has become a unifying task with high symbolic value. Thus gradually a redefined pan-Kiranti religion is emerging, which is, however, far from monolithic but contains different - and diverging - lines of traditions, expressing inner tensions and tendencies.

Review (in Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, no. 32, April 2015, pp. 177–183), of the volume edited by Supawan Pui Lamsam and Kesang Choden Tashi Wangchuck, with contributions by Tulku Thondup, Dungchen Sangay Dorji, Lopen Kunzang Tengye, Pema Wangdi, Chotiwat Punnopatham, Chongmas Rajabhandarak, Tanika Pook Panyara- chun. Zangdok Palri Series, Volume 1. Gatshel Publishing, Bang- kok. First Edition 2012, Second Edition, 2013. ISBN 978-616-91289-0- 8 i-xv, 376pp. Large format, 29cm x 37cm. Preface by Ashi Kesang Choden Tashi Wangchuck.

- by Robert Mayer
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- Religion, Buddhism, Art History, Tibetan Studies

The Sirijunga script is an important cultural artefact of indigenous identity
for the Yakthung community living in the south eastern Himalayan belt. It is
a script that has been overlooked by conventional printing practices, instead
developing alongside language politics imposed by their acculturating nations,
Nepal and Sikkim.
This dissertation provides an original contribution in the understanding
of the Sirijunga script's development. There is little existing literature on the
Sirijunga script and its development, with the subject often treated as a side
note in a larger discussion on the Yakthung language or culture.
This dissertation first establishes a history of the Yakthung people, focusing
on language politics which limited the space for typographic development
and forced the script to fall out of use two times. Then, through a comparative
analysis of document marks from the script's three centuries of use,
this dissertation analyses the reconstruction of the Sirijunga script through
three defined periods. The dissertation concludes with a comprehensive
account of the modern Sirijunga script, discussing typographic practice, as
well as a review of all current digital Sirijunga typefaces to highlight the need
for more and higher quality typefaces in the script.
This dissertation is based on sound research and is beneficial to academics
studying Himalayan languages and to type designers wanting to cover the
Sirijunga script.

- by Ryan Williamson
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- Himalayan Civilization-Nepal, Typeface Design, Digital Typography, Limbus

The Kukri knife, also written as Khukuri, Khukri, Khookree, Kookeri, Kukoori, Koorkerie, Kookery, Kukery, Koukoori, Khokreis, Cookri, Gurkha Knife and other variations, takes its name from the Nepali word "खुकुरी" . This dagger-knife is today world famous and known as the Symbol of the Gurkhas, National weapon of Nepal and a most excellent knife with a long and ancient history. Ive used the term "Kukri" over the more proper "Khukuri" as it is
probably a wider used word and thus more familiar to the reader. We here explore what has been written regarding the Kukri knife over the past 200 years, from the dawn of modern Nepal, Anglo-Nepal War, The Great Wars and until modern day.

- by vk kunwor
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- History, Military History, Cultural Studies, Asian Studies

Historical, anthropological and theological analysis of Nepal's Chaṅgu Nārāyaṇa as the universal form (viśvarūpa) of Kṛṣṇa from Bhagavad Gītā 11. Includes table of contents, Preface, Introduction and Chapter 4, "Viśvarūpa Maṇḍir:... more

- by Jeffrey S Lidke
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- Hinduism, Himalayan culture, Vaishnavism, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal

AHP 31: The Lost World of Ladakh: Early Photographic Journeys through Indian Himalaya, 1931-1934 By Rupert Wilmot, Roger Bates, and Nicky Harman, with a Foreword by Khenpo K. Rangdol, President of Tserkarmo Monastery, Ladakh, India. The... more

- by NICKY HARMAN and +1
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- Himalayan culture, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal, Anthropology of Tibet and the Himalayas, Tibetan and Himalayan societies
- by Vasudha Pande
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- Himalayan Civilization-Nepal

The program for the forthcoming 15th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (Paris, 7-13 July 2019). Please note that this program is subject to a small number of corrections and emendations that will be posted in... more

Introduction
The purpose of this book is to give the reader an insight into the development of Tibetan Buddhist sculptures illustrated with statues selected from the collection of the Alain Bordier Foundation. These sculptures, mostly hereto unpublished, represent only a small part of this important collection, carefully assembled during the last twenty-five years. The Buddhist art collection of the Alain Bordier Foundation comprises about three hundred sculptures and paintings. The majority of the sculptures were manufactured in Tibet. On the other hand, the collection also comprises statues that had been manufactured in the Buddhist cultures surrounding Tibet – especially those located in the Himalayas, including Nepal, and those in North-Western and North-Eastern India, Burma, and to a lesser extent Central Asia and China. These cultures all influenced the development of Tibetan Buddhist art styles at various times and to various degrees. To understand the evolution of Tibetan art styles, consideration must be given to the art of all the cultures surrounding Tibet.
At the time of the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet during the 7th century, there were no trained Tibetan artists who could manufacture the statues and paintings needed for Buddhist practice. This vacuum led to the importation of foreign artists, as well as craftsmen with the skills needed for constructing temples and monasteries. In addition to the Newårs of Nepal there were also artists from other countries active in Tibet, especially from North-Eastern India and Kashmir. Each of these foreign artists practiced their crafts according to the styles in which they had been trained in their homeland. Predictably, the Tibetan novices imitated the particular styles practiced by their teachers. Ultimately, this resulted in the development of different Tibetan art styles that were an amalgam of the various foreign influences modified according to Tibetan sentiments. The art styles in Western Tibet initially depended primarily on inspiration from the neighbouring Buddhist traditions flourishing in the greater areas of Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, and Swat (U∂∂iyåna) in North-Western India. Southern and Central Tibet (gTsang and dBus), were more under the artistic influence of the North-Eastern Indian art traditions in addition to the influence from Nepal. Eastern Tibet (Khams), next to the Chinese province of Sichuan, and North-Eastern Tibet (Amdo), bordering the Chinese province of Gansu, nevertheless developed art styles similar in many aspects to those prevalent in Southern and Central Tibet. Chinese influence is more visible in the painting traditions of Eastern Tibet than in its sculptures.

- by Ulrich von Schroeder
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- Tibetan Studies, Himalayan Civilization-Nepal, Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Art

India has been the homeland of diverse manuscript traditions that do not cease to impress scholars for their imposing size and complexity. Nevertheless, many topics concerning the study of Indian manuscript cultures still remain to receive systematic examination. Of Gods and Books pays attention to one of these topics - the use of manuscripts as ritualistic tools. Literary sources deal quite extensively with rituals principally focused on manuscripts, whose worship, donation and preservation are duly prescribed. Around these activities, a specific category of ritual gift is created, which finds attestations in pre-tantric, as well as in smārta and tantric, literature, and whose practice is also variously reflected in epigraphical documents. De Simini offers a first systematic study of the textual evidence on the topic of the worship and donation of knowledge. She gives account of possible implications for the relationships between religion and power. The book is indsipensible for a deeper understanding of the cultural aspects of manuscript transmission in medieval India, and beyond.

- by Florinda De Simini
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- Hinduism, Ritual, Sanskrit language and literature, Manuscript Studies

Other isolated languages of Asia

Draft

- by Stefan Georg
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- Languages, History, Cultural History, Japanese Studies