Much of Mustang's early history is legendary, but the Kingdom of Lo was once part of Tibet's Ngari region and was incorporated into the Tibetan Empire by Songtsen Gampo. In 1380 Ame Pal founded Lo as an independent kingdom and oversaw the building of the walled capital Lo Manthang. From the 15th to 17th centuries Mustang controlled trade between the Himalayas and India from its strategic position on the Kali Gandaki route. The kingdom was annexed by Prithvi Narayan Shah's Nepal in 1769 and became a dependency of the Kingdom of Nepal in 1795. In the late 1950s and 60s Upper Mustang hosted Tibetan Chushi Gangdruk guerrillas (aided by the CIA) until support was withdrawn in the 1970s. Upper Mustang stayed a restricted area until 1992; the 600-year-old monarchy was abolished by the Government of Nepal on 7 October 2008.
Researched by the ChillNepal team from published sources. Spot something out of date? Tell us from the place's page.
