Ancient Ties Between Nepal & Tibet

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Nepal-Tibet Trade Ties

History Repeats Itself

 

By Bishnu Gautam

Nepal and Tibet (now the Tibet Autonomous Region, or TAR, of China)

are old friends. Historical records show that the ties between the two

goes back as early as 618 AD during the reign of King Amshu Verma in

Nepal and Srangchan Gampo in Tibet. Some historians claim that the

Lichchhavi King Narendra Deva had regained his lost throne with the

help of the Tibetan king Gampo in 643 AD. Although this needs

verification, historians agree that Narendra Deva had received

political asylum in Tibet for about 22 years from 621 AD to 643.

 

The marriage of Nepalese princess Bhrikuti (Thichung Lachi in the

Tibetan language) to the Tibetan king, Srangchan Gampo, in 629 AD is

mentioned in both Chinese and Tibetan history. The princess had helped

spread Buddhism in Tibet by forming a Buddhist sangh (association)

there. These are historical records which indicate that Nepal and

Tibet may have had political, cultural and religious ties as early as

the 7th century.

 

Transit Point

 

Also Nepal was a transit point for Tibetan Buddhist monks and Chinese

messengers who wanted to go to northern India during the Lichchhavi

period. Chinese Buddhist monk Hiun Tsang visited Nepal in 637 AD while

returning home from Vaisali, India. His mentions about Nepal are

reliable evidences about Lichchhavi history. Similarly, envoy Li-Yi

Pio of the Chinese king went to north India in 643, and he had been

welcomed by King Narendra Deva. Another team of Chinese messengers,

led by Wang Hsuan-Tse, arrived Kathmandu on his way to see king

Harshabardhan of northern India in 646 AD. At a time when Nepal is

trying to re-emerge as a transit point for trade between the People�s

Republic of China and India, these historical facts hold special

significance and can guide our leadership in the right direction.

 

Trade between Nepal and Tibet grew during the Malla period. Tibet,

which was then known as Bhot, was the main trade partner of Nepal.

During the Malla period, the Bhot-Nepal trade flourished, and the

Newar businessmen of Kathmandu valley used to supply everyday goods to

the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. Then Nepal benefited greatly from the

trade with Tibet. The Nepalese currency was the medium of exchange in

Tibet. Some historians even claim that King Prithvi Narayan Shah first

blocked the Nepal-Tibet trade to weaken and defeat the Malla dynasty

of the valley.

 

Following the unification of Nepal in the 18th century, relations

between Nepal and Tibet deepened despite some troublesome incidents.

However, after the formation of the TAR of China in 1965, the

relations have deepened. Moreover, with the operation of direct bus

services between Kathmandu and Lhasa in the recent months, relations

at the people-to-people level are expected to grow. Every year, a

great number of Nepalese, Chinese and Tibetans visit each other�s

places. Nepal is a growing destination for Chinese tourists in the

recent years. However, the bus services have not been effective in

this regard as they are often disturbed by administrative reasons.

 

Still TAR remains an important trade partner of Nepal, and a number of

Nepalese businessmen, especially from the Newar community of

Kathmandu, have been living in Lhasa, the capital of TAR, for

centuries running their traditional family business. If the bus

services can run smoothly, these businessmen as well as tourists

should benefit a lot. Currently, Nepal suffers a huge trade deficit

with TAR.

 

The connection of TAR with Mainland China by a railway line is surely

good news for the Nepalese business community. Currently, Nepal

imports everything from clothes, apples, dry vegetables and machinery

goods from China, many of which arrive here via TAR. The railway link

with Lhasa will not only make trade with China easier but also reduce

the cost of goods. Nepalese businessmen, too, can benefit by supplying

goods using the new railway services through TAR. There is, for

instance, high demand for fruits like lemon in China, and Nepal can at

least meet the demand of one province if it initiates programmes to

farm lemon and other citrus fruits on a large scale.

 

China is all set to emerge as an economic powerhouse, which today

enjoys a whooping 9 per cent economic growth. Already China dominates

the international market, supplying goods as far as the USA in the

west to Saudi Arabia in the oil-rich Gulf. Indeed, there is no country

in the globe where Chinese goods are not exported. As such, Nepal can

benefit from the growing international trade of China. The railway

line in Tibet that links with the central railway network of China

should help Nepalese goods reach China and via China to other countries.

 

Railway Link

 

Efforts should be made to link Lhasa with Kathmandu or any other city

of Nepal with the railway. For a landlocked country like Nepal,

railway services linking both the neighbouring countries will be of

great benefit. Even more beneficial it will be when Nepal becomes a

transit point for trade between the two giant economic giants of Asia.

 

Today Tibet is totally different from what it was two decades ago.

Imagine a railway line at an altitude of 14,000 feet on the roof of

the world. Nepalese policymakers could learn a lesson or two from TAR

as well as the People�s Republic of China.

 

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