Zhangzhung
Zhangzhung or Shangshung was an ancient kingdom in western and northwestern Tibet, existing from about 500 BC to 625 AD, pre-dating Tibetan Buddhism. The Zhangzhung culture is associated with the Bon religion, which has influenced the philosophies and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. Zhangzhung people are mentioned frequently in ancient Tibetan texts as the original rulers of today's western Tibet. Only in the last two decades have archaeologists been given access to do field work in the areas once ruled by the Zhangzhung.
Extent
Tradition has it that Zhangzhung consisted "of three different regions: Goba, the outer; Phugpa, the inner; and Barba, 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 Namtso, and from Khotan in the north to Chu-Mig-brGyad-Cu-gTsa-gNyis in the south. Ladakh, including Lahaul and Spiti, was part of Goba. The inner region is said to be Tazig , and the middle Rgya-Khar-Bar-Chod, a place not yet identified." While it is not certain whether Zhangzhung was really so large, it was an independent kingdom and covered the whole of what is today's Western Tibet, Ladakh and Gilgit.The capital city of Zhangzhung was called Khyunglung, the "Silver Palace of Garuda", southwest of Mount Kailash, which is identified with palaces found in the upper Sutlej Valley.
According to Rolf Alfred Stein, author of Tibetan Civilization, the area of Zhangzhung was not historically a part of Tibet and was a distinctly foreign territory to the Tibetans:
History
Possible Iron Age culture
Archeological work on the Chang Tang plateau in 2010 found possible evidence of an Iron Age culture in the area which some have tentatively identified as that of the Zhangzhung.Conquest of Zhangzhung
There is some confusion as to whether Central Tibet conquered Zhangzhung during the reign of Songtsen Gampo or in the reign of Trisong Detsen,. The records of the Tang Annals do, however, seem to clearly place these events in the reign of Songtsen Gampo for they say that in 634, Yangtong 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.Early Tibetan accounts say that the Tibetan king and the king of Zhangzhung had married each other's sisters in a political alliance. However, the Tibetan wife of the king of the Zhangzhung 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 Sumba was ambushed and killed by King Songtsen Gampo's soldiers. As a consequence, Zhangzhung was annexed to U-Tsang. Thereafter the new kingdom born of the unification of Zhangzhung and Bod was known as Bod-rGyal-Khab." R. A. Stein places the conquest of Zhangzhung in 645.
677 revolt
Zhangzhung revolted soon after the death of King Mangsong Mangtsen or Trimang Löntsän, the son of Songtsen Gampo, but was brought back under Tibetan control by the "firm governance of the great leaders of the Gar clan".Zhangzhung language
A handful of Zhangzhung texts and 11th century bilingual Tibetan documents attest to a Zhang-Zhung language which was related to Kinnauri. The Bonpo claim that the Tibetan writing system is derived from the Zhangzhung alphabet, while modern scholars recognise the clear derivation of Tibetan script from a North Indian script, which accords with non-Bon Tibetan accounts.A modern Kinnauri language called by the same name is spoken by 2,000 people in the Sutlej Valley of Himachal Pradesh who claim to be descendants of the Zhangzhung.