by Ben Deitle
| Type | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Mangyül (མང་ཡུལ་) |
| Transliteration form | mang yul |
| Pronunciation | Lhasa |
| Etymology | literally: "many-valley" |
| Source of information | George Roerich, trans. The Blue Annals. Delhi: Motialal Banarsidass, 1976. |
| Spatial Location | No entry in the THDL gazetteer for “mang yul.” |
| Nation | China |
| Province | Tibet Autonomous Region |
| Cultural location | south Tibet |
| Blue Annals References | mang yul: 42, 44, 207, 767, 855, 973, 1034; mang yul gung thang: 916 (there are actually more occurrences in the Tibetan). |
Mangyül, a border area between Tibet and Nepal, appears in the Blue Annals mainly as a place through which people pass between the two countries. There is even reference to a specific pass over which one crosses along the route called the “pass of Mangyül” (Roerich, 1034). People from Mangyül are called “Mangyülwa (mang yul ba),” as a disciple of Rinchen Zangpo, Könchok Tsek (dkon mchog brtsegs), is referred to in the Blue Annals (Roerich, 352). There is an interesting early reference to Mangyül in the Blue Annals in which Selnang (gsal snang, 9th c.) is appointed the “master of the palace” in Mangyül (Roerich, 42). This is followed by an interesting description of what seems to be the system of tying peasants to a particular monastic complex or temple for its upkeep. It is unclear whether this early system in Mangyül simply involves physical maintenance, or if it was the system of taxation of and labor by peasants in connection with a specific monastery that was later common in Tibet. A few pages later, we find that Selnang’s domain in Mangyül served as a place of safe-keeping for the Jowo statue until Padmasambhava was able to overcome the antagonistic forces central Tibet and the statue could be returned to the Trülnang temple (Roerich, 44). Most of the later scattered references to Mangyül in the Blue Annals involve the comings and goings of Indians and Tibetans and their interactions in this border area (Roerich, 130, 207, 767, 916, 1034). Two references deal with members of the Zhijé lineage, which is not surprising given that Dampa Sanggyé was particularly active in southwest Tibet (Roerich, 916, 973). Mangyül is also often mentioned together with Gungtang, in such cases being referred to as Mangyül Gungtang (mang yul gung thang).