Other lordship · Self-governing peoples of Tibet and the Himalaya · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Minyak chiefs

Minyak is the Tibetan name for the Dangxiang (Tanguts), who called themselves Mi-niah (Wikipedia, Tangut people).

The speakers of the Qiangic Muya language in the west of Kangding still call themselves Minyak, and the early Tanguts lived in the highlands of west Sichuan and south-east Qinghai. So the Minyak country is a remnant of the Tangut homeland left behind when the Xia state grew in the north. The brief puts the Minyak at Dartsedo and Nyarong. They hold valleys round Tagong (Minyak Rabgang in the later histories, recalled), the Zheduo and Yala rivers at Dartsedo, and the Muya passes towards Yajiang and Jiulong.

Later events belong in the likely course: after the fall of Xia in 1227, Tangut refugees and royal clan members are said to move into west Sichuan and northern Tibet (Wikipedia, Tangut people).

Who he is

Title
Chiefs and headmen of the Minyak, a Dangxiang-descended people
Since
not known
Born
not known
Family
not known
Confidence
low

No chief is named for 1200. The Minyak kings of the Yuan-era Tibetan histories (recalled) are later.

Overlord

None; Xia, the Tangut state, is far to the north and not shown to rule them.

What it holds

  • Valleys and pastures round Tagong, Dartsedo and the Muya country
  • The Zheduo-Yala meeting ground (Dartsedo)
  • Passes to Gyalrong and to the Dadu

How it was acquired

By descent from the old Dangxiang stock.

Allies and rivals

The Gyalrong to the north; the Hor and Nyarong to the west; the Song at Yazhou and Lizhou (trade).

How things stand that morning

Self-governing; no dated event.

Wealth

Herds, barley, trade in tea, gold and salt (general).

Military

Village and clan levies; no numbers.

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

  1. after 1227Tangut refugees and royal clan members are said to move to west Sichuan and northern Tibet (Wikipedia, Tangut people); Tibetan histories place the Minyak kings in the Mongol and Sakya period.Depends on: The fall of Xia in 1227, which depends on the Mongol war on it. Stopped by: Xia surviving.

Places of note

  • Tagong (Lhagang): Heart of the Minyak country in the later histories.
  • Kangding (Dartsedo): Meeting ground; not yet a town.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: The name and origin from Wikipedia; the political picture of 1200 is the general pattern.

On the map: Ground is drawn in the province record Minyak.

Sources and studies

  1. Wikipedia, Tangut people (Minyak, Tibetan Buddhism at the Xia court; read this session)
  2. Wikipedia, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (read this session)
  3. Wikipedia, Kham (read this session)
  4. Author's recall of the secondary literature (Petech, Tucci, Stein, Davidson, Smith, Kapstein, Dunnell): not re-read this session, so marked 'recalled' in the text

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.