Yushu is the high grass country at the head of the Yangtze (Drichu), the Mekong (Dzachu) and the Yellow River.
Wikipedia's Kham article names Nangchen among the major independent polities of Kham without a date; its rise as a kingdom of lamas and chiefs belongs to the later Middle Ages (recalled). In 1200 Jyekundo is a river crossing and a grazing ground, not a town, and the tribes are camp-lords with their yaks. The trade road from Kham to Amdo and the Tsaidam runs through.
Who he is
- Title
- Tribal chiefs and camp-lords of the Yushu Tibetans, with the lamas of small houses
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No chief named. The Nangchen chiefs' line, which the later tradition gives to the 13th century, cannot be dated to 1200.
What it holds
- Pasture and winter camps on the Drichu and Dzachu headwaters
- The crossing at Jyekundo
- A share of the tolls on the Kham-Amdo road
How it was acquired
By custom.
Allies and rivals
Nangchen valley chiefs to the south; Golog to the north-east; the Changthang herders to the west (tic sheet).
How things stand that morning
Self-governing; no dated event.
Wealth
Yaks, sheep, horses, wool, hides, gold dust (general pattern), tolls.
Military
Mounted herdsmen; no numbers.
Places of note
- Yushu (Jyekundo), approximate: River crossing; not a town in 1200.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Geography and the later history only.
On the map: Ground is drawn in the province record Yushu herders.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia, Kham (read this session)
- 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.