Spiti- The Gigantic Valley of Many Hued Strata (Set of 2 Volumes)

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The present book is an enlarged doctoral thesis from the University of Oxford. It was made possible through funding and grants from the Tise Foundation, the Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Centre (Oxford), Wolfson College (Oxford), the Lorne Thyssen Research Fund for Ancient World Topics (Oxford), the Frederick Williamson Memorial Fund (Cambridge), and the Agence nation- ale de la recherché (ANR, France), through the project "Social Status in the Tibetan World." I wish to thank Mr. M. Weisskopf for his repeated financial support. I am also indebted to Mr. E. Zentner for his timely assistance.

Many people have offered their guidance and generously shared their knowledge over the years it has taken me to bring this research to fruition. The three people who stand out most are my supervisor Professor Ulrike Roesler (University of Oxford), Professor Dieter Schuh (IITBS), and the late Tsering Gonkatsang (University of Oxford). The present book could not have existed without the kind- ness and generous assistance of Professor Charles Ramble (EPHE, Paris).

I would also like to extend my gratitude to many friends and colleagues for their feedback and continued support, among whom Carmen Auer, Chiara Bellini, Solomon George FitzHerbert, Jörg Heimbel, Veronika Hein, Amy Heller, Christian Jahoda, D. Scott Kieffer, Rob Linrothe, Christian Luczanits, Nils Martin, Rob Mayer, Azaher Miah, Holger Neuwirth, Fernanda Piric, David Pritzker, Hugh Rayner, Per Sørensen, Patrick Sutherland, Hannah Theaker, Thierry Theurillat, and Bettina Zeisler.

This book investigates the history of a Himalayan settlement located in the Spiti Valley (Himachal Pradesh,India) based on a non-invasive archaeological examination of its vestiges, together with an analysis of epigraphic and written sources collected by the author during field-work. With this end in mind, the present study traces the socio-economic, religious and political background of the Dangkhar settlement, a site typically described by its inhabitants today as 'the former capital of Spiti'. Based on new data and information, this study attempts to move beyond the earlier historiography on the region in order to provide a more nuanced historical overview of the Spiti Valley.

ENDANGERED CULTURAL HERITAGE AND THE SAVE DANGKHAR PROJECT

In 2006, the World Monuments Fund listed the ancient monastery of Dangkhar in Spiti as an imperilled cultural heritage site. The reason behind this distressing decision was the advanced state of deterioration seen in the edifice, due to its geotechnical instability, neglect, and inadequate maintenance. Precariously situated atop a two hundred metre cliff, this dilapidated monastery appears to be on the verge of collapsing, a feeling reinforced by the dramatic sight of ruined buildings and rubble in its immediate vicinity. Over the last two hundred years or so, the whole site of Dangkhar has changed quite dramatically. Old photographs taken in the 1860s illustrate all too clearly the ravages of time, along with the effects of erosion, seismic activity, and climate change on its historic monuments. In recent times, the village has extended east- wards at the foot of the escarpment and a new monastic complex named Dangkhar Tashi Chöling (brag mkhar bkra shis chos gling) has been established on firmer ground, leaving the old building exposed and subject to only the most minimal maintenance.

Benefiting from the attention received by the World Monuments Fund, the monastic community of Dangkhar Tashi Chöling has taken steps to raise awareness about the imminent danger posed to this historic site. In the years that followed, domestic and international NGOs dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage have approached the official and legal custodians of the old monastery of Dangkhar with project proposals of varying lengths, costs, and soundness.