The Nyishangba traders of Manang

Their remarkable adventurism adds an important chapter to Nepal’s history of trade.

Although the Himalayan region has been imagined as being contained by its harsh geography, such a view couldn’t be further from the truth. The many cultures who lived in the Himalaya often engaged in longitudinal trade, giving birth to dynamic trade routes that ebbed and flowed with the seasons. And as with most trade, traders often found themselves in the most unique of places. We know that Lhasa Newars traded as far as Leh in Ladakh, an incredible story that demands to be documented in greater detail, and that Kashmiri Muslims first settled in Nepal Valley during the 15th century.