CHRONOLOGY OF KHUMBU HISTORY
pre-1500Possible settlement or seasonal herding/hunting use by pre-Sherpa peoples.
ca. 1480-1500Ancestors of Sherpas emigrate from Salmo Gang region of Kham.
ca. 1533Kham emigrants cross Nangpa La and arrive in Khumbu.
pre-1667Settlement in Bhote Kosi valley at Tarnga and other sites. Hermitages established near later site of Khumjung and Teshinga.
ca. 1615 to 1667-1672Lama Sanga Dorje founds temple and community of devotees at Pangboche.
ca. 1667-1672Temple above Thami Og founded.
ca. 1717Sherpas defeated in battle south of later site of Nauje by Dongbu (Rai?) forces. Tribute possibly paid to Sen kingdom which controlled lower Dudh Kosi valley.
1772-1773Gorkha conquest of eastern Nepal and establishment of authority over Khumbu.
1805First known record of a Nepali government official visiting Khumbu. Sherpas fined for killing cattle.
1810First documentary mention of gembu.
1828First mention of Nauje in Nepali government documents. Proclamation by Nepali government of Khumbu monopoly on trade over Nangpa La.
1830Founding of Khumjung temple and establishment of Dumje celebration there after quarrel at Thami Og.
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1836Tax document gives names of eight pembu and indicates a total of 169 tax-paying Khumbu households.
mid-nineteenth centuryNawa system established for controlling herd movements.
?1851-52Assassination at Chorkem of pembu Nam Chumbi.
ca. 1850s-1860sIntroduction of potatoes.
1855-56Nepal-Tibet war.
1860sSmall-scale emigration to Rolwaling from Thamicho.
1885-86Hari Ram of the survey of India passes through Khumbu en route to Tibet.
1895Tsepal of Golila-Gepchua (and Nauje) becomes gembu replacing Dorje of Thami Og.
1904Khumbu contributes yak to Younghusband military expedition to Tibet.
1906-07Nauje temple founded and consecrated. Thirty-four house-holds from the village participate in establishing the maintenance fund. First Dumje held.
ca. 1912-15Protection declared for eight rani ban established at order of Rana government.
1916Founding of Tengboche monastery at direction of abbot of Rumbu (Rongbuk) monastery north of Mount Everest and through efforts of Khumjung Lama Chatang Chotar (Lama Gulu).
1919Tengboche monastery consecrated by Rumbu abbot. The monastery is given a portion of the Nakdingog rani ban and other lands to administer.
ca. 1920sAttempted assassination of gembu Tsepal and his flight to Tibet after committing a murder in Nauje.
1930sWidespread adoption of the red potato (riki moru) and increasing reliance on potato as a staple crop.
1942New land-revenue system introduced.
1950First Westerners enter Khumbu.
1952Spring and autumn Swiss attempts to climb Mount Everest.
1953Ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on expedition led by John Hunt.
1959-60Arrival of as many as 5,000 Tibetan refugees in Khumbu.
1964Lukla airstrip built and trekking tourism begins.
1965Branch office of the Sagarmatha Zone office established in Nauje.
1965Weekly market established in Nauje.
― 431 ―
1966Bhumi sudar, land reform and registration regulations.
1972Construction completed of Shyangboche airstrip and the Everest View Hotel.
1973Introduction of the yellow potato (riki seru ) to Bhote Kosi valley from Darjeeling.
1974Sagarmatha National Park announced in Bonn at an international conference of the World Wildlife Fund by Prince Gyanendra.
1974New Zealand mission to evaluate New Zealand involvement in establishing Sagarmatha National Park holds village meetings about the national park.
1975Introduction of the yellow potato to Khumjung from Singh Gompa in north-central Nepal.
1976Sagarmatha National Park officially gazetted.
1978District Forest Office established in Salleri.
1978End of land registration opportunity under bhumi sudar.
1979Nauje abandons the nawa system.
1981Introduction of development potatoes (riki bikasi ) from the agricultural station at Phaphlu in Shorung (southern Solu-Khumbu district).
1983Nauje hydroelectric system completed.
1984Tibetan traders resume trade to Khumbu.
1985Langmoche flood destroys the still-unfinished Thamo hydro-electric project.
1988Hydroelectric system installed at the Tengboche monastery.
1988Thamicho abandons the nawa system.
1990Forest-management committees established by Sagarmatha National Park which give village officials more authority over administering forest use.
1990Control over forest and wildlife protection between the Phunkitenga Chu and the Mingbo Chu given to the Tengboche monastery by Sagarmatha National Park.
Dates are primarily estimated from oral traditions and oral history. Some early dates are from FüHaimendorf (1979) and Ortner (1989).
pre-1500Possible settlement or seasonal herding/hunting use by pre-Sherpa peoples.
ca. 1480-1500Ancestors of Sherpas emigrate from Salmo Gang region of Kham.
ca. 1533Kham emigrants cross Nangpa La and arrive in Khumbu.
pre-1667Settlement in Bhote Kosi valley at Tarnga and other sites. Hermitages established near later site of Khumjung and Teshinga.
ca. 1615 to 1667-1672Lama Sanga Dorje founds temple and community of devotees at Pangboche.
ca. 1667-1672Temple above Thami Og founded.
ca. 1717Sherpas defeated in battle south of later site of Nauje by Dongbu (Rai?) forces. Tribute possibly paid to Sen kingdom which controlled lower Dudh Kosi valley.
1772-1773Gorkha conquest of eastern Nepal and establishment of authority over Khumbu.
1805First known record of a Nepali government official visiting Khumbu. Sherpas fined for killing cattle.
1810First documentary mention of gembu.
1828First mention of Nauje in Nepali government documents. Proclamation by Nepali government of Khumbu monopoly on trade over Nangpa La.
1830Founding of Khumjung temple and establishment of Dumje celebration there after quarrel at Thami Og.
― 430 ―
1836Tax document gives names of eight pembu and indicates a total of 169 tax-paying Khumbu households.
mid-nineteenth centuryNawa system established for controlling herd movements.
?1851-52Assassination at Chorkem of pembu Nam Chumbi.
ca. 1850s-1860sIntroduction of potatoes.
1855-56Nepal-Tibet war.
1860sSmall-scale emigration to Rolwaling from Thamicho.
1885-86Hari Ram of the survey of India passes through Khumbu en route to Tibet.
1895Tsepal of Golila-Gepchua (and Nauje) becomes gembu replacing Dorje of Thami Og.
1904Khumbu contributes yak to Younghusband military expedition to Tibet.
1906-07Nauje temple founded and consecrated. Thirty-four house-holds from the village participate in establishing the maintenance fund. First Dumje held.
ca. 1912-15Protection declared for eight rani ban established at order of Rana government.
1916Founding of Tengboche monastery at direction of abbot of Rumbu (Rongbuk) monastery north of Mount Everest and through efforts of Khumjung Lama Chatang Chotar (Lama Gulu).
1919Tengboche monastery consecrated by Rumbu abbot. The monastery is given a portion of the Nakdingog rani ban and other lands to administer.
ca. 1920sAttempted assassination of gembu Tsepal and his flight to Tibet after committing a murder in Nauje.
1930sWidespread adoption of the red potato (riki moru) and increasing reliance on potato as a staple crop.
1942New land-revenue system introduced.
1950First Westerners enter Khumbu.
1952Spring and autumn Swiss attempts to climb Mount Everest.
1953Ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on expedition led by John Hunt.
1959-60Arrival of as many as 5,000 Tibetan refugees in Khumbu.
1964Lukla airstrip built and trekking tourism begins.
1965Branch office of the Sagarmatha Zone office established in Nauje.
1965Weekly market established in Nauje.
― 431 ―
1966Bhumi sudar, land reform and registration regulations.
1972Construction completed of Shyangboche airstrip and the Everest View Hotel.
1973Introduction of the yellow potato (riki seru ) to Bhote Kosi valley from Darjeeling.
1974Sagarmatha National Park announced in Bonn at an international conference of the World Wildlife Fund by Prince Gyanendra.
1974New Zealand mission to evaluate New Zealand involvement in establishing Sagarmatha National Park holds village meetings about the national park.
1975Introduction of the yellow potato to Khumjung from Singh Gompa in north-central Nepal.
1976Sagarmatha National Park officially gazetted.
1978District Forest Office established in Salleri.
1978End of land registration opportunity under bhumi sudar.
1979Nauje abandons the nawa system.
1981Introduction of development potatoes (riki bikasi ) from the agricultural station at Phaphlu in Shorung (southern Solu-Khumbu district).
1983Nauje hydroelectric system completed.
1984Tibetan traders resume trade to Khumbu.
1985Langmoche flood destroys the still-unfinished Thamo hydro-electric project.
1988Hydroelectric system installed at the Tengboche monastery.
1988Thamicho abandons the nawa system.
1990Forest-management committees established by Sagarmatha National Park which give village officials more authority over administering forest use.
1990Control over forest and wildlife protection between the Phunkitenga Chu and the Mingbo Chu given to the Tengboche monastery by Sagarmatha National Park.
Dates are primarily estimated from oral traditions and oral history. Some early dates are from FüHaimendorf (1979) and Ortner (1989).
