Pemako
Encyclopedia
Pemako is a region located in the southeast corner of Tibet
. Its name literally means "Lotus array" in the Tibetan language
. It Historically a hunting ground for Abors
the region became famous specially during the visit of Guru Rinpoche in 8th century. Pemako is considered to be the most sacred place in Tibet, blessed with holy virtues. Many popular Lamas visited the place in search of termas
which were made hidden during crisis in Tibet, the most renowned Lama who was born in Pemako is H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche
(1904).
and Powo (Kham) through lower Tsangpo
into Arunachal Pradesh
(Tuting region), surrounded by high mountains (tallest is Mt. Namcha Barwa
7,782m) with lush vegetation, one can find many species of wild animals in this part of Tibetan Plateau
. The region unlike other parts of Tibet receives plenty of rain hence, it is so diverse in nature that you can find subalpine conifer forests in the north to the temperate coniferous forest in the south in low lying area of River Tsangpo gorges.
In contemporary Tibet Pemako has become a mere historical name, it has been officially termed as Metok County (after Metok Dzong) or spelled by Chinese as Medog or Mòtuō irrespectively which is under Nyingchi Prefecture
, Tibetan Autonomous Region. According to Chinese govt, Metok county covers an area of about 30,000 km2 and has population of 9200 (2001 census) people.Maps of Pemako and Metok Dzong, Maps of Nyintri Prefecture and Minling county
is a village
in the Tibet Autonomous Region
of China
. Formally called Metok Dzong, it used to be the residence of Dzongpon (district head) representing the authority of Tibetan Lhasa Govt (Ganden Phodrang). Metok town is located within the valley of the great bend of river Tsangpo
(Bramaputra), its elevation is the lowest of all the counties of Tibet hence the town is abundant in vegetation and has rich flora and fauna. Metok is in the heart of Pema ko which connects the county with rest of the country. Majority of Metok population is Pemakopas (a.k.a. Pemako
Tshangla), with significant minority of Khampas, Kongpopas and Lhopas.
. Pemako was no exception. It came under the rule of Powo king who ruled whole area of which defines Pemakoe (Now Metok county and part of Arunachal Pradesh (upper siang). During Powo rule Pemako people had good relations with the Poba people, they jointly fought against Abors (Adis, mishmis etc.) who regularly disturbed the pilgrimage
. Hardly any people lived in Pemako before Tsangla migrants settled in the region, currently Pemakopas makes up the majority of the population. As we always talk about Greater Tibet or Bhoet Chenpo at one time in Tibetan History all area of Drukyul, Dremong yul, Lha-dhak yul and Mon-yul were under the great king of Tibet, half ancestor of Pemako peoples the Tsangla group immigrated internally to the land of hidden valley to escape aggression in their original homeland. When first Tsangla people arrived in Pemako region they found that the land was unused, they settled in the lower yarlung Tsangpo valley, surrounded by Kongpopas in the northwest and Pobas in the northeast and Lopas in the south, Tsangla adopted many customs from them but still retained their original language which they still speak at home. By 1931 Tibetan national government was able to dismantled Powo kingdom and region come under direct rule of central Tibetan Government, Lhasa
. Pemako region came into the jurisdiction
of Tibetan central Government. Ganden Phodrang (Tibet govt) had its governor stationed in Metok Dzong who look after the territory and established communications between Lhasa and region of Pemako. Hence tax to be paid to Tibet Lhasa govt which was compulsory for all the people living in the region in the form of cash or kind. Region of pemako was divided among different monastery and different aristocratic family. Some region of Pemako pay tax to Sera monastery in form of grains, chillis, bamboo poles for prayer flags (Dharchen), products made of cane, medicinal herbs such as yertsa-goonbu, mushroom and animal skin. Some regions of Pemako was under Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche as monastic entitlement of nyingma lineage.
and Utsang, descended in Pemako and settled near their Lama
. Gradually intermarriage between the first settler and second wave settler produce what is today Pemakopa spread around the world. Descendant of Pemakopa are hard working, strong, smart and intelligent people. Descendant of Pemakopa are spread across the Globe in this times. Today Pemakopa has unique cultural identity
and dialect that can be compared to any other region and dialect of Tibet. Tsangla is collequial of Pemakoe. Eastern Bhutaness sharing same language in the form of text, therefore, Tsangla has text no longer use in Pemakoe.
Pemakopa means people of Pemako as a whole. People of Pemako include Tsanglha, Khampa i.e. Lhasawa, Rekhewa, Gonjowa, Nangchenpa, Golokpa, Kongpopa, Powowa, Zayulwa, Memba, Adhi, Mishimi and other Lopas. Modern day Pemakopa descendent have the multi- ethnic roots.
Yarlung Tsangpo Tsangchu in Pemakoe (not Yarlung Tsangpo)
River Tsangpo (Tsangchu) which originates from Lake Manasarovar
in Western Tibet flows through 1500 km eastward when it reaches Mt Namcha Barwa, its bend making a U shape turn to penetrate into lower Himalayan
ranges, thus curving one of the deepest Canyon in the world. Water dropping above 3,000 meters near Phe, about 300 metres at the end of the gorge. The river is called Tsangchu a famous river in Pemakoe, like kyichu in lhasa.
Demography
Pemako is surely not an homogeneous society, different ethnic people lived here from many years, people like Pemakopas (Tsangla), Kongpowas, Poba Tibetans and Lopas (Adi, mishis etc.) live here but Pemakopas make up the majority about 65-70% of the total population of 10,000-15,000, remaining are Khampas, kongpowas and Lopas. (According to 2001 census in Metok county (Dzong) there are about 10,000 people ). In exile Pemakopa people spread through the world, but mainly concentrated in Tibetan Settlement of Miao choephelling, Tezu Dhargyeling, Tuting and area, Orissa-Jerang camp, Tibetan Women Centre - Rajpur
, Clementown, Delhi
area, some in Europe
and North America
.
Language
Tsangla or Pemakopa is one of the many dialect
s of Tibet. Tsangla is widely spoken and understood by many non-tsangla speakers in the area. As a Tibetan, people of Pemako also speak Shuong Ke or official Tibetan national language. Pemakopa people also speak other dialects of Tibet such as khampa, Kongpo and Zayul ke. Today inside Tibet pemakopa people are also well verse in Mandarin. As majority are Pemakopas, Tsangla spoken is well established. If we talk about Tsangla language it is a branch of Tibeto-Burman bodish language which is mutually intelligible with those Tsangla in Eastern Bhutan
. The dialect has evolved into a new dialect as intermarriage between the first wave of settler and second wave of settler that came from kham, golok and ustang after the birth of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche in Pemako. Contemporary pemakopa dialect is, a distinct, one of many and rich regional dialect of Tibet. Tsangla or Pemakopa dialect doesn't have tones unlike Shoung Ke or Tibetan National language, but Tsangla language in Pemako has high and low sound, which is absence in other Tsangla speaking people of neighboring countries. Pemakopa dialect numerical denomination up to 20 and higher number are counted in Shoung Ke or Tibetan National language. Globally Pemakopa or Tsangla dialect is spoken by about 140,000- 160,000 people.
Religion
Pemako Monastery
Lama of Pemako
H.H. The Dudjom Rinpoche of Pemako, Terton Ngangey, Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, and Dungse Garab Rinpoche, Marpong Rinpoche, Late Tulku Dawa, Taksham Choegye Lingpa, Khenpo Tsering Dorjee Rinpoche of Palyul monastery, Tulku Pema Rigzin, Ven. Lopon P. Ogyan Tanzin Rinpoche, Tulku Orgyen Phuntsok and Young Master Yogi Ngakpa Ugyen Yeshi, Jigmey Rimpoche.
Elders
Dzongpon Dawpo, descend of Pemako who was the chieftain of Metok district (dzong) during Powo khanam rules, late Tsopon Ngawang Tsultrim (He served the people of Pemako in Tibet and in exile as a representative, late Tsopon Norbu wangchuk.
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Its name literally means "Lotus array" in the Tibetan language
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
. It Historically a hunting ground for Abors
Adi people
The Adi, or Bangni-Bokar Lhoba people is a major collective tribe living in the Himalayan hills of Arunachal Pradesh, and they are found in the temperate and sub-tropical regions within the districts of East Siang, Upper Siang, West Siang and Dibang Valley. The older term Abor is a deprecated...
the region became famous specially during the visit of Guru Rinpoche in 8th century. Pemako is considered to be the most sacred place in Tibet, blessed with holy virtues. Many popular Lamas visited the place in search of termas
Terma (religion)
Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a...
which were made hidden during crisis in Tibet, the most renowned Lama who was born in Pemako is H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche is the title of a prominent line of tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Rinpoche was born in 1904 on the tenth day of the sixth month in the year of the wood dragon in Southern Tibet in a region called the "hidden land" of Pema Ko. He died on January 17, 1987...
(1904).
Geography
Pemakoe (Pemakoe, Pemakod or Pema ko) is located in the altitude ranging from 2000 to 3500 meters above sea level, it covers 30,000 km2 of area stretching from south of KongpoKongpo
Kongpo is a Tibetan Autonomous Region in the Nyingchi Prefecture. It is situated on the river Yarlung Zangbo in the area of the Nyang River , a northern tributary river of the Yarlung Zangbo....
and Powo (Kham) through lower Tsangpo
Tsangpo
Tsangpo is the suffix attached to names of rivers originating or sometimes flowing through the Tsang province of Tibet. Some of the rivers are:* The Yarlung Tsangpo – in its lower reaches it is known as the Brahmaputra River...
into Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
(Tuting region), surrounded by high mountains (tallest is Mt. Namcha Barwa
Namcha Barwa
Namjagbarwa Peak , also known as Namcha Barwa, Namchabarwa, or Nanjiabawa Feng, is a mountain in the Tibetan Himalaya. The traditional definition of the Himalaya extending from the Indus River to the Brahmaputra would make it the eastern anchor of the entire mountain chain, and it is the highest...
7,782m) with lush vegetation, one can find many species of wild animals in this part of Tibetan Plateau
Tibetan Plateau
The Tibetan Plateau , also known as the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is a vast, elevated plateau in Central Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai, in addition to smaller portions of western Sichuan, southwestern Gansu, and northern Yunnan in Western China and Ladakh in...
. The region unlike other parts of Tibet receives plenty of rain hence, it is so diverse in nature that you can find subalpine conifer forests in the north to the temperate coniferous forest in the south in low lying area of River Tsangpo gorges.
In contemporary Tibet Pemako has become a mere historical name, it has been officially termed as Metok County (after Metok Dzong) or spelled by Chinese as Medog or Mòtuō irrespectively which is under Nyingchi Prefecture
Nyingchi Prefecture
Nyingchi Prefecture is a prefecture in southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region in western China. The Chinese government claims South Tibet, which is currently governed by India, as part of the prefecture....
, Tibetan Autonomous Region. According to Chinese govt, Metok county covers an area of about 30,000 km2 and has population of 9200 (2001 census) people.Maps of Pemako and Metok Dzong, Maps of Nyintri Prefecture and Minling county
Mêdog
MêdogMêdog (village)
Mêdog is a village in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Formally called Metok Dzong, it used to be the residence of Dzongpon representing the authority of Tibetan Lhasa Govt...
is a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Formally called Metok Dzong, it used to be the residence of Dzongpon (district head) representing the authority of Tibetan Lhasa Govt (Ganden Phodrang). Metok town is located within the valley of the great bend of river Tsangpo
Tsangpo
Tsangpo is the suffix attached to names of rivers originating or sometimes flowing through the Tsang province of Tibet. Some of the rivers are:* The Yarlung Tsangpo – in its lower reaches it is known as the Brahmaputra River...
(Bramaputra), its elevation is the lowest of all the counties of Tibet hence the town is abundant in vegetation and has rich flora and fauna. Metok is in the heart of Pema ko which connects the county with rest of the country. Majority of Metok population is Pemakopas (a.k.a. Pemako
Pemako
Pemako is a region located in the southeast corner of Tibet. Its name literally means "Lotus array" in the Tibetan language. It Historically a hunting ground for Abors the region became famous specially during the visit of Guru Rinpoche in 8th century. Pemako is considered to be the most sacred...
Tshangla), with significant minority of Khampas, Kongpopas and Lhopas.
History
Tibet as whole was ruled by small princely rulers, sometime called Pon-, Dzongpon and by some monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. Pemako was no exception. It came under the rule of Powo king who ruled whole area of which defines Pemakoe (Now Metok county and part of Arunachal Pradesh (upper siang). During Powo rule Pemako people had good relations with the Poba people, they jointly fought against Abors (Adis, mishmis etc.) who regularly disturbed the pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
. Hardly any people lived in Pemako before Tsangla migrants settled in the region, currently Pemakopas makes up the majority of the population. As we always talk about Greater Tibet or Bhoet Chenpo at one time in Tibetan History all area of Drukyul, Dremong yul, Lha-dhak yul and Mon-yul were under the great king of Tibet, half ancestor of Pemako peoples the Tsangla group immigrated internally to the land of hidden valley to escape aggression in their original homeland. When first Tsangla people arrived in Pemako region they found that the land was unused, they settled in the lower yarlung Tsangpo valley, surrounded by Kongpopas in the northwest and Pobas in the northeast and Lopas in the south, Tsangla adopted many customs from them but still retained their original language which they still speak at home. By 1931 Tibetan national government was able to dismantled Powo kingdom and region come under direct rule of central Tibetan Government, Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
. Pemako region came into the jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
of Tibetan central Government. Ganden Phodrang (Tibet govt) had its governor stationed in Metok Dzong who look after the territory and established communications between Lhasa and region of Pemako. Hence tax to be paid to Tibet Lhasa govt which was compulsory for all the people living in the region in the form of cash or kind. Region of pemako was divided among different monastery and different aristocratic family. Some region of Pemako pay tax to Sera monastery in form of grains, chillis, bamboo poles for prayer flags (Dharchen), products made of cane, medicinal herbs such as yertsa-goonbu, mushroom and animal skin. Some regions of Pemako was under Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche as monastic entitlement of nyingma lineage.
Modern and Contemporary Pemako People
Since 1904 the year Kabgye Dudjom Rinpoche was born in Pemako, people from all over Tibet especially from Khams, GolokGolok
right|thumb|Golok copying the Martindale No 2 designThe golok is a type of machete or broadsword originating in Southeast Asia. The word golok is of Indonesian origin but is also used in Malaysia and is known as gulok in the Philippines...
and Utsang, descended in Pemako and settled near their Lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
. Gradually intermarriage between the first settler and second wave settler produce what is today Pemakopa spread around the world. Descendant of Pemakopa are hard working, strong, smart and intelligent people. Descendant of Pemakopa are spread across the Globe in this times. Today Pemakopa has unique cultural identity
Cultural identity
Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics....
and dialect that can be compared to any other region and dialect of Tibet. Tsangla is collequial of Pemakoe. Eastern Bhutaness sharing same language in the form of text, therefore, Tsangla has text no longer use in Pemakoe.
Pemakopa means people of Pemako as a whole. People of Pemako include Tsanglha, Khampa i.e. Lhasawa, Rekhewa, Gonjowa, Nangchenpa, Golokpa, Kongpopa, Powowa, Zayulwa, Memba, Adhi, Mishimi and other Lopas. Modern day Pemakopa descendent have the multi- ethnic roots.
Yarlung Tsangpo Tsangchu in Pemakoe (not Yarlung Tsangpo)
River Tsangpo (Tsangchu) which originates from Lake Manasarovar
Lake Manasarovar
Lake Manasarovar, Mapam Yumco , or Manasa Sarovar/Lake Manas , is a fresh-water lake in Tibet Autonomous Region of China approximately from Lhasa. To the west of Lake Manasa Sarovar is Lake Rakshastal and towards the north is Mount Kailash...
in Western Tibet flows through 1500 km eastward when it reaches Mt Namcha Barwa, its bend making a U shape turn to penetrate into lower Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
ranges, thus curving one of the deepest Canyon in the world. Water dropping above 3,000 meters near Phe, about 300 metres at the end of the gorge. The river is called Tsangchu a famous river in Pemakoe, like kyichu in lhasa.
Demography
Pemako is surely not an homogeneous society, different ethnic people lived here from many years, people like Pemakopas (Tsangla), Kongpowas, Poba Tibetans and Lopas (Adi, mishis etc.) live here but Pemakopas make up the majority about 65-70% of the total population of 10,000-15,000, remaining are Khampas, kongpowas and Lopas. (According to 2001 census in Metok county (Dzong) there are about 10,000 people ). In exile Pemakopa people spread through the world, but mainly concentrated in Tibetan Settlement of Miao choephelling, Tezu Dhargyeling, Tuting and area, Orissa-Jerang camp, Tibetan Women Centre - Rajpur
Rajpur
Rajpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Barwani district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.-Geography:Rajpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 225 metres .-Demographics:...
, Clementown, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
area, some in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Language
Tsangla or Pemakopa is one of the many dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s of Tibet. Tsangla is widely spoken and understood by many non-tsangla speakers in the area. As a Tibetan, people of Pemako also speak Shuong Ke or official Tibetan national language. Pemakopa people also speak other dialects of Tibet such as khampa, Kongpo and Zayul ke. Today inside Tibet pemakopa people are also well verse in Mandarin. As majority are Pemakopas, Tsangla spoken is well established. If we talk about Tsangla language it is a branch of Tibeto-Burman bodish language which is mutually intelligible with those Tsangla in Eastern Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The dialect has evolved into a new dialect as intermarriage between the first wave of settler and second wave of settler that came from kham, golok and ustang after the birth of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche in Pemako. Contemporary pemakopa dialect is, a distinct, one of many and rich regional dialect of Tibet. Tsangla or Pemakopa dialect doesn't have tones unlike Shoung Ke or Tibetan National language, but Tsangla language in Pemako has high and low sound, which is absence in other Tsangla speaking people of neighboring countries. Pemakopa dialect numerical denomination up to 20 and higher number are counted in Shoung Ke or Tibetan National language. Globally Pemakopa or Tsangla dialect is spoken by about 140,000- 160,000 people.
Religion
People in Pemako follow Nyingma tradition of Tibetan BuddhismTibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
. Nyingma means old translation in Tibetan.
In Dec 2010 Chinese Govt connected the tunnel through Mount Galung la, which claimed to be connected Pemako to the rest of world throughout the year.
Pemako Monastery
Lamaling Monastery in Kongpo headed Dudjom Rinpoche's daughter, Rinchenpong Monastery in Metok.
Lama of Pemako H.H. The Dudjom Rinpoche of Pemako, Terton Ngangey, Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, and Dungse Garab Rinpoche, Marpong Rinpoche, Late Tulku Dawa, Taksham Choegye Lingpa, Khenpo Tsering Dorjee Rinpoche of Palyul monastery, Tulku Pema Rigzin, Ven. Lopon P. Ogyan Tanzin Rinpoche, Tulku Orgyen Phuntsok and Young Master Yogi Ngakpa Ugyen Yeshi, Jigmey Rimpoche.
Elders
Dzongpon Dawpo, descend of Pemako who was the chieftain of Metok district (dzong) during Powo khanam rules, late Tsopon Ngawang Tsultrim (He served the people of Pemako in Tibet and in exile as a representative, late Tsopon Norbu wangchuk.