Recent archaeological discoveries and scientific research especially focussed on western Tibet and the western Himalayas have resulted in a remarkable redefinition of the historical and cultural processes of the entire Indo-Tibetan civilisation. The present volume reflects these sometimes startling new insights for the first time, covering the wide time range from the Zhang zhung period up to the 20th century, spanning secular, religious and economic history, as well as art and archaeology.

Recent archaeological discoveries and scientific research especially focussed on western Tibet and the western Himalayas have resulted in a remarkable redefinition of the historical and cultural processes of the entire Indo-Tibetan civilisation. The present volume reflects these sometimes startling new insights for the first time, covering the wide time range from the Zhang zhung period up to the 20th century, spanning secular, religious and economic history, as well as art and archaeology.

Illustrations: 1 B/w Illustration and 1 Map Description: Very little literature is available on western Himalayas and Ladakh and this book is a narrative of travels undertaken by the author on foot covering a very large part of the Himalayas and Tibet, starting from Simla and ending at Jammu. The author travelled the length and breadth of the Shivalik hills, going deep into Tibet and crossing over to Ladakh, Gilgit and Kashmir. The book is a treat on the description of the area covered by the author, its natural beauty, the shrubs and plants which are found in abundance, besides the geographical and geological details, and the history and ethnography of different races which inhabit this vast area. Being valuable the book will be a welcome addition to the very scanty material available on western Tibet and Ladakh.

This book is an account of the iconic expedition through Tibet. It was one of the first expeditions of the kind, and it had a tremendous role in the development of Tibetan geographics. The explorer and author, Hedin, was the first European to reach the sacred and legendary Mount Kailash. According to the Buddhist tradition, this mountain is the midpoint of the Earth. He started the expedition in 1906 from the Central Persian desert basins and the western Tibetan highlands. Then, he crossed the Transhimalaya region and discovered new territories. Later, the area of his route was called the Hedin Range. Then, he visited the 9th Pachen Lama in Shigatse. After, he reached the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers' sources and descended the Indus returning home. One of the most significant achievements of this journey is mapping the previously unknown areas of Tibetan highlands. Yet, Hedin wasn't just a prominent explorer but a great storyteller too. From the first pages of the captivating memoir, a reader's attention is entirely absorbed by the vivid description of the exotic places and adventures. Those days, the Indian and Tibetan region was a total mystery for a European. Now, a century on, we know just a little more. So, it is exciting to read about the cultures that are now distant to us geographically and historically. Another bonus you get from this book is a feeling of pioneering. What does a person feel, knowing that they are the first European in Tibet? How is it leaving your home for a long journey full of dangers? You can read about all these things in this beautiful realistic, and captivating memoir.

Diana Lange has solved the mysteries of six panoramic maps of 19th c. Tibet and the Himalayas, known as the British Library's Wise Collection. The result is both a spectacular illustrated ethnographic atlas and a unique compendium of knowledge concerning the mid-19th century Tibetan world, as well as a remarkable account of an academic journey of discovery.This large format book is lavishly illustrated in colour and includes four separate large foldout maps.