Tinto Maps #19 - 20th of September 2024 - India

[Linbot#6018]

Could the issues with overpopulation be solved by adding more locations in the afflicted areas?

If population capacity is proportional to the number of locations we have a way more serious problem than India being location underdense.

 

[PerhapsItsChondoLal]

@Lindaegan @Flower_Marlin @Bishweshwar Are any of you gonna touch Bihar and North India? Have seen very little commentary about it. Might pivot to that after finishing up Bengal and Assam. (It would be easier if we could divvy it up though, lol)

 

[PerhapsItsChondoLal]

NORTHERN BENGAL (VARENDRA/BORENDRO)

First, I do believe y'all have done a wonderful job in the main parts of Bengal. However I do have some suggestions.
Hazrat Pandua might not cover the actual city of Hazrat Pandua. I think extending it into Devkot and compensating Devkot with parts of Birampur might be better. Rangpur and Ghoraghat are too vertical, making them more "round" looks nicer. Same for Godagari. Gaur has a weirdly tapering end, and it definitely doesn't cover the capital of Gaur. The rest...seems fine.
Firstly, calling Gaur Lakhnauti or Gaur-Lakhnauti would be more fitting, since that was what both it and the subdivision under the Tughluqs was called. Barbakabad could be replaced with Mahisantosh, since it didn't get that name before the mid-15th century. Rangpur is a British-era city, you can use the mint town of Ulipur instead - check the mint city list I posted. Ghoraghat is also a Mughal-era name, so you can use Nusratabad even though that's a early 16th century name.

SARKAR RANGPUR AND GHORAGHAT.i
Rangpur and Ghoraghat. — Here silk is produced, and Tangan ponies, coming from the mountains of Bhutan, sell. "A fruit called Lathan of the size of walnuts, and with the taste of pomegranates, and containing three seeds, grows there.
“Sarkar Ghoraghat Comprised portions of Dinajpur, Rangpur, and Bogra districts. Being the northern frontier district skirting Cooch-Behar, numerous colonies of Afghan and Mughal chiefs were planted there under the feudal system, with large jagir lands under each. Many of the mahals bear purely .Muhammadan names, such as Bazu Zafar Shahi, Bazu Faulad Shahi, Nasratabad, Bayizidpflr, Taaluk Husain, Taalnk Ahmad Khan, Kabul, Masjd Husain Shahi. The Sarkar produced much raw silk”

- From the Ain-i-Akbari
Hence, you might remove the wheat and sturdy grains and add silk and a fruit province. I'd advise you to remove ALL wheat from Bengal because, as Abul Fazl mentions:

"Their staple food is rice and fish ; wheat, barley and the like not being esteemed wholesome."

You can also swap the locations of elephants and sugar, since I find it hard to believe that the neighbourhood of Gaur - the capital - would remain so heavily forested as to provide shelter for them.

 

[Streamlet]

Notes on the Eastern Himalaya hill tribes
View attachment 1190843
The part of Himalayas between Tibet and Assam, disputed between China and India, is an ethnographically complex region. Despite some economical and political contacts, the hill tribes preserve cultures that remain relatively uninfluenced by Tibetans or Indians, so I believe that they deserve a more unbiased representation in the game.

Summary of suggestions:

• Adjust the border of the Monyul Region, so it lies along the edge of the Himalayas
• Modify the shape of present locations or add new locations to represent the border of Bhutan before the Duar war
• Add the Kingdom of Sharmon centered at Tawang
• Pemako and Dibang should be uncolonized
• Pachakshiri should not be an impassible wasteland
• Add an uncolonized location in the southern part of Walong for the Deng (Mishmi) people

Part 1 The hills and the plains

View attachment 1190799
View attachment 1190800

Currently, we have the area of Monyul extending into part of the Assam plains, while the areas of Sadiya and Itanagar extend upward to the hilly areas. These borders are not only strange, but also incompatible with the actual geographical and political landscape.

Our know ledge about the early history of the region very much derive from records in the 19th century. There had been a “salt divide” among the hill tribes, roughly along the geographical boundary of the Assam plains and the Himalayan hills. Those living southwards obtain salt from Assam, while those in the north obtain salt from Tibet. Tibetan bronze bells, knives and swords had also reached the tribesmen along the foothill adjacent to British territory.

Before the introduction of the Mcmahon Line in 1914, the British “outer line” is defined along the edge of the plains, which pretty much marked the extent of British political influence, which should be comparable to that of the Kingdoms of Sadiya and Ahom in the 14th century.

View attachment 1190806


View attachment 1190808
The Mcmahon Line, Alastair Lamb

Therefore, I suggest that the areas of Sadiya and Itanagar should not extend into the hills. The regions of Monyul and Assam should be divided along the outer line of the plains. Perhaps this new area can be named after the “Siang” river, for it shares the common indigenous etymology with “Siyom” and “Dibang”. Alternatively, it can be called Lhoyul.

Likewise, it is suggested to determine the market zone of the hill tribes based on the regions of salt trade. The Mishmis obtain salt from Walong, thus should better be included in the market of Chamdo. The Adis trade salt from Nakchu, and should belong to the Lhasa market. The Apa Tanis make their own salt, but in terms of trade, they may still be more close to the Tibetans, rather than the Indians in the South.
View attachment 1190903
The salt trips in Tibet and the Himalayas: extraction and trade in pre-modern times, Santiago Lazcano

Part 2 Tawang

View attachment 1191019
View attachment 1190813
A Historical Study of the Mon Region (India) and its Relation with Tibet and Bhutan (16th - 17th Century)
The Tawang tract is probably the most important trade route in the eastern Himalayas. Now known as Mon, it was historically known as part of Shar-mon (Eastern Mon), a region including the eastern part of Bhutan and the region around Tawang. In the mid-17th century, Bhutan conquered the western part of Sharmon, while the eastern part came under Tibetan Jurisdiction.
Local traditions would claim that the Tibetan prince Gtsang Ma migrated to Monyul in the year 836 and became the legendary ancestor of various petty kings. He first passed through Paro in modern Bhutan, then further reached the region of “shar mon” (eastern mon), reaching La 'og yul gsum (Tawang).
The “Rgyal rigs” (1728) gave the geneology of various petty rulers in Shar-mon, known by the title of “jo bo”. One of them, the rulers of Ber mkhar (towards the east of Tawang), would give rise to the VI Dalai Lama (1683-1706).

Jo Bo Dar rgyas is recorded as a contemporary of Thang stong rgyal po (1385-1464). It would be reasonable to assume that his grandfather, Sangs cung, had ruled in 1337.

Although Shar-mon was divided among petty kings with a complex linguistic background, I suggest that it should be a playable tag, like the nearby region of Lhomon, so as to model the 17th century unification of Bhutan.


View attachment 1191045View attachment 1191046ETHNOLINGUISTIC SURVEY OF WESTERNMOST ARUNACHAL PRADESH: A FIELDWORKER’S IMPRESSIONS, Timotheus Adrianus Bodt
View attachment 1191050
Towards the 17th century, Bhutan and Monba influence had extended southwards to the Duar region. I am not intended to get deep into the history of Bhutan in this post, but it is hoped that the shape of locations can be adjusted to make it possible to represent this historical border.

Part 3 Pemako

View attachment 1190827
ETHNOHISTORIC NOTES ON THE ANCIENT TIBETAN KINGDOM OF sPO BO AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS, Santiago Lazcano

Concerning Pemako, the point to make is straightforward: the migration of Tibetans to Pemako (padma bkod) only occurred in the 18th century. In 1337, it should be uncolonized and inhabited by hill tribes only.

Part 4 Pachakshiri
View attachment 1190835
View attachment 1190836Migration narratives, official classifications, and local identities: the Memba of the hidden land of Pachakshiri, Kerstin Grothmann

View attachment 1190833
According to oral traditions, It was founded by Memba (Monba) people in 18th century, slightly earlier than Pemako. It continued to pay tax to Lhasa until 1950s. It would be better to have it as an uncolonized province Instead of being impassible.

Part 5 Dibang
View attachment 1190837
In tinto maps, the location of Dibang is shown to be owned by Chutia, and has a very high development.

View attachment 1190838
In Abor Jungles, Angus Hamilton

However, the relationship between the Mishmi and Chutia is quite complex. Although some mishmi tribes pay tribute to Chutia, at the same time, this is also done towards the Singphos and Kamptis.

Also, as discussed in the first part, Chutia (Sadiya) influence is limited to the Mishmi tribes in the plain region, and should not extend that far into the Himalayas.

View attachment 1190839
Changing Pattern of Spatio-Social Interrelationship of Hunting Community in Upper Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, Mohan Sharma

The Dibang area is inhabited by the Idu people (known to Assamese as Mishmi), with trade relations with both Tibet and Sadiya, in which the routes to Tibet are more easily accessible. It would be more historically accurate leave it uncolonized like the rest of the hill tribes.

Part 6 Walong
View attachment 1190840
The location of Walong is shown to have a Tibetan majority population. However, the southern part is actually inhabited by the Deng people (classified as Mishmis).

View attachment 1190841
The Mcmahon Line, Alastair Lamb

View attachment 1190842

The traditional boundary between Zayul and Deng is at the Yepak river, near Menilkrai. In this Chinese Map dating to 1935, the southern part of Walong is included as part of Lhoyul Instead of Zayul. Perhaps we can add an uncolonized location “Tellu” here, named after the indigenous name of Lohit valley. Otherwise, it can be included as part of an enlarged Dibang location.
View attachment 1190884

In any case, maintaining a road from Sadiya to Walong is extremely difficult, of which even the British failed to achieve in 1912. Therefore, Powo and Sadiya should better be separated by uncolonized locations.

References

Hamilton, A. (1912). In Abor Jungles : Being an Account of the Abor Expedition, the Mishmi Mission and the Miri Mission.

Lamb, A. (1966). The McMahon line : a study in the relations between India, China and Tibet, 1904-1914.

Barpujari H.K. (1970). Problem of the Hill Tribes: North-East Frontier 1822-42.

Lazcano, S. (2005). Ethnohistoric Notes on the Ancient Tibetan Kingdom of sPo bo and its influence on the Eastern Himalayas.

Grothmann, K. (2012). Migration narratives, official classifications, and local identities: the Memba of the hidden land of Pachakshiri.

Bodt, TA. (2014). Ethnolinguistic survey of westernmost Arunachal Pradesh: A fieldworker’s impressions.

Lobsang, T. (2016). A Historical Study of the Mon Region (India) and its Relation with Tibet and Bhutan (16th - 17th Century). Dissertation. Universität Leipzig, Leipzig. Fakultät für Geschichte, Kunst- und Orientwissenschaften.

Mantche, C. (2020). “Cross-border trade of Assam with special reference to trade fairs during the colonial rule.” International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, Volume 7, Issue 5, 2020, Pages 01-05

Sharma, M. (2020). Changing Pattern of Spatio-Social Interrelationship of Hunting Community in Upper Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh. Doctoral dissertation.

Lazcano, S. (2022). “The salt trips in Tibet and the Himalayas: extraction and trade in pre- modern times”, Revue d'Etudes Tibétaines, no. 65, Octobre 2022.

Very nice post, I just want to add that the Singhpos (Jingpo / Kachin) and Kamptis (Tai Khamti / Hkamti Shan) migrated here in the late 18th century from Burma, and wouldn't have been relevant to the situation in 1337

 

[Streamlet]

Jingpo: Their chief god is named Madai. They also practice nat worship so should probably be lumped into the Bamar/Rakhine sphere (Natism?), but since you're not including the indigenous faiths of Asia (Shendao, Musok, etc, except Shinto for some inexplicable reason???) just make the Jingpo Buddhist. This is likely the same for the other Kachin peoples, but can't find much about them.

Tbh, I think the better idea here is to add more indigenous faiths, not remove them in certain regions to make it match the poorly done regions.

Also, it's not necessarily relevant for this thread, but Theravada Buddhism had barely penetrated into Upper Burma at this point (especially among the Jingpos who were extremely isolated and even today barely practice Buddhism), so it'd be like, extra inaccurate if they went that route

 

[akshitgaur1239]

Garhwal was not united in 1337, rather many independent petty kingdoms, known as Garhs with their heads known as Garhpatis. This is approximately how these kingdoms were arranged at the start date. Also, the location of Gangadwar (modern Haridwar) is wrong in the post and Uttarkashi used to be called Barahat back in the day but more on that in a detailed post.

I found the locations of these forts after a lot of reading, but we have no information of the extent of the territories they controlled, just that there were approximately 49 of these polities at the start date (I could not find all). So, I have taken a few liberties, for example, to get this map I have used mountain peaks, rivers, forests, distance from the nearest Garhs, my knowledge of the local people and area to get these boundaries. Also, as you may notice I have given Badhan Garh to Chandpur, this is because we know that the first battle Ajay Pal, who ascends to the throne of Chandpur in 1357 fights, is a defensive against the Chands of Kumaon for Badhan Garh.

 

[vansh10]

In the map, "Godara" is name of the country while "Sardarshahar" is the name of the dynasty.
This is wrong in my opinion because in real life "Godara" is a surname while sardarshahar is a location. Same goes for the surrounding country names and dynasty names incorrectly being surnames and location names respectively.

The country should be named "Jangladesh" and should also include the country of "Johiya", "Pun"(which I think is referring to "Punia"), "Ben"(which I think is referring to "Beniwal")
and "Sah"(which I think is referring to "Saharan")

The most accurate representation would be a disjointed nation that was ruled by 7 Jat(a caste in India) rulers jointly where the power was divided in accordance to the proportion of villages held by the 7 families/clans (gotra in hindi language).
However, in case that is too difficult a reasonable compromise would be to show "Godara" as the ruling dynasty as they were the most influential.

The fall of Jangladesh came upon due to a civil war between the 7 clans where the other 6 clans revolted against Godara clan due to "Pandu Godara" marrying the daughter of another ruling clan chief for love when she was promised to the ruler of yet another clan

This led to Godara's seeking aid from the neighbouring Rajput "Rathore" rulers of Marwar for help in quelling the revolt.

After the revolt was crushed the kingdom of Jangladesh was handed over to the 5th son of the king of Marwar, which led to the establishment of the kingdom of Bikaner on 3 conditions:
1) The Rajput rulers would not confiscate the direct control of the villages controlled by the Jat clans
2) The neighbouring and now allied by blood kingdom of Marwar would protect Jangladesh, now Bikaner from Muslim rulers
3) The throne of Bikaner would be considered empty as long as the eldest living descendant of Pandu Godara doesn't coronate the Rajput ruler.

The first two promises where eventually broken when the Mughals became suzeriens over the kingdom which led to centuries long feud between Jats and Rajputs which is somewhat prevalent even today but to a much much smaller degree.

However, the third promise was held till the independence of India from the British rule and end of the kingdom of Bikaner (which used to be a princely state under the British).

Another source is that this is my family history because I am a Godara from that region.
Also my grandparents were from the other clans mentioned in the table above like Saharan, Beniwal etc.

Even if the developers choose to keep the nations seperated, they should at least swap between the country names and dynasty names because they look nonsensical to anyone from that region of present day Rajasthan, with surnames becoming country names and locations becoming dynasties.

It would be like having France be named Bourbon and have it's ruling dynasty be called Paris.

 

[Bishweshwar]

@Lindaegan @Flower_Marlin @Bishweshwar Are any of you gonna touch Bihar and North India? Have seen very little commentary about it. Might pivot to that after finishing up Bengal and Assam. (It would be easier if we could divvy it up though, lol)

I plan on touching Sri Lanka first (there's a lot of changes I want to see there), but after that we could all come together to concentrate on the North. I'll see if I can start reviewing locations in Awadh soon.

 

[Thorum]

Both @Thorum and @Bishweshwar expressed a wish for it in the province density thread so here are these Tinto maps overlayed with major rivers and with India's modern top-level administrative borders. The georeference is accurate enough for purpose but not good enough to be a pixel pedant, and the rivers are following the modern courses.

rivers: View attachment 1192738
borders: View attachment 1192739

Thanks, that river map is about how I would have drawn it if I ever got to it (and how I would like to see them on the in-game map). Bookmarked it
edit : i'd never've done the effort to go THAT precise, however

I'll quickly count Kerala already, mainly to form myself an idea of what it means there, this is far from being the area with the largest location sizes

Kerala is a bit smaller than the "Malabar" area proposed (which I think strange, I defer to people with more knowledge whether and which current-day state borders should play a role). That's 16 locations for 39000 km², even taking the impassable areas into account, that's a bit less than half of what a comparable area in Europe would have.

These 16 locations comprise 12 countries, which I can only guess based on their colour are all independent except one (the "Kariknde" location - which is probably misspelled ?). There's a diversity of terrain types with three harbors having been identified (30% of coastal locations), and at least two important minority religions next to the majority hindu. Only the culture map is kinda boring (I was actually expecting some Arab minorities and more overlap with bordering areas, but who am I ?)...

Total population not everywhere perfectly readable, but around 1.6 million, with 8 locations over 100k and only 3 under 85k.
For comparison : in all of France ONLY Paris has over 100k.


So, in short, two conclusions :
- The number of locations in Kerala can and should be increased, with a guideline being "doubled";
- Bordering areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (actually a big area all the way up to at least Madya Pradesh) have even large locations than this.

I can draw fantasy stuff based on smaller rivers, ridges and current (sub)district-borders, but I don't think that's really useful.

 

[Lindaegan]

@Lindaegan @Flower_Marlin @Bishweshwar Are any of you gonna touch Bihar and North India? Have seen very little commentary about it. Might pivot to that after finishing up Bengal and Assam. (It would be easier if we could divvy it up though, lol)

Sorry, been really busy for a while, hence my overall lack of posting/reading the threads/responding to messages. I have only been reading the Tinto Talks and Map threads, not ever delving into the comments.

Also, the fact that I still haven't gotten answers to my questions from last Friday (or even a zoomed in map of the south where names can be read) has kind of demotivated me from helping out here regardless.

I'll get to it eventually. Apologies that I can't help at the moment.

 

[akshitgaur1239]

After creating the country map, I have created the locations map too for Garhwal.

Some notable raw materials -

actual_location(location_in_game)

1. Copper - Dhanpur (Dugadda in our case), Bagodi (Tehri).
Only names are known and as their are many places with the same name, it is difficult to ascertain, which area had the resource, so I have made an educated guess. For example, we know that Uppu Garh was last to fall to Ajay Pal, so I have given the copper mine to the Bagodi which falls in Tehri.

2. Iron - Dasholi(Karnaprayag), Kujni(Kasmoli), Kuili(Badiyar), Bharpur(Devprayag)

3. Glass - Gitthi Patti(Purola)

4.Gold - Gold was filtered out of river along the bank of Alaknanda river by the people of Dhoni caste. There is also a gold mine in Suki village of Taknor (Barhat)



Dynasties ruling these independent kingdoms-
1. Chandpur Garh - Anat Pal II of Panwar Jati
2. Lohab Garh - ruled by Negi jati/caste
3. Dasholi Garh - This Garh was made famous by someone with the name Manavar
4. Nagpur Garh - Last king was Bhajan Singh.
5. Kuili Garh - Ruled by Sajwan jati
6. Kujni Garh - Ruled by Sultan Singh of Sajwan jati
7. Mungra Garh - Belonged to Rawat jati
8. Raika Garh - Ruled by Ramola jati
9. Molya Garh - Ramola jati. The famous Bhads (brave warriors and generals), Madho Singh Bhandari and Rikhola Lodi were of Ramola jati.
10. Uppu Garh - Ruled by Kaffu Singh Chauhan of Chauhan jati. It is a very interesting, albeit a little long for this post, tale how Kaffu was defeated by Ajay Pal.
11. Sankri Garh - Rana jati
12. Rami Garh - Rawat jati
13. Kandara Garh - Ruled by Narveer Singh of Kandari jati
14. Idia Garh - Idia jati
15. Garhtang Garh - Fort of Jadh people. They were responsible for security against Tibetans and the Bushahr kingdom.
16. Ajmir Garh - Payal jati
17. Sangela Garh - Bisht jati


I think I have covered most of the things related to Garhwal, if anybody has any suggestions please do tell. Also, what do you guys think, density of locations is not too much right? Because as compared to the european parts, it is still well under limit.

Also, I do have a book on Kumaoni history but it is too large for me to finish it in time. So if anybody else could review it, it would be awesome!

 

[Hari ganesh]

Futher estimates of the religious demographics of Sindh in the 6th century CE. Buddhism even at this date was majority Hindu. The following 7 centuries would only see the Buddhist population decline to near irrelevance with many converting to Hinduism or to Islam. There really shouldn't be any Buddhists at all in 14th century Sindh.
Source- https://archive.org/details/religion-and-society-in-arab-sind/page/14/mode/2up?

 

[Bishweshwar]

Can we have a zoomed in country map of South India, I can’t really read any of the countries in Kerala.

Zoomed in country maps of Gondwana and Himachal would be nice too now that I take a closer look. Pretty much every small country on the map is impossible to make out.

 

[LinkLuver01]

Buddy Kafir(infidel) is still very much a derogatory term used on non muslims by Muslims in South Asia especially in Pakistan thanks to its fundamentalist leaning ideology. And regarding the place Kafiristan yes such a place does exist and it used to be a safe haven for non muslims to practice their beliefs freely devoid of islamic interventions(violent or otherwise) and hence the name during the middle up until early modern age but gradually most people were either killed, converted or forced to leave and hence the region is islamified now.

Hey, I'm just providing my anecdotal experience as a native Lahori. I think it would be more effect if you could provide yours.

 

[LinkLuver01]

Buddy Kafir(infidel) is still very much a derogatory term used on non muslims by Muslims in South Asia especially in Pakistan thanks to its fundamentalist leaning ideology. And regarding the place Kafiristan yes such a place does exist and it used to be a safe haven for non muslims to practice their beliefs freely devoid of islamic interventions(violent or otherwise) and hence the name during the middle up until early modern age but gradually most people were either killed, converted or forced to leave and hence the region is islamified now.

Reply 2 to get more context, I asked my father who grew up in Syedavalley and lived in Lahore for 20 or so years his opinion. He felt that Kafir wouldnt be as preferred as simply sayong someone from Kafiristan or even Kafiristani, to help differentiate from the raw term Kafir esp if ppl dont find it comfortable

 

[Zerodv]

For reference, in 1941 the demographics of Sindh was 26% Hindu and the rest almost entirely Muslim. Considering that the general trend through the 1300s to 1900s was one of slow but steady conversion to Islam, Muslims being anywhere between 30-40% with a couple of majority provinces bordering Baluchistan makes sense.

Wasn't there substantial Hindu migrant community in 1941 Sindh?

 

[Hari ganesh]

Wasn't there substantial Hindu migrant community in 1941 Sindh?

Miniscule, far more Sindhi Hindus would've mgirated to other parts of India already than vice versa. Only Hindus who'd have migrated to Sindh would be Gujarati traders and a handful of urban Hindus from across India engaged in government jobs living in Karachi. I have a later post regarding religious Demographics of Sindh in 6th century, might help get a start point for the discussion.

 

[Zerodv]

Miniscule, far more Sindhi Hindus would've mgirated to other parts of India already than vice versa. Only Hindus who'd have migrated to Sindh would be Gujarati traders and a handful of urban Hindus from across India engaged in government jobs living in Karachi. I have a later post regarding religious Demographics of Sindh in 6th century, might help get a start point for the discussion.

After checking I would say 1/6 or 1/7 of the Hindu community was likely migrants, mostly located in Karachi. This migration is likely why the 1941 population was proporitionally larger than 4 decades prior.

Anyway it doesn't change much

 

[Ru8bin]

Nepal Mandal in 1337 AD: A Period of Turmoil and Transition

By 1337 AD, Nepal Mandal, particularly the Kathmandu Valley, was in the midst of political instability, external threats, and the waning influence of the once-powerful Malla dynasty. The Mallas had ruled the valley since 1201 AD, when Arideva Malla founded the dynasty, but by this time, the kingdom was facing multiple internal and external challenges.

Dynastic Background​

The Mallas were descendants of the Licchavi and Karnat dynasties, known for their patronage of arts, culture, and architecture. However, by the 14th century, their control over the kingdom was being significantly eroded. After the death of King Ananta Malla in 1308, power gradually shifted away from the monarchy. His son, Jayari Malla (also known as Ari Malla II), who ascended to the throne in 1320 AD, was a powerless figurehead, while actual governance of the valley was exercised by other influential figures, particularly Rudra Malla.

Nepal Mandal : A Political Overview

fig: Estimated Nepal Mandal influence in terms of modern districts

Nepal Mandal referred to the political region comprising the key urban centers of Kathmandu, Lalitpur (Patan), Bhaktapur, and Dolakha. These cities formed the core of the Malla dynasty's domain. The term Mandala, meaning "circle" or "region," also reflected Nepal Mandal’s position as a federation of smaller city-states under Malla rule.

Nepal Mandal was strategically located between two powerful neighboring kingdoms: the Khas Kingdom to the west and north, and the Karnat (Simraungarh) Kingdom in the southern Terai. These neighbors, though influential, did not control Nepal Mandal but shaped its political and economic interactions.

Nepal Mandal encompassed a diverse landscape defined by key geographical features. The region's boundaries were marked by significant rivers and mountains:

• East: Kausiki River (Tamakosi), revered for its purifying properties.
• West: Trisul-ganga (Trisuli River).
• North: Shivapuri, near Gosainkunda (Rasuwa).
• South: Chisapani, known for its cool, refreshing waters.

These natural landmarks shaped the region's administrative divisions and influenced the settlement patterns of various communities, including the Newars in urban centers and Tamangs in the surrounding hills.

Cultural and Political Unity:While politically fragmented into city-states like Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Dolakha, the geographic unity fostered a shared cultural identity. The introduction of the deity Taleju as a common symbol among these states highlighted their interconnectedness, despite their political autonomy.

Rudra Malla and Power Struggles​

Rudra Malla, a de facto ruler, held the real power in the valley during this period. In 1320, he deposed Jayanandadeva from the Bhonta House and installed Jayari Malla as the king. Although Jayari Malla remained the official monarch, Rudra Malla controlled the political and military affairs, with Jayari relegated to a more ceremonial role, overseeing religious matters.

Invasions and External Threats​

The Kathmandu Valley was not immune to external threats, especially from the Khasa kingdom. Between 1328 and 1334, the valley endured a series of devastating invasions from Khasa rulers. In 1328, Aditya Malla of Khasa invaded the valley, annexed Nuwakot, and unsuccessfully attempted to conquer Patan. His forces looted castles, burned settlements, and imposed fines on the people of Patan.

Further devastation followed in 1334 when Punya Malla, another Khasa king, invaded Patan, killing forty men and burning down the town of Sankhu. After pillaging the valley, the invaders left the following year. These attacks severely weakened the kingdom and disrupted its already fragile governance.

Refugees from the Karnat Kingdom​

In 1324, the Karnat Kingdom of Mithila (Tirhut) was invaded by Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq of the Delhi Sultanate. Harisimhadeva, the Karnat king, fled toward the Kathmandu Valley with his wife, Devalakshmidevi, and son, Jagatsimha. Harisimha died before reaching the valley, and his family was initially imprisoned by local lords but later welcomed by Rudra Malla, who was Devalakshmidevi's brother.

After Rudra Malla's death in 1326, his daughter Nayakadevi became the head of the Bhonta House. However, this power transition did not go smoothly, leading to internal conflicts and struggles for control.

Devaladevi’s Rise to Power​

Devalakshmidevi, the widow of Harisimhadeva, played a pivotal role in reshaping the politics of Nepal Mandal. In 1335, her son, Jagatsimha, married Nayakadevi, solidifying ties between the refugee Karnat family and the local ruling elite. With the support of nobles, Devaladevi eliminated her political rivals and took control of the valley, acting as the de facto ruler while the Bhonta House retained symbolic authority over the throne.

The Decline of the Malla Dynasty's Influence​

By 1337, the political scene in Nepal Mandal was characterized by fractured leadership, ongoing power struggles, and the significant influence of refugee families like that of Devaladevi. Although Jayari Malla remained the king, real power had shifted to the Tripura House, with Devaladevi in control of the valley's affairs.

The Malla dynasty, which had once flourished under rulers like Arideva and Abhaya Malla, was now overshadowed by external threats, internal discord, and the emergence of new power centers. It marked the beginning of a long period of political fragmentation in the Kathmandu Valley, leading to further divisions after the reign of future rulers like Jayasthiti Malla.

Miscallenous
I couldnot read the name of few of the locations Again i cant read the name of the kingdom so no comments there. I couldnot find the core location of Malla kingdom anywhere:Kantipur(Kathmandu),Bhadgaon and Patan(Lalitpur) .I see dolakha is there but its under limbuwan ,it seems .Nuwakot is under mallas control its a plus point.It should be under Mallas.Also the name of provinces seems lazy.One province can be Kathmandu itself as for others well it depends if they accomadate any changes.Again i dont know how they have categorized geography but just for devs reference i will add the geography location of modern Nepal which was probably not so much different in 1337.Another thing i want to add is the presence of newar dominance in limbuwan area .In fact i would agree if it was other way around .Newars would be a minority even if present in limbuwan .In fact the kirats were spread throughout the himalayas .

fig:GEography of nepal.white himalayas ,red hills and green terai.

I might do a followup to add some missing infos.

edit: The map I have included is not a political map but more of a cultural map. The ramechap and sindhuli was not under mallas but had newar population .

 

[gustavjaune]

I'm gonna be honest chief, I feel like these graphics are a downgrade in all aspects. I am aware I seen to be in the minority with this.
Biggest thing I dislike is how the colors just fade away to nothing as you get away from a border, the climate map being the biggest example of this. Sri Lanka looks Arid when it is clearly labeled Tropical.

agreed 100%