History of the Sherpas

1050	beginning of the genealogy of the Lamaserwa clan based on the aristocratic Niyang-Rig line of Niyang Oser
about 1400	birth of Gegyelpo, the deified ancestor of the Minyakpa clan
1480-1490	Chak Pon Sangye Paljor, together with his family, leaves his home area of Salmo Gang in Kham (eastern Tibet) and settles in Dolgyi Shalphu Thokteng (in the eastern part of the Tinkye district in central Tibet) (see map of migration route)
about 1490	Chak Pon's father, Chak Minyak Dongka Ringmo, and the families and servants of Thimi Zangpo Tashi and Serwa Yeshi Gyaldzen follow Chak Pon to central Tibet
before 1500	the current Sherpa area of Solu-Khumbu is possibly used as seasonal hunting and pasture ground
about 1500	the emigrants move to the area south of the Tsomo Tretung lake where they settle near the ruins of Tratse Dzong; in the following years, they are joined by members of the Minyakpa clan as well as newcomers from Tram, Dom and Takpo
about 1530	Dujom Dorje, the second son of Chak Pon, together with a friend, visits the meditation retreats of Pangboche and Dingboche in Khumbu
about 1533	a small group of 20-50 persons under the leadership of Dujom Dorje enters Khumbu via the Nangpa La; the Minyakpa under leadership of Minyag Tonpa Druzang settle in Phortse (eastern Khumbu); the Thimi first settle in western Khumbu
about 1550	the Serwa, later called Lamaserwa, found the village of Zhung (nep.: Junbesi) in Shorong, other early settlements being Phukmoche, Domphuk and Dolange
about 1550	the two younger sons of Minyak Tonpa Druzang form the Shire sub-clan; Zungden, together with his cousins Yulla Tsering, Yulla Palden, and Dalha Darpo move to Shorong where they found the village of Takto, founding the Takto sub-clan; Yulla Palden crosses the Lamjura pass and settles at Gising Gangdo (nep.: Sagar-Baganje), later founded villages being Sete, Churungkharka, Dudele, and Changnyima; Dalha Karpo moves to the south west and founds the village of Golela (later founded villages being Bhusinga, Ngowur, Kapte, and Lhungsa)
1550-1600	the clan of the Chiawa or Chakpa settles in Solnasa (nep.: Gora) south of Mount Pike
end 16^th century	members of the Thimi clan move to upper Pharak (main village: Lhawu Shintok, nep.: Ghat); those remaining in Khumbu become the Paldorje sub-clan
about 1600	the grandsons of Minyak Tonpa Druzang's eldest son, Zungden, form separate sub-clans: Sonam the Binasa sub-clan (settling in southern Shorong), Richung the Pankarma sub-clan (settling in Pharak and later in Gumdel), and Sangpal Tseten the Yulgongma sub-clan (main village: Ledingma)
1615-1667/72	Lama Sanga Dorje, the founder of Pangboche temple
about 1640	Ralwa Dorje leaves Zhung and founds the village of Thashing (nep.: Bamti), west of the Likhu Khola
about 1650-1700	the Thimi split into two sub-clans: the Salaka (living in Takshindu, Chulemo, Yawa, Deku and Mopung) and the Khambaje or Khamje (in Damsere, nep.: Phera, and Khamje); persons from Takshindu later form the Lakshindo sub-clan after moving to western Shorong
1667	foundation of the temple of Pangboche (Palriwu Gomba)
about 1667-1672	foundation of the temples of Thami Og (western Khumbu) and Rimijung (Pharak)
about 1700	the whole of Pharak has become clan area of the Thimi
about 1700	Kaji Tile, a grandson of Ralwa Dorje, founds the village of Shertong (nep.: Sertu)
about 1717	Dongbu (Rai) forces defeat the Sherpas south of Nauje; possibly the latter further on have to pay tribute to the Sen kingdom that controls the lower Dudh Kosi valley during this time
1720	foundation of the temple of Zhung
1725-1750	Sherpas from Shorong settle in the Chyangma (nep.: Bhandar) area
about 1750	descendants of Kaji Tile move to Dokarpa
1772-1773	the Gorkhali forces conquer eastern Nepal and extend their authority also upon Khumbu, Pharak and Shorong
about 1775	Sherpa of Shertong found the village of Changmela (nep.: Deurali)
1786	state document concerning the Sherpas
1791	state document concerning the Sherpas
early 19^th century	Jodhan Karki is the first Chetri to settle on Lamaserwa clan territory
1805	first known report of a visiting official of the Nepali government from Kathmandu in Khumbu; Sherpas are punished for the killing of cows
1810	first official mentioning of a gembu (head tax collector)
about 1825	Sherpas from Shorong settle in the Arun valley of eastern Nepal
1828	first mentioning of Nauje (nep.: Namche Bazar) in Nepali government documents; the government transfers the trade monopoly across the Nangpa La upon Khumbu
1831	foundation of the temple of Khumjung; introduction of the Dumje festival after differences with Thami Og
1836	a tax document mentions the names of eight pembu (tax collector or local political headman) and 169 tax paying households for the whole area of Khumbu
1847	a government decree (lal mohar) confirms the traditional collective land use rights (kipat) of the Sherpa clans of Shorong
1850	birth of Karma, the later founder of the monastery of Tengboche
about 1850	foundation of the villages of Chukebuk (nep.: Sim) and Gaichepe
1851/52	murder of pembu Nam Chumbi at Chorkem
about 1850s-1860s	introduction of potatoes in Khumbu
1853	a government decree (lal mohar) reconfirms the traditional kipat right of the Sherpa clans of Shorong; it mentions the tax districts of Shorong by name and settles the yearly tribute (see map)
1856-1939	Sangye Lama, Karma's younger brother; he later becomes the founder of Phaplu and of Chiwong Gomba
1860s	emigration of a small group of poor Sherpas from Thamicho in western Khumbu to the Rolwaling valley
about 1875	foundation of the villages of Lhomsa (nep.: Lumbu), Jhareni, Chyangma (nep.: Bhandar), and Dzomdingma (nep.: Gyangtar)
1885/86	Hari Ram of the Survey of India crosses Khumbu on his way to Tibet
1885	birth of Kusang, later the most important sponsor of Tengboche monastery
1886	under Prime Minister Bir Shamsher, Nepal is divided into 35 administrative districts; the Likhu Khola becomes the border river between the districts East No. 2 und East No. 3 (see map); as a result, the Sherpa area of Shorong is cut into two parts; at the same time, the government introduces first restrictions towards the kipat tenure rights of the Sherpas: immigrants into the area can now register land in their name as raikar land
1895	Tsepal from Golila-Gepchua (and Nauje) becomes gembu replacing Dorje from Thami Og
around 1900	emigration of a greater number of poor Sherpas from the Solu-Khumbu area to Darjeeling; in 1901, their number there has increased to 3.450
1902	foundation of Rumbu (Rongphuk) monastery, situated in the Tibetan Dingri region north of Chomolungma (nep.: Sagarmatha, Mount Everest)
1904	Khumbu assigns Yaks for the British military expedition to Tibet under Younghusband
1906-1907	construction of the temple of Nauje under participation of 34 households; first celebration of Dumje there
after 1907	increasing interest in the Sherpas of Darjeeling with the expansion of mountaineering
1916	foundation of the monastery of Tengboche on the intention of the abbot of the Rumbu monastery, under participation of Chatang Chotar (Lama Gulu), Lama of Khumjung
1919	the monastery of Tengboche is consecrated by the abbot of Rumbu; a part of the Nakdingdok rani ban and some other land is put under the direct administration of the monastery
about 1920	assassination attempt on gembu Tsepal, who flees to Tibet
1923	foundation of Chiwong monastery by Sangye Lama
1923	the Anglo-Nepali Treaty of Friendship (21 December 1923) contributes to the decline of copper and iron mining in Shorong; one of the consequences is the impoverishment of many Tamang and Magar miners as well as Kamis
1924	in the part of Shorong belonging to district East No. 2, the kipat tenure is further reduced; also the fields cultivated by Sherpas have to be registered as raikar land (private land); as a result, they can be sold to people from out of the Sherpa clan system
1925	foundation of Devuche nunnery near Tengboche
about 1930	people from Shertong found the village of Sotarmu
1930s	extensive introduction of red patatoes (riki moru); patatoes, more and more, become the main food of the Sherpas
1942	the extended limitation of the kipat tenure is also introduced in the part of Shorong belonging to East No. 3
1949	final annulment of the kipat tenure of the Sherpa clans
1950	first westerners coming to Khumbu
1951	the number of Sherpas in the Darjeeling district has reached 7.539
1952	in spring and autumn, several futile attempts of Swiss expeditions to climb Chomolungma
1952	transformation of the temple of Thami into a monastery with celibate monks
1953	Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climb Chomolungmy as members of the John Hunt expedition; Edmund Hillary later becomes the special sponsor of the Sherpas
1959/60	arrival of about 5.000 Tibetan refugees in Khumbu
1961	the introduction of the panchayat system causes a further division of the original Sherpa area (see map)
1963	repeal of the legal based caste endogamy, which is in contradiction to the social system of most of Nepal's ethnic groups, so the Sherpas
1964	construction of the small air field at Lukla in Pharak; beginning of trekking tourism
1965	establishment of a branch office of the Sagarmatha zonal administration in Nauje
1965	inauguration of the weekly market at Nauje
1966	land reform (bhumi sudhar) and registration rules
1972	construction of the small air field at Syangboche in Khumbu; opening of the Everest View Hotel
1973	introduction of the yellow potato (riki seru) from Darjeeling in the Bhote Kosi valley
1974	during a conference of the World Wildlife Fund in Bonn, Germany, Prince Gyanendra announces the establishment of the Sagarmatha National Park
1974	a delegation from New Zealand checks possibilities of a financial participation in the construction of the Sagarmatha National Park
1975	introduction of the yellow potato (riki seru) from Singh Gomba (northern central Tibet) in Khumjung
1976	official announcement of the Sagarmatha National Park in the Nepal Gazette
1978	establishment of the Solu-Khumbu forest administration in Salleri
1978	conclusion of the land registration under bhumi sudhar
1981	introduction of the "development potato" (riki bikasi) in Khumbu
1983	conclusion of the power project at Nauje
1984	Tibetan traders resume the traditional trade with Khumbu
1985	the Langmoche flood destroys, among many other things, the power project under construction at Thamo
1988	construction of a power station at the Tengboche monastery
1990	installation of a Forest Management Committee by the administration of the Sagarmatha National Park to give the village representatives greater authority in the use of forests
1990	the Sagarmatha National Park transfers the control of forests and wildlife in the area between Phunkitenga Chu und Mingbo Chu upon the Tengboche monastery
1993	Pasang Lhamo first Sherpa woman on Chomolungma; she dies on her way down to the base camp
1994-1995	establishment of a Buddhist Highschool at Takshindu monastery and of the Sherpa Culture Centre at Salleri
1998-2000	construction of Junbesi Academy at Zhung
2000	great successes of Sherpas in mountaineering: Lhakpa Sherpa and Pemba Doma as second and third Sherpa woman reach the top of Chomolungma, Appa Sherpa conquers the mountain for the 11^th time, and Babu Chhiri Sherpa storms the summit within about 18 hours
2003	the 50^th anniversary of the day when Tenzing and Hillary first climbed Chomolungma is crowned by several heroic success of Sherpa mountaineers. Lhakpa Sherpa becomes the first woman to reach the summit for a third time (May 22). She is accompanied by a brother and her 15-year-old sister Mingma Kipa Sherpa who thus becomes the youngest ever person on Chomolungma. Appa Sherpa reaches the summit for an unbelievable 13^th time (May 26). Late Babu Chhiri's speed record is broken twice within only three days: First, Pemba Dorji Sherpa reaches the summit after 12 hours and 45 minutes (May 23), then, Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa improves this record to 10 hours and 56 minutes (May 26).