Chodrak

Chodrak lies within Nyarong, a historical river-valley region of eastern Kham centred on the middle Yalong River. The name Nyarong means “river valley.” Derge lies to the west, Garzê to the north, the Hor States to the east and Litang to the south. The valley is unusually low in relation to the surrounding mountains, and its upper course narrows between steep slopes. Flat land is scarce, and access was difficult. Even so, communities depended on agriculture rather than the pastoral economy common to many tribal regions. For much of its history Nyarong was divided among different tribes. It first entered written records in 762, when levies were raised during Tibetan imperial raids into India, and remained distant from many main political routes. By the nineteenth century, a powerful family known as the Three Iron Knots held local authority under nominal Qing rule.