Kazhi

Kazhi belongs to the Kham highlands around Lithang, where elevated grasslands and deep valleys supported pastoral and farming communities. Yaks, sheep and other livestock supplied food, fibre and transport, while cultivation concentrated in more favourable ground. Routes through the mountains connected different environments, allowing tea, grain, salt and animal products to circulate. Travel depended on pack animals, seasonal access and knowledge of passes.

In the wider Lithang region, monasteries and local rulers formed part of a complex political and religious landscape. Lithang Monastery, also known as Changchun Chokhor, is associated with the Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso, in the late sixteenth century. Its establishment marked the spread of the Gelug school in this part of Kham. Relations among local authorities, monasteries and more distant powers continued to change during the Qing period.