The ancient language of Zhang zhung associated with Bon and its teaching came gradually to
extinction after the kingdom of Zhang zhung was annexed by the Tibetan Empire in the
seventh century. As the newly acquired Buddhist religion spread across Tibet, Bon and its
scriptures were continuously pushed back and the Zhang zhung language fell eventually into
oblivion.

In this presentation an attempt is made to trace the origins of the Zhang zhung language and to
reveal its possible connection with Kinnara Kirata, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by
several ethnic groups from the Western Himalayas up to the North Eastern states of India.
References to the Kinnara tribe are frequent in the Indian Puranic literature. Numerous lexical
analogies suggest that the Zhang zhung language has a very close linguistic affinity with
Kinnara Kirata. Both languages may have had a common ancestor. With its small number of
speakers, Kinnara Kirata may nowadays face the threat of extinction. Gradual encroachment
has been underway since long – by the Tibetan culture from the North, and Indian and Nepali
culture from the south. The Himalayan region is the area where the majority of
endangered languages of the sub-continent can be found; Zhang zhung – Kinnara Kirata is one
of them.