Ladakh: From The Land Of Mountain Passes

Far away from the world of chaos, a land exists in solidarity, cooped up in its majestic mountains and serene rivers. Ladakh, a region so beautiful, and so isolated, derives its name from the mysterious mountains that hold its spirits. Monikered as the Land Of Mountain Passes, this region holds the secret of numerous invasions and rulers.

From the magical land of Ladakh; Image Source: Thrillophia

When the Government of India decided to separate Ladakh from the twin lands of Jammu and Kashmir, we saw a history that dated back to one hundred eighty years getting merged, when these lands were merged. Though most of us are of the view that these lands are quite similar to each other and share a common past, we are far away from the truth. The history of Ladakh and Kashmir is far away from the word ‘similar.’ Yet, they were brought together under a common rule and thought to be chunks of the same place when they were not.

Do you know the story behind the name ‘Ladakh’? The name Ladakh emerges from the classical Tibetan name meaning ‘land of passes’. Previously known as Maryul, this place was also called the Great Tibet by medieval Islamic scholars. For centuries, Ladakh has been under the control of some famous tribesmen such as the Kampas, the Mons, and the Brokpas. Archaeologists have found some interesting remains of the past in the form of rock carvings that indicate Ladakh was home to mankind since the neolithic period. While these people regarded Ladakh as their home, there are certain shreds of evidence of political control as well. A Kharosthi script, found near the Indus River, pointed to the fact that a king named Uviama Kanishka from the Kushana dynasty, ruled over this piece of land way back in c. 127-150 CE.

When the famous Chinese traveler, Hiuen Tsang visited Ladakh in c. 634, he described everything about how harsh the climate was, how perilous the mountain passes were, and how mighty the mountains were. When Xuanzang came to India, he monikered Ladakh as Mo-lo-so, and later on, the academicians made some alterations and termed it as Malasa, Marasa, or Mrasa. They also claim this to be the original name of Ladakh. A Korean monk named Hyecho visited Ladakh in 723 CE and described Ladakh as being "under the sovereign control of the Tibetans. The region is narrow and tiny, and the cliffs and valleys are quite rough. There are monasteries and ascetics, and people revere the Three Gems (of Buddhism).”

When we dig deeper into the religion followed by the people of Ladakh, we can trace the arrival of Buddhism in this region in two phases. In the first phase, the influence of Buddhism came from the valleys of Kashmir in the second century CE. In the second phase, waves of Buddhist ideologies arrived from Tibet, under the influence of Guru Padmasambhava in the eighth century CE. For much of the first millenary, the Zhangzhung kingdom ruled over western Tibet and they largely promoted and practiced the cultures and traditions of the Bon religion. Ladakh, on the other hand, was influenced by Kashmir on one side, and the Zhangzhung rule, on the other. Some historians claim that there are a lot of influences of the Zhangzhung language and culture on the people from the upper part of Ladakh.

By the fifteenth century, Ladakh was divided into smaller areas like Bango and Leh. But after the coming of the King of Basgo, Lhachen Bhagan, in the 1450s, everything changed. He united all these territories of Ladakh into one single and powerful kingdom and monikered it as Namgyal. The word Namgyal in the Ladakhi language means ‘victorious’, and this dynasty kept on ruling over Ladakh until the 19th century. Under the rule of the Namgyals, Ladakh was safe and sound in the eyes of other kings and invaders. However, after the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the events took a drastic turn.

Ranjit Singh made sure to build a strong empire for himself. He had conquered numerous regions of the North-Western part of India and soon he went ahead to conquer Kashmir and Ladakh. On the other hand, the power of the Namgyals had become much weaker, especially after the death of Tseten Namgyal. After his death, there was a commotion about who was going to be the next successor. All the smaller regions that were once united by the original Namgyal ruler were again separated and the rulers of these regions decided to become autonomous. The local governor realized that they might need the help of the Dogras to improve the situation. Perhaps this was the opportunity for which the Dogras were waiting. Ladakh was very important to the Dogras and Sikhs because of its strategic location commanding trade networks from Tibet and the Xinjiang Chinese province to the rest of India.

General Zorawar Singh Kahluria, the then governor of Kishtwar, marched into Ladakh with his huge army. Known to be one of the most powerful generals in the history of India, he knew what he was proceeding for. The people of Ladakh had offered the British to provide them with their suzerainty so that they could be protected from the Sikh Empire. But the British showed no interest in Ladakh because of its barren land and rocky terrains.

The army of Zorawar marched like hungry beasts to capture this land. The army of Ladakh was able to stop Zorawar’s army just for two days. But after that, several Ladakhi army men were slaughtered and they had to flee. While fleeing, they broke the bridge so that the Dogras couldn’t reach the land of Ladakh. But Zorawar made his men cross the Indus bridge by stepping on the skin of dead goats. Following the defeat of the Sikhs in the First Anglo-Sikh War, the region of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh was established as a distinguishable viceroyalty under British suzerainty. The Namgyal family was given the jagir of Stok, which it theoretically still controls today. European influence in Ladakh began in the 1850s and grew over time.

Nature and peace coexist in Leh Ladakh, making it a traveler's heaven. Exploring the city is one aspect of Leh Ladakh, but the culture of the region draws tourists in, meeting their key vacation objectives.

The picturesque view of Ladakh; Image Source: Zoyo trip