84-646: The Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road (DS-DBO Road/DSDBO Road), also called the Sub-Sector North Road , is a strategic all-weather road in eastern Ladakh in India, close to the Line of Actual Control with China. It connects Ladakh's capital city Leh , via the villages of Darbuk and Shyok at southern Shyok River Valley , with the Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) post near the northern border. The 220-km long section between Shyok and DBO
168-524: A Peace Pagoda was erected in Leh by Nipponzan Myohoji . There was a heavy presence of Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police forces in Ladakh. These forces and People's Liberation Army forces from China have, since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, had frequent stand-offs along the Ladakh portion of the Line of Actual Control . Out of the 857-kilometre-long (533 mi) border in Ladakh, only 368 km (229 mi)
252-548: A reorganisation act was passed by the Parliament of India which contained provisions to reconstitute Ladakh as a union territory, separate from the rest of Jammu and Kashmir on 31 October 2019. Under the terms of the act, the union territory is administered by a Lieutenant Governor acting on behalf of the Central Government of India and does not have an elected legislative assembly or chief minister. Each district within
336-549: A 6.5 km (4.0 mi) tunnel across Zoji La pass is under consideration to make the route functional throughout the year. The Kargil War of 1999, codenamed "Operation Vijay" by the Indian Army , saw infiltration by Pakistani troops into parts of Western Ladakh, namely Kargil, Dras, Mushkoh , Batalik and Chorbatla, overlooking key locations on the Srinagar-Leh highway . Extensive operations were launched in high altitudes by
420-559: A Tibetan Communist leader. At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh chose to remain independent of India or Pakistan. Pakistani soldiers from Gilgit invaded in October and had reached Ladakh. To get defence assistance from India, Singh was told by Nehru to sign the Instrument of Accession to India, and military operations were initiated to counter
504-734: A great trough, enclosed by the Himalayas and the Zanskar Range . Rangdum is the highest inhabited region in the Suru valley, after which the valley rises to 4,400 m (14,400 ft) at Pensi-la , the gateway to Zanskar. Kargil , the only town in the Suru Valley, is the second-most important town in Ladakh. It was an important staging post on the routes of trade caravans prior to 1947, being more-or-less equidistant (at about 230 kilometres) from Srinagar , Leh, Skardu and Padum . The Zanskar Valley lies in
588-521: A major trade route was established between Leh and Yarkand . Ladakh is a high-altitude desert; the Himalayas create a rain shadow which generally denies passage of any monsoon clouds. The main source of water is the winter snowfall on the mountains. Recent flooding in the region (e.g., the 2010 floods ) has been attributed to abnormal rain patterns and retreating glaciers, both of which have been found to be linked to global climate change. The Leh Nutrition Project, headed by Chewang Norphel —also known as
672-840: A more or less straight route to the Dault Beg Oldi. Near Burtsa, where the Depsang nala joins the Burtsa Nala , the Line of Actual Control has been disputed by China and India. China's 1956 claim line as well as the 1960 claim line leave the entire Burtsa Nala ( Tiannan river in Chinese nomenclature) in Indian territory. However, the People's Liberation Army's papers are said to document a so-called "line of actual control on 7 November 1959" which runs within an earshot of
756-560: A natural fibre of some of the finest quality. The wool of the Tibetan antelope is prized for its lightweight feel and as a status symbol . The wool must be pulled out by hand, a process done after the animal is killed. The fibre is smuggled into Kashmir and woven into exquisite shawls by Kashmiri workers. Ladakh is also home to the Tibetan gazelle , which inhabits the vast rangelands in eastern Ladakh bordering Tibet. The kiang , or Tibetan wild ass,
840-752: A noted Shia scholar, visited Kashmir and Baltistan. He helped in spreading Shia Islam in Kashmir and converted the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Baltistan to his school of thought. It is unclear what happened to Islam after this period and it seems to have received a setback. Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat who invaded and briefly conquered Ladakh in 1532, 1545 and 1548, does not record any presence of Islam in Leh during his invasion although Shia Islam and Noorbakshia Islam continued to flourish in other regions of Ladakh. King Bhagan reunited and strengthened Ladakh and founded
924-502: A separate territory since 1930s, because of perceived unfair treatment by Kashmir and Ladakh's cultural differences with predominantly Muslim Kashmir valley , while some people in Kargil opposed union territory status for Ladakh. The first organised agitation was launched against Kashmir's "dominance" in the year 1964. In late 1980s, a much larger mass agitation was launched to press their demand for union territory status. In August 2019,
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#17330857451001008-481: A struggle that lasted three centuries. Zhangzhung fell victim to Tibet's ambitions in c. 634 and disappeared. Karkota Empire and the Umayyad Caliphate too joined the contest for Xinjiang soon afterwards. Baltistan and Ladakh were at the centre of these struggles. Academics infer from the slant of Ladakhi chronicles that Ladakh may have owed its primary allegiance to Tibet during this time, but that it
1092-547: A total home range of 2.5 million km (0.97 million sq mi); however, there is only a small population, of about 400 animals, in Ladakh. Unlike other mountain sheep and goat species, the argali prefers open, grassy fields and rolling hills as it prefers to run, rather than climb into steep terrain, to flee from danger. The endangered Tibetan antelope , or chiru in Indian English (or Ladakhi tsos ), has traditionally been hunted for its wool ( shahtoosh ),
1176-695: A treaty with Ladakh then they retreated back to Lhasa in December 1684. The Treaty of Tingmosgang in 1684 settled the dispute between Tibet and Ladakh but severely restricted Ladakh's independence. In 1834, the Sikh Zorawar Singh , a general of Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu , invaded and annexed Ladakh to Jammu under the suzerainty of the Sikh Empire . After the defeat of the Sikhs in the First Anglo-Sikh War ,
1260-558: Is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India and China since 1959. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and
1344-598: Is a small hilly village which lies near the Line of Actual Control in Leh district of the union territory of Ladakh in India, close to Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin . It is one of the northernmost villages of India . The Murgo Gompa is a large Buddhist monastery at Murgo. Murgo lies on the Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road (DS-DBO Road) and Sasser Brangsa-Murgo Road (SBM Road) fork of Sasoma–Sasser La-Saser Brangsa-Gapsam-Daulat Beg Oldi Road (SSSG-DBO Road), both of which connect Leh to Daulat Beg Oldi . The village
1428-501: Is another rare cat that preys on smaller herbivores in Ladakh. It is mostly found in Nubra, Changthang and Zangskar. The Pallas's cat , which looks somewhat like a house cat, is very rare in Ladakh and not much is known about the species. The Tibetan wolf , which sometimes preys on the livestock of the Ladakhis, is the most persecuted amongst the predators. There are also a few brown bears in
1512-478: Is another unique mountain sheep that inhabits the mountains of Ladakh. The population is declining, however, and there are not more than 3,000 individuals left in Ladakh. The urial is endemic to Ladakh, where it is distributed only along two major river valleys, namely the Indus and Shayok. The animal is often persecuted by farmers, whose crops are allegedly damaged by flocks of urial. Its population declined dramatically in
1596-425: Is believed to have conquered the regions to the north, including Ladakh and Rutog . After the death of Nyimagon, his kingdom was divided among his three sons, Palgyigon receiving Ladakh, Rutog, Thok Jalung and an area referred to as Demchok Karpo (a holy mountain near the present-day Demchok village). The second son received Guge–Purang (called "Ngari Korsum") and the third son received Zanskar and Spiti (to
1680-493: Is common in the grasslands of Changthang, numbering about 2,500 individuals. These animals are in conflict with the nomadic people of Changthang who hold the Kiang responsible for pasture degradation. There are about 200 snow leopards in Ladakh of an estimated 7,000 worldwide. The Hemis High Altitude National Park in central Ladakh is an especially good habitat for this predator as it has abundant prey populations. The Eurasian lynx ,
1764-660: Is dry and pleasant. Peak temperatures range from 3 to 35 °C (37 to 95 °F) in the summer and minimums range from −20 to −35 °C (−4 to −31 °F) in winter. The Zanskar (along with its tributaries) is the primary waterway of the region. The Zanskar freezes solid during the winter, and the famous Chadar trek takes place on the magnificent frozen river. Vegetation is extremely sparse in Ladakh except along streambeds and wetlands, on high slopes, and irrigated places. About 1250 plant species, including crops, were reported from Ladakh. The plant Ladakiella klimesii , growing up to 6,150 metres (20,180 ft) above sea level,
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#17330857451001848-441: Is inhabited by a small civilian population of Baltis , who make a living by apricot farming and yak rearing. The temperature plummets as low as -30 C in the winters. The weather deteriorates frequently with strong icy winds lashing much of Murgo. Murgo has very little vegetation or wildlife. Telecommunication at Murgo is only available through INMARSAT satellite phones . The Indian Armed Forces have significant presence in
1932-678: Is sometimes called the "Third Pole." The glacier lies between the Saltoro Ridge immediately to the west and the main Karakoram Range to the east. At 76 km (47 mi) long, it is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world's non-polar areas. It falls from an altitude of 5,753 m (18,875 ft) above sea level at its source at Indira Col on the China border down to 3,620 m (11,880 ft) at its snout. Saser Kangri
2016-603: Is the International Border, and the remaining 489 km (304 mi) is the Line of Actual Control. The stand-off involving the most troops was in September 2014 in the disputed Chumar region when 800 to 1,000 Indian troops and 1,500 Chinese troops came into close proximity to each other. On 8 February 2019, Ladakh became a separate Revenue and Administrative Division within Jammu and Kashmir, having previously been part of
2100-578: Is the highest peak in the Saser Muztagh, the easternmost subrange of the Karakoram Range in India, Saser Kangri I having an altitude of 7,672 m (25,171 ft). The Ladakh Range has no major peaks; its average height is a little less than 6,000 m (20,000 ft), and few of its passes are less than 5,000 m (16,000 ft). The Pangong range runs parallel to the Ladakh Range for about 100 km (62 mi) northwest from Chushul along
2184-453: Is unsuitable for military use. A new Border Roads Task Force from Jammu was then commissioned to realign the constructed road on higher ground and to complete it. The revamped project was scheduled for completion in 2017 but was eventually completed in April 2019. The old alignment was used in the intervening period during the winter months. DS-DBO Tunnel (DSDBO Tunnel), is being constructed by
2268-641: The Aksai Chin area. The Indian effort to gain control of Aksai Chin led to the Sino-Indian War of 1962, which India lost. China also built the Karakoram highway jointly with Pakistan. India built the Srinagar-Leh Highway during this period, cutting the journey time between Srinagar and Leh from 16 days to two. The route, however, remains closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall. Construction of
2352-688: The Himalayan to the Kunlun Ranges and includes the upper Indus River valley. Historically, the region included the Baltistan ( Baltiyul ) valleys (now mostly in Pakistani-administered Kashmir ), the entire upper Indus Valley , the remote Zanskar , Lahaul and Spiti districts to the south, much of Ngari (including the Rudok region and Guge in the east), Aksai Chin in the northeast, and
2436-675: The Kashmir Division . As a division, Ladakh was granted its own Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police . Leh was initially chosen to be the headquarters of the new division however, following protests, it was announced that Leh and Kargil will jointly serve as the divisional headquarters, each hosting an Additional Divisional Commissioner to assist the Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police who will spend half their time in each town. The people of Ladakh had been demanding Ladakh to be constituted as
2520-531: The Namgyal dynasty ( Namgyal means "victorious" in several Tibetan languages). The Namgyals repelled most Central Asian raiders and temporarily extended the kingdom as far as Nepal. During the Balti invasion led by Raja Ali Sher Khan Anchan , many Buddhist temples and artefacts were damaged. Ali Sher Khan took the king and his soldiers as captives. Jamyang Namgyal was later restored to the throne by Ali Sher Khan and given
2604-667: The Nubra Valley to the north, over Khardong La in the Ladakh Range. Contemporary Ladakh borders Tibet to the east, the Lahaul and Spiti regions to the south, the Vale of Kashmir , Jammu and Baltiyul regions to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang , China across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. The historically vague divide between Ladakh and the Tibetan Plateau commences to
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2688-607: The Rimo Muztagh (highest point at 7,385 m or 24,229 ft) and the Teram Kangri Group (highest point at 7,464 m or 24,488 ft) together with Mamostong Kangri (7,526 m or 24,692 ft) and Singhi Kangri (7,202 m or 23,629 ft). North of the Karakoram lies the Kunlun. Thus, between Leh and eastern Central Asia there is a triple barrier – the Ladakh Range, Karakoram Range, and Kunlun. Nevertheless,
2772-543: The Shyok River after its V-shaped bend. Shyok already has roads leading west, to Leh via Darbuk, and south, leading to Pangong Tso . The BRO road crosses the Shyok river to its right bank and rounds the corner, continuing along its right bank due north (on the west side of the river bed). After passing the historic campsites of Chhumed, Mundro and Mandaltang, it crosses the river near Sultan Chhushku. A 430-metre-long bridge over
2856-889: The Suru Valley and the area around Dras. The Tibetan sand fox has been discovered in this region. Among smaller animals, marmots , hares , and several types of pika and vole are common. Scant precipitation makes Ladakh a high-altitude desert with extremely scarce vegetation over most of its area. Natural vegetation mainly occurs along water courses and on high altitude areas that receive more snow and cooler summer temperatures. Human settlements, however, are richly vegetated due to irrigation. Natural vegetation commonly seen along watercourses includes seabuckthorn ( Hippophae spp.), wild roses of pink or yellow varieties, tamarisk ( Myricaria spp.), caraway , stinging nettles , mint, Physochlaina praealta , and various grasses. Murgo Murgo , on "Murgo Nala" near Murgo Hotspring ,
2940-511: The "Glacier Man"—creates artificial glaciers as one solution for retreating glaciers. The regions on the north flank of the Himalayas ;– Dras, the Suru valley and Zangskar – experience heavy snowfall and remain cut-off from the rest of the region for several months during the year, just as the entire region remains isolated by road from the rest of the country. Summers are short, though they are long enough to grow crops; summer weather
3024-408: The "Great Tibet" (derived from Turko-Arabic Ti-bat , meaning "highland"); Baltistan and other trans-Himalayan states in Kashmir's vicinity were referred to as "Little Tibets". It has also been called Ma-Lo-Pho (by Hiuen Tsang) or Lal Bhumi. Names in the local language include Kanchapa ( Land of snow ) and Ripul ( Country of mountains ). Rock carvings found in many parts of Ladakh indicate that
3108-631: The 1380s and early 1510s, many Islamic missionaries propagated Islam and proselytised the Ladakhi people. Sayyid Ali Hamadani , Sayyid Muhammad Nur Baksh and Mir Shamsuddin Iraqi were three important Sufi missionaries who propagated Islam to the locals. Mir Sayyid Ali was the first one to make Muslim converts in Ladakh and is often described as the founder of Islam in Ladakh. Several mosques were built in Ladakh during this period, including in Mulbhe, Padum and Shey ,
3192-620: The BRO on DS-DBO route. It was announced in January 2023, when it was in the DPR (detailed project report) stage. Murgo , along this road, has the Murgo Hotspring , Murgo_Gompa|Murgo Gompa of Drukpa Kagyu lineage, remnants of 400 years old breastwork fortification wall (fortification of earthwork piled up to breast height to provide protection to defenders shooting over it from a standing position) built by
3276-537: The DS–DBO Road. Since 2013 , they began to assert this line as the operative LAC. The Chinese claim that they reached their line in 1962 and withdrew 20 kilometres as part of ceasefire, but the area was "unjustly occupied by India" in later years. During the border standoff in 2020, the Chinese forces again stationed themselves near a location called "Y-junction" or "bottleneck" in the Burtsa Nala valley, and blocked
3360-475: The Indian Army with considerable artillery and air force support. Pakistani troops were evicted from the Indian side of the Line of Control which the Indian government ordered was to be respected and which was not crossed by Indian troops. The Indian government was criticised by the Indian public because India respected geographical co-ordinates more than India's opponents: Pakistan and China. The Ladakh region
3444-526: The Indian troops from patrolling to the east of it. China was claiming 250 square kilometres of new territory that India was previously accessing, while also posing threat to the DS-DBO Road. The construction was initiated in 2000, with a revised deadline of 2014. However, in 2011, an inquiry by the Chief Technical Examiner found that three-quarters of the road had been laid on the river bed, which
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3528-479: The Ladakh region, although it is not found in some parts of Zangskar and Sham areas. The bharal is one of the preferred choices of prey of the rare snow leopard . The Asiatic ibex is a mountain goat that is distributed in the western part of Ladakh. It is the second-most abundant mountain ungulate in the region, with a population of about 6,000 individuals. It is adapted to rugged areas where it easily climbs near-vertical rock faces when threatened. The Ladakhi urial
3612-688: The Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, but has been under Chinese control. In
3696-516: The Shyok River by crossing it near Saser Brangsa, into the Murgo Nala valley to Chongtash Lake & "Chongtash Camp" near the large boulder brought by the glacier, Murgo, Sultan Chusku and Shyok village. The winter route from Saser Brangsa to Shyok village, goes along the Shyok River without crossing it, to Sultan Chusku and Shyok village. These routes, part of the ancient silk route , are littered with
3780-552: The ancient skeletal remains of mules and camels as well as the partially decomposed ancient human bodies. The camels were brought here by the Yarkandi invaders. "Murgo Hotspring" has a local Ladakhi legend, that in a war fought here the Ladakhis pushed the Mongol invaders beyond the Depsang La . To wash their blood soaked hands, the Ladakhi warrior pierced the mountain with an arrow, causing
3864-415: The area has been inhabited from Neolithic times. Ladakh's earliest inhabitants consisted of nomads known as Kampa. Later settlements were established by Mons from Kullu and Brokpas who originated from Gilgit . Around the 1st century, Ladakh was a part of the Kushan Empire . Buddhism spread into western Ladakh from Kashmir in the 2nd century. The 7th-century Buddhist traveller Xuanzang describes
3948-551: The area. The name "Murgo" means "gateway of hell" in Tibetic languages . Record from the 1840s indicates the Turkic name was Murgai and Tibetan name was Murgo-Chumik . ( Chumik means spring . ) "The gateway of death" meaning for Murgo is attributed because the route between Murgo and Karakoram Pass is through a dangerous desolate barren gorge at a height of 15,000 ft which frequently experiences snowstorms, gales and blizzards which every year caused deaths of thousands of men and animals of ancient caravans on this route. Murgo
4032-470: The capital of Ladakh. His principal disciple, Sayyid Muhammad Nur Baksh also propagated Islam to Ladakhis and the Balti people rapidly converted to Islam. Noorbakshia Islam is named after him and his followers are only found in Baltistan and Ladakh. During his youth, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin expelled the mystic Sheikh Zain Shahwalli for showing disrespect to him. The sheikh then went to Ladakh and proselytised many people to Islam. In 1505, Shamsuddin Iraqi,
4116-450: The conquests of the Mongol/Mughal noble Mirza Haidar Dughlat . Throughout this period the region was called "Maryul", possibly from the original proper name *Mrasa (Xuangzhang's, Mo-lo-so ), but in the Tibetan language it was interpreted to mean "lowland" (the lowland of Ngari). Maryul remained staunchly Buddhist during this period, having participated in the second diffusion of Buddhism from India to Tibet via Kashmir and Zanskar. Between
4200-418: The control of one or other of these powers. Academics find strong influences of Zhangzhung language and culture in "upper Ladakh" (from the middle section of the Indus valley to the southeast). The penultimate king of Zhangzhung is said to have been from Ladakh. From around 660 CE, the Tang dynasty and the Tibetan Empire started contesting the "four garrisons" of the Tarim Basin (present day Xinjiang ),
4284-623: The destroyed artefacts and gonpas by Sengge Namgyal , the son of Jamyang and Gyal. He expanded the kingdom into Zangskar and Spiti . Despite a defeat of Ladakh by the Mughals , who had already annexed Kashmir and Baltistan, Ladakh retained its independence. Islam begins to take root in the Leh area in the beginning of the 17th century after the Balti invasion and the marriage of Gyal to Jamyang. A large group of Muslim servants and musicians were sent along with Gyal to Ladakh and private mosques were built where they could pray. The Muslim musicians later settled in Leh. Several hundred Baltis migrated to
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#17330857451004368-456: The fact that the large geographical area of the Ladakh (comprising 65% of total area), but Ladakh was allocated only 2% of the state budget based on its relative population. Within the first year of the formation of Ladakh as separate union territory, its annual budget allocation has increased 4 times from ₹ 57 crore to ₹ 232 crore. Ladakh is the highest plateau in India with most of it being over 3,000 m (9,800 ft). It extends from
4452-425: The folding of the Indian Plate into the more stationary Eurasian Plate . The drift continues, causing frequent earthquakes in the Himalayan region. The peaks in the Ladakh Range are at a medium altitude close to the Zoji-la (5,000–5,500 m or 16,400–18,000 ft) and increase toward southeast, culminating in the twin summits of Nun-Kun (7,000 m or 23,000 ft). The Suru and Zanskar Valleys form
4536-421: The full width of the river bed has been constructed and named the 'Colonel Chewang Rinchen Setu'. After the Setu, the road goes through the valley of Murgo Nala to reach the village of Murgo , then the valley of Burtsa Nala to reach the camping site of Burtsa, and then Depsang nala to pass by Qizil Langar, close to the Line of Actual Control with China. After Qizil Langar, the road enters the Depsang Plains on
4620-561: The governor of Nubra against the invasions from Tibetan Yarkent Khanate , ancient skeletal remains of mules and camels as well as the partially decomposed ancient human bodies. The camels were brought here by the Yarkandi invaders. Burtse area along this road is a site of 40 million years old marine fossils when this area was in the Tethys Sea . The fossils found here include the gastropods (snail-like mollusks), bivalves (shellfish) and foraminifera (mostly microscopic organisms). Ladakh Ladakh ( / l ə ˈ d ɑː k / )
4704-399: The hand of a Muslim princess in marriage. Her name was Gyal Khatun or Argyal Khatoom. She was to be the first queen and her son was to become the next ruler. Historical accounts differ upon who her father was. Some identify Ali's ally and Raja of Khaplu Yabgo Shey Gilazi as her father, while others identify Ali himself as the father. In the early 17th century efforts were made to restore
4788-406: The hot water to gush out. Nearby Burtse area has 40 million years old marine fossils when this area was under the Tethys Sea , including the fossils of gastropods (snail-like mollusks), bivalves (shellfish) and foraminifera (mostly microscopic organisms). The Murgo Gompa is a sub-monastery of Yarma Gompa of Drukpa Kagyu lineage. The senior to lower hierarchy of gompa administration
4872-432: The invasion. The wartime conversion of the pony trail from Sonamarg to Zoji La by army engineers permitted tanks to move up and successfully capture the pass. The advance continued. Dras , Kargil and Leh were liberated and Ladakh cleared of the infiltrators. In 1949, China closed the border between Nubra and Xinjiang , blocking old trade routes. In 1955 China began to build roads connecting Xinjiang and Tibet through
4956-477: The king converted to Islam in return for the assistance by Mughal Empire after this, however, Ladakhi chronicles do not mention such a thing. The king agreed to pay tribute to the Mughals in return for defending the kingdom. The Mughals, however, withdrew after being paid off by the 5th Dalai Lama . With the help of reinforcements from Galdan Boshugtu Khan , Khan of the Zungar Empire , the Tibetans attacked again in 1684. The Tibetans were victorious and concluded
5040-443: The kingdom and according to oral tradition many Muslim traders were granted land to settle. Many other Muslims were invited over the following years for various purposes. In the late 17th century, Ladakh sided with Bhutan in its dispute with Tibet which, among other reasons, resulted in its invasion by the Tibetan Central Government . This event is known as the Tibet–Ladakh–Mughal war of 1679–1684. Kashmiri historians assert that
5124-407: The late twentieth century, due to indiscriminate shooting by hunters along the Leh-Srinagar Highway. The Tibetan argali (or nyan ) is the largest wild sheep species in the world, standing 1.1 to 1.2 metres (3.5 to 4 ft) at the shoulder, possessing very large, curled horns measuring 900–1,000 mm (35–39 in). It is distributed on the Tibetan Plateau and its marginal ranges, encompassing
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#17330857451005208-399: The north in an intricate maze of ridges to the east of Rudok , including Aling Kangri and Mavang Kangri, continuing southeastward toward northwestern Nepal . Before partition, Baltistan, now part of Pakistan, had been a district of Ladakh; Skardu was the winter capital of Ladakh, with Leh being the summer capital. The mountain ranges in this region were formed over 45 million years by
5292-466: The north, Depsang Bulge (Burtsa Bulge) in the east, Chang Chenmo River in the southeast, Sultan Chusku Caravan site in the south, and Sasser Pass in the west. Murgo, at an altitude of 14,600 ft, is barren land in the valley surrounded with black and brown mountains. It has a fresh mineral water spring. "Murgo Nala" confluences with the Burtsa Nala . The Burtsa Nala, after receiving waters of north-to-south flowing Depsang Nala , flows west to join
5376-419: The past, Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes, but as Chinese authorities closed the borders between Tibet Autonomous Region and Ladakh in the 1960s, international trade dwindled. Since 1974, the Government of India has successfully encouraged tourism in Ladakh . As Ladakh is strategically important, the Indian military maintains a strong presence in
5460-454: The region are Muslims (mainly Shia ) (46%), Buddhists (mainly Tibetan Buddhists ) (40%), and Hindus (12%) with the remaining 2% made of other religions. Ladakh is one of the most sparsely populated regions in India. Its culture and history are closely related to those of Tibet . Ladakh was established as a union territory of India on 31 October 2019, following the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act . Prior to that, it
5544-431: The region in his accounts. Xuanzang's term of Ladakh is Mo-lo-so , which has been reconstructed by academics as *Malasa , *Marāsa , or *Mrāsa , which is believed to have been the original name of the region. For much of the first millennium, western Tibet comprised Zhangzhung kingdom(s), which practised the Bon religion . Sandwiched between Kashmir and Zhangzhung, Ladakh is believed to have been alternatively under
5628-410: The region. The largest town in Ladakh is Leh , followed by Kargil , each of which headquarters a district. The Leh district contains the Indus , Shyok and Nubra river valleys. The Kargil district contains the Suru , Dras and Zanskar river valleys. The main populated regions are the river valleys, but the mountain slopes also support pastoral Changpa nomads. The main religious groups in
5712-526: The ruins of an ancient breastwork fortification wall (fortification of earthwork piled up to breast height to provide protection to defenders shooting over it from a standing position), which runs along the high hill to the cliff which drops to the river. It was built nearly 400 years ago by the governor of Nubra against the invasions from Tibet. Nearly 100 years later, the Tibetan ruler Sultan Said Khan (r. 1514-1533) of Yarkent Khanate demolished it. Remnants can still be seen. Murgo has Depsang Plains in
5796-432: The southern shore of the Pangong Lake . Its highest point is about 6,700 m (22,000 ft) and the northern slopes are heavily glaciated. The region comprising the valley of the Shayok and Nubra rivers is known as Nubra. The Karakoram Range in Ladakh is not as mighty as in Baltistan. The massifs to the north and east of the Nubra–Siachen line include the Apsarasas Group (highest point at 7,245 m or 23,770 ft)
5880-591: The southwest of Ladakh). This three-way division of Nyimagon's empire was recognised as historic and remembered in the chronicles of all the three regions as a founding narrative. He gave to each of his sons a separate kingdom, viz., to the eldest Dpal-gyi-gon , Maryul of Mngah-ris , the inhabitants using black bows; ru-thogs [Rutog] of the east and the Gold-mine of Hgog [possibly Thok Jalung]; nearer this way Lde-mchog-dkar-po [Demchok Karpo]; ... The first West Tibetan dynasty of Maryul founded by Palgyigon lasted five centuries, being weakened towards its end by
5964-409: The state of Jammu and Kashmir was established as a separate princely state under British suzerainty . The Namgyal family was given the jagir of Stok , which it nominally retains to this day. European influence began in Ladakh in the 1850s and increased. Geologists, sportsmen, and tourists began exploring Ladakh. In 1885, Leh became the headquarters of a mission of the Moravian Church . Ladakh
6048-510: The stretch of the Indus flowing through Ladakh became the only part of this river, which is greatly venerated in the Hindu religion and culture, that still flows through India. The Siachen Glacier is in the eastern Karakoram Range in the Himalaya Mountains along the disputed India-Pakistan border. The Karakoram Range forms a great watershed that separates China from the Indian subcontinent and
6132-427: The summer route would cross the Ladakh Range through the difficult Sasser Pass to reach the Shyok River valley, the winter route used to go via the banks of the Shyok River when the water flow would be much reduced and the frozen river surface could be crossed on foot as needed. Proceeding on the right (western) bank of the Shyok River up to Sultan Chhushku, the route crossed the river to the eastern bank, and followed
6216-646: The troughs of the rivers Stod and Lungnak . The region experiences heavy snowfall; the Pensi-la is open only between June and mid-October. Dras and the Mushkoh Valley form the western extremity of Ladakh. The Indus River is the backbone of Ladakh. Most major historical and current towns – Shey , Leh, Basgo and Tingmosgang (but not Kargil), are close to the Indus River. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947,
6300-422: The union territory continues to elect an autonomous district council as done previously. The demand for Ladakh as separate union territory was first raised by the parliamentarian Kushok Bakula Rinpoche around 1955, which was later carried forward by another parliamentarian Thupstan Chhewang . The former Jammu and Kashmir state use to obtain large allocation of annual funds from the union government based on
6384-456: The valley of Murgo Nala to reach the village of Murgo . Here, the summer route also joined the winter route after crossing the Shyok River near Saser Brangsa. From here, the joint route followed Burtsa Nala and Depsang Nala to reach the Depsang Plains and went on to the Karakoram Pass via Daulat Beg Oldi . The BRO road begins near the village of Shyok, which is the on the west bank of
6468-539: The west-to-east flowing "Murgo Nala" near Murgo and eventually drains into the Shyok River further south. Saser Brangsa to Murgo route along the Murgo Nala is the Sasser Brangsa-Murgo Road (SBM Road) fork of Sasoma–Sasser La-Saser Brangsa-Gapsam-Daulat Beg Oldi Road (SSSG-DBO Road). The present route of SBM Road was traditionally the summer route from Saser Brangsa (and beyond from Gapshan, DBO, Karakoram Pass to Yarkand) to Shyok village, which goes over
6552-463: Was a campsite on the difficult caravan route through Karakoram Pass , the last place with sufficient vegetation for fuel and grass. Czech paleontologist and biologist Ferdinand Stoliczka died here in 1874 during an expedition. A memorial was erected for him in the Moravian cemetery at Leh, which still stands today. He was part of Thomas Douglas Forsyth 's Lahore to Yarkand expedition. Murgo has
6636-449: Was administered as a wazarat under Dogra rule, with a governor termed wazir-e-wazarat . It had three tehsils, based at Leh, Skardu and Kargil . The headquarters of the wazarat was at Leh for six months of the year and at Skardu for six months. When the legislative assembly, called Praja Sabha , was established in 1934, Ladakh was given two nominated seats in the assembly. Ladakh was claimed as part of Tibet by Phuntsok Wangyal ,
6720-521: Was constructed between 2000 and 2019 by India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The DS-DBO Road has reduced the travel time between Leh to DBO from 2 days to 6 hours. In January 2023, BRO announced that it is constructing the DSDBO tunnel on this route. The Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road traverses the historic winter route, also called the Zamistānee route, used by the trading caravans between Leh and Yarkand. Whereas
6804-558: Was divided into the Kargil and Leh districts in 1979. In 1989, there were violent riots between Buddhists and Muslims. Following demands for autonomy from the Kashmiri -dominated state government, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council was created in the 1990s. Leh and Kargil districts now each have their own locally elected Hill Councils with some control over local policy and development funds. In 1991,
6888-403: Was first described here and named after this region. The first European to study the wildlife of this region was William Moorcroft in 1820, followed by Ferdinand Stoliczka , an Austrian - Czech palaeontologist , who carried out a massive expedition there in the 1870s. There are many lakes in Ladakh such as Kyago Tso . The bharal (or blue sheep) is the most abundant mountain ungulate in
6972-440: Was more political than cultural. Ladakh remained Buddhist and its culture was not yet Tibetan. In the 9th century, Tibet's ruler Langdarma was assassinated and Tibet fragmented . Kyide Nyimagon , Langdarma's great-grandson, fled to West Tibet c. 900 CE , and founded a new West Tibetan kingdom at the heart of the old Zhangzhung , now called Ngari in the Tibetan language. Nyimagon's eldest son, Lhachen Palgyigon ,
7056-537: Was part of the Jammu and Kashmir state. Ladakh is both the largest and the second least populous union territory of India. The classical name in Tibetan : ལ་དྭགས , Wylie : La dwags , THL : la dak means the "land of high passes". Ladak is its pronunciation in several Tibetan dialects. The English spelling Ladakh is derived from Persian : ladāx . The region was previously known as Maryul (see page for etymology). Medieval Islamic scholars called Ladakh
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