Ladakh History, Information About Ladakh, History Leh Ladakh
     
Leh, Kargil, Ladakh History Information, Information About Ladakh, History Guide Ladakh
History
LADAKH is a mysterious land shrouded in myth and legend. Much of its ancient history is known only through the mythology of its people as its written history is of very recent origin. Known for centuries as the 'land of passes' (La-pass; Dakh-land), Ladakh was described by Fa-hian, who travelled across its inhospitable terrain in 399 A.D., as 'The land where snow never melts and only corn ripens'.

A thousand years ago before the control of Tibets rule, Raja Skitde Nemagon, ruled over Ladakh which was known as Muryul (Red Country), as most of the mountains and the soil in Ladakh wears a red tinge. In the 10th Century A.D Skitday Nemagon, along with a couple of hundred men, invaded Ladakh where there was no central authority. The Land was divided in small principalities, which were at war with each other. Nemagon defeated all of them and established a strong central authority. Those days Shey, was the capital of Ladakh became to be known as Nariskorsoom, a country of three provinces. The present Ladakh was divided into two provinces while the third comprised western Tibet. The area of western Tibet slipped away from the kingdom but was reunited in 16th Century A.D. by the famous Ladakhi ruler Sengge Namgyal.

During V to XV centuries, Ladakh was an independent kingdom assigned to Tibet. Little by little, due to tensions among local kings and the pressure of China over the Tibet, the relationship got worse. The ancient inhabitants of Ladakh were Dards, and Indo-Aryan race from down the Indus. But immigration from Tibet more than a thousand years ago largely overwhelmed the culture of the Dards and moped up their racial characters. In eastern and central Ladakh, todays population seems to be mostly of Tibet origin. Buddhism reached Tibet from India via Ladakh. The area was the stronghold of Budhism before Islam reached Ladakh.

The dependence of Kashmir was greater and greater until Ladakh, comprising the areas of present Leh and Kargil districts, became part of the independent India in 1948. In 1979 when the reorganisation of the districts was carried out, the Ladakh district was divided into two full fledged of Leh and Kargil. In the present day it comprises the 60% of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, but has an independent and own culture assured by the mountainous borders that separate Ladakh from the rest of India. In 1995, the ladakhians created in its region the Autonomous Development Council. This way, Ladakh has an autonomous organization that will try to improve the economical and social development of the region, marked by climate and tradition. For the last two decades, Ladakh has been increasingly exposed to modern influences, brought on largely by tourism and 'development'. Find Ladakh History, Leh, Kargil, Ladakh History Information, Information About Ladakh, History Guide Ladakh, History Leh Ladakh, Ladakh Tourism, Leh Ladakh Tourism, Ladakh Adventure Tourism, Ladakh Tourism Guide, Ladakh India Tourism, India Ladakh Tourism