Ladakh

Ladakh, region, south-central Asia, located between India, Pakistan, and China. The eastern portion of Ladakh, which is part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, covers an area of 59,343 sq km (36,875 sq mi), and has a population of around 233,000. (The last census that was conducted, in 2001, gave a figure of 232,863.) Pakistan controls the western segment of Ladakh, principally Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu, and Baltistan. Pakistan came to control these regions following the first Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-1948. The extreme western portion of Ladakh, the plateau of Aksai Chin, has been controlled by the Chinese since the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Until 1979 the Indian portion of Ladakh was a single district. It was subsequently broken up into the districts of Leh and Kargil for the purposes of administrative convenience. The towns of Leh and Kargil, respectively, are the two administrative centres.

Topographically, Ladakh is a highly arid and mountainous region, the highest inhabited region on Earth. The Himalaya range forms its boundaries in the north-west and the south-east. To the immediate north is the Karakorum range. The highest mountain in Ladakh is Saser Mountain (approximately 7,023 m/23,040 ft), located between the Shayok and Nubra rivers; other altitudes range between 2,440 and 4,270 m (8,000 and 14,000 ft) and the entire region receives about 76 mm (3 in) of rain a year. The Himalaya range acts as a natural barrier to the moisture-laden monsoon clouds. This topographical feature in large part explains the aridity of the region, which comprises five distinct valleys: Dras, Suru, Zanskar, Indus, and Nubra.

Various undomesticated species of sheep and goats inhabit the mountainous countryside. Two of the more prominent varieties of wild goats are the ibex and the markhor. The wild sheep include the barhal, or blue sheep, the shapu, and the argali. In the Chang-Thang plateau there are small herds of Tibetan gazelle and the Tibetan antelope. Some diminishing numbers of wild yak are also said to exist at altitudes of about 4,270 m (14,000 ft).

The region is rich in mineral wealth, though much of it remains untapped. Geological surveys have revealed that the region has rich deposits of chromite, lime, gold, platinum, magnesia, gypsum, sulphur, iron, mica asbestos, arsenic, and copper. The lack of an adequate transport infrastructure remains the principal obstacle to the exploitation of these mineral resources.

The Ladakhi people are descended from Dards and Tibetans. The vast majority of the population of Ladakh is either Buddhist or Muslim. A small Christian community exists, primarily in Leh, dating back to Christian missionary activity in the 17th and 18th centuries. The northern and the eastern sections of Ladakh are predominantly Buddhist, while Muslims are preponderant in the south and the west. Buddhism was introduced into Ladakh from Dardistan around the 10th century. The Ladakhi Buddhists are the adherents of Tibetan Buddhism and consequently are followers of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetans. The practice of polyandry has long existed among the Buddhists of the region. The lamas, or Buddhist monks, carry forward the religious tradition. It is customary for one of the younger children of a Ladakhi Buddhist family to enter a gompa or monastery to join the Buddhist priesthood. Islam came to Ladakh through the proselytizing efforts of Amir Sayyid Ali Hamdani in the 14th century. The majority of the Muslims of Ladakh profess Shiism. The practice of polygamy exists in segments of this community.

The spoken language of the region is Ladakhi, a dialect of Tibetan. The written script is the same as Devanagari. Two minority nomadic tribes, the Brokpas of Dras and the Dukpas of Da-Hanu, speak Dard dialects in addition to Tibetan. The Kesar Saga, first translated by A. H. Francke, a Moravian missionary, in the early part of the 20th century, is considered to be the national epic. The saga has regional variations, but basically purports to explain the creation of the world.

The economy of Ladakh is rural, with close to 90 per cent of the population engaged in some form of agriculture. The paucity of rainfall and the poor quality of the soil permits only a single-crop economy in Leh district. In portions of Kargil two crops can be sown and gathered annually. The staple crop is grim, a form of barley. Other crops include various millets, beans, peas, lentils, and mustard. The main vegetables that are cultivated are radishes, turnips, carrots, cauliflowers, and cabbages. The main fruits of the region are apricots, apples, mulberries, and grapes. Ladakh is virtually treeless, and firewood is imported from the Kashmir valley. Yaks and Chang-Thang goats are the main forms of livestock indigenous to the region. Yaks are frequently used as beasts of burden. Yak wool is also used to manufacture carpets, tents, and ropes. The nomadic herders of the Chang-Thang region rear these goats for their fine pashmina wool.

Prior to 1947 and the independence of India and Pakistan, all areas of Ladakh were the domain of Maharaja Hari Singh, the Dogra ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Historically, Ladakh had become a part of the state when Maharaja Gulab Singh purchased Kashmir from the British after the first Anglo-Sikh War in 1846.

The paucity of irrigated land has inhibited the development of agriculture of Ladakh. In recent years, a number of efforts have been undertaken to improve agricultural productivity. The Indian government has begun to construct a number of irrigation facilities. Two of its more significant projects are the Kharbathang Canal, which will draw water from the Wakha River and irrigate the day plateau opposite Kargil, and the High Martselang Project, which will irrigate a small tract of land near the left bank of the Indus. Other projects include the Stakna Hydel Project, designed to supply power to Leh and its environs, and the Suru Hydel Project. The Indian government is also trying to transform tradition subsistence agriculture through the introduction of high-yielding varieties of food grains and the utilization of chemical fertilizers.