Ladakh

Ladakh, today a Union Territory of India, has a history shaped by high mountains, caravan routes and Tibetan Buddhism.

In ancient times, the upper Indus valley and surrounding plateaus were inhabited by Dardic and Mon peoples who farmed small terraces and herded yaks and sheep. From roughly the 8th–10th centuries, a Tibetan-speaking Buddhist culture took root, and by around the 15th century the Namgyal dynasty emerged, turning Ladakh into a Himalayan kingdom with its capital at Leh. Ladakhi rulers controlled trade routes between Kashmir, Tibet, Central Asia and the plains, taxing caravans carrying pashmina wool, salt, tea and silk. Monasteries like Hemis, Thiksey, Alchi, Lamayuru and Diskit became powerful religious and artistic centres.

From the 17th century, Ladakh had to balance pressures from Tibet and Mughal India. After conflicts in the 1830s–40s, the Dogra general Zorawar Singh invaded, and Ladakh was incorporated into the Dogra-ruled princely state of Jammu & Kashmir under British suzerainty. Traditional caravan trade declined in the 20th century as borders hardened.

After Independence, Ladakh remained part of Jammu & Kashmir, gaining strategic importance along the borders with China and Pakistan. In 2019, it was separated as the Union Territory of Ladakh. Today its identity combines ancient monasteries, nomadic life and rugged landscapes with army presence, modern roads and rapidly growing tourism.