Mythologies of the Ladakhi Tribes
Ladakhis are Tibetan-Mongoloid in appearance although traces of Kashmiri Moslem influence can also be seen. It is most likely that early in its history, Ladakh was settled by the Mon and Dard groups of people. The Mon, a term applied by Tibetan-speaking peoples to valley-dwellers, are probably the builders of many of the castles found in Ladakh, particularly those in the Zanskar Valley. The Mon were early Buddhists who derived their religion directly from India; thus, their form of Buddhism does not show the Chinese or Tibetan Tantric influences so prevalent in the later monasteries of Ladakh. Today the Mon are musicians in many Ladakhi villages, providing musical accompaniment to secular occasions such as social gatherings, parties or marriage ceremonies. The Dards, also agriculturists like the Mon, similarly arrived in Ladakh sometime before the 7th century and settled primarily in the Dras Valley. Having converted to Islam in the 17th century, little remains of their prior religious practices. Traditionally, the men’s dress is a goncha, a long maroon or brown gown of heavy wool tied with a bright pink sash slightly below the waist, although any men now wear western clothes.
Ladakh (/ləˈdɑːk/) is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. 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 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, and has been under Chinese control since 1962. Rock carvings found in many parts of Ladakh indicate that 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 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.
A tribe of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region known for its liberal customs and ornate costumes is struggling to keep its vibrant cultural legacy alive and has requested the central government to make serious interventions. The rich heritage of the Dard Aryans — believed to be the original descendants of “pure Aryan race” — is under threat due to rapid mordenisation, migration and religious conversion, experts say. The Dard Aryans inhabit Dha, Hanu, Beema, Darchik and Garkone villages in Leh and Kargil districts. The villages are together called the Aryan valley. The people of this region are completely different from those in other parts of Ladakh. They have unique physical features, social life, ethnic culture, and language. They consume the milk and meat of goat and sheep only and follow the solar calendar for festivals and agricultural activities, the experts say.
The Ladakh people of Jammu and Kashmir have Turanian (Central Asian) features. Ladakh people of this region have a cheerful nature and are peace-loving. 45% of this area are Buddhist by faith and the rest are Muslims. About life of people in Ladakh, they traditionally lead a nomadic rustic life and are sincere and honest. About occupation of people in Ladakh, 90% of them depend on agriculture based on the Indus River for their livelihood. Their main agricultural products are barley, wheat, buckwheat, peas, rapeseed and beans. Apples and apricots are grown in warmer regions of low altitude. Ladakh is well-known for its rich culture . The Ladakh people are very hardworking and have productively used the rich natural resources. Sheep-rearing is another profession of Ladakhi people. In Ladakh Herders are known as Chang-pas. They take care of long shaggy goats and sheep from whose under-fleece the famous Kashmiri Pashmina shawls are made. Chang-pas reside in tents and are roaming, traveling from place to place in hunt of meadows. The Ladakh people are eagerly interested in trade. Wool, in raw form is their chief profitable product. About food of Ladakh people, the men travel long distances, looking for favourable prices for their wares, which consist of salt, dry fruits and cultured pearls and semi-precious stones. In return they get tea, tobacco, grain, sugar and other essential goods. Playing polo on fast-racing ponies is the most popular entertainment in Ladakh. With each chukka or chukker, the pony is not changed; the polo player continues playing with the same pony unlike in western polo style. This game is still played on the bumpy, patchy pitch with ancient wooden balls in Ladakh. Ladakh presents the huntsmen foreign hunts of the national animal of Pakistan, ibex, red bear, and state mammals of Pakistan, wild sheep, antelope, gazelle and marmot. Ladakh is also consists of precious natural resources like gold, copper and semi-precious stones.
The Indian Ladakhi tribe is rather sizeable and has around 57000. Border areas of Jammu and Kashmir states are the place of residence of the tribe. Much of this territory is occupied by the Indus River Valley. Favourable climatic conditions and abundance of fresh water give the Ladakhi the ability of farming, which remains their principal means of livelihood. Large buckweat and bean field processing as well as the processing of wheat and root crops requires a lot of physical efforts. So even children are actively involved in the work. Ladakhi culture and a way of thinking are similar to Tibetan culture. They are mostly Buddhists, but some of them have a religion largely borrowed from Hinduism. Ladakh are actively engaged in trade, that’s why they can’t be called absolutely isolated. Isolated remains their rich culture based on monogamy and brotherly polyandry. There are no someone else’s children in a family. They are all considered common and inherit from their parents in order of seniority. The eldest son of the family must divide his conjugal rights with his younger brothers. Like many years ago, fertile land continues to be the main value for the Ladakhi tribe nowadays.
The culture of Ladakh refers to the traditional customs, belief systems, and political systems that are followed by Ladakhi people in India. The languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs of the Ladakh region are similar to neighboring Tibet. Ladakhi is the traditional language of Ladakh. The popular dances in Ladakh include the khatok chenmo, cham, etc. The people of Ladakh also celebrate several festivals throughout the year, some of the most famous are Hemis Tsechu and Losar. Ladakh is the northmost part of India. Ladakh shares a border with Tibet to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the south, and Gilgit-Baltistan to the west. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range jn the north to the Great Himalayas to the south. Formerly, it was a part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, but after the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act (2019), it was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and was converted to a Union Territory. Parts of Ladakh have been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947.
A peaceful and calm lot, the people of Ladakh are proud of their rich culture. They never miss an opportunity to celebrate their culture, rooted in history. Whether it is in their daily lifestyle or during a festival, they always celebrate with enthusiasm. Most of the people are farmers and rely on agriculture for their income. A fair section of the people does rely on tourism, their income is seasonal. This means, that they earn a fair chunk of their income only during the tourist season that is from April to July. In a few parts of Ladakh, especially near the mountain regions, sheep rearing is an important profession. A peaceful and calm lot, the people of Ladakh are proud of their rich culture. They never miss an opportunity to celebrate their culture, rooted in history. Whether it is in their daily lifestyle or during a festival, they always celebrate with enthusiasm Most of the people are farmers and rely on agriculture for their income. A fair section of the people does rely on tourism, their income is seasonal. This means, that they earn a fair chunk of their income only during the tourist season that is from April to July. In a few parts of Ladakh, especially near the mountain regions, sheep rearing is an important profession.
The first observation that a tourist has upon visiting Ladakh for the first time is the strong influence of Tibetan culture. The words “mini Tibet” will immediately be uttered by those that have been to Tibet at some point or the other. From the costumes worn by the people to their cuisine, almost everything is heavily influenced by Tibetan culture & Buddhism. However, despite this, the culture of Ladakh is rich and fascinating. The demography of Ladakh too, has played a strong role in shaping its culture as it exists today. Much of the everyday life of the Ladakhi people revolves around the gompa or monasteries, which is a major part of their culture. The people of Ladakh also celebrate several festivals throughout the year, some of the most famous ones being Losar, Hemis Tsechu & Saka Dawa. A lot of their time is also spent in making stone jewellery, woollen clothes, and mural paintings on the walls of the monasteries, which is done by both laymen and monks and symbolises the various aspects of Buddhism.
In a corner of Ladakh, lives a tribe relatively unheard of – The Brokpas of Ladakh. They wear beautiful floral headgear, have long flowing sheepskin coats, and till about twenty years back had probably never stepped out of their village. Their eyes and skin is lighter than the regular Ladakhi, they have high cheekbones and they are usually taller. 180 odd kilometres from Leh lie four villages, nestled deep in the mountains. These are the villages of Dah, Garkon, Hanu and Darchicks. The Brokpas stay in these villages. There is great rumour that they are descendants of Alexander’s army soldiers who stayed back in the valley, and that they are therefore pure Aryans. A similar claim is made by the locals of Malana in Parvati Valley. In the case of the Brokpas, there is no historical documentation confirming this. There has been a lot of promotion from the tourism sector in the area to project it as an ‘Aryan Valley’, but it would be naive to believe that fully. Ask the Brokpas and they aren’t sure themselves. While some elders say that their ancestors have passed on the knowledge to them about being Aryans, some others believe that they are Dards, and came down from Gilgit (Balistan) and settled in the lower valley here some 2000 years ago. According to Dr Veena Bhasin, Professor of Anthropology, University of Delhi, they are the original settlers in Ladakh, and have been living there for over 5000 years!
Some 200 km from Leh are the villages of Dha, Hanu, Garkone and Darchik on both sides of the Indus River, inhabited by the Buddhist Dard Tribes. The villages are together called the “Aryan valley”. There are just 4,000 of them left in the world, and 30 of those were visiting Delhi recently. In heavy fur costumes, flower bouquets adorning their heads, members of the Dard Aryan tribe from Jammu & Kashmir’s Ladakh region were in the capital as part of a seminar that extensively discussed the need to preserve their legacy. They spoke about a struggle to do so, as they perceived a threat to their cultural “owing to modernisation and migration”.
A tribe of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region known for its liberal customs and ornate costumes is struggling to keep its vibrant cultural legacy alive and has requested the central government to make serious interventions. The rich heritage of the Dard Aryans — believed to be the original descendants of “pure Aryan race” — is under threat due to rapid mordenisation, migration and religious conversion, experts say. The Dard Aryans inhabit Dha, Hanu, Beema, Darchik and Garkone villages in Leh and Kargil districts. The villages are together called the Aryan valley. The people of this region are completely different from those in other parts of Ladakh. They have unique physical features, social life, ethnic culture, and language. They consume the milk and meat of goat and sheep only and follow the solar calendar for festivals and agricultural activities, the experts say.
The world differentiates between the two populations of the Ladakh region of India´s extreme north – one Muslim, the other Buddhist — in interesting ways. Outsiders, be they from New Delhi or New York, tend to regard Leh as a place populated by pleasant people with a Buddhistic culture worth preserving; the Shias of Kargil, on the other hand, are regarded and treated as backward, conservative, ignorant, and even evil. Indeed, Ladakh´s Buddhists have been quite successful in drawing attention to themselves as a small minority precariously positioned on the borders of India. Meanwhile, the Muslim population of Kargil has long escaped attention even though their living conditions are worse.
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