Ladakh is considered as the land of high passes and is one of the most beautiful destinations in India. As per an ancient Greek historian named Herodotus, it is believed that Dadri were the earliest known inhabitants of Ladakh.  The admiral of Alexander, and Megasthenes, Nearchus has also referred to the Dardi people as the gold-digging ants of Central Asia. A kharosthi inscription of “Uvima Kavthisa” found near the K’a-la-rtse reveals that Ladakh was a part of the Kushan Empire in the 1st century. This was a very significant discovery which revealed several interesting aspects about Ladakh history.

Early History of Ladakh

The Chinese-pilgrim monk Xuanzang talks about territories like Lahul, Marsa and Mar-sa which is a common name for Ladakh. He also states that Mo-lo-so or San-po-ho is adjacent to Suvarnagotra or Suvarnabhumi just like the Kingdom of Women – Strirajya. 7th-century Indians called the region as Zhangzhung kingdom. Zhangzhung was under Tibetan suzerainty for the first time in 634. A Tibetan commissioner was appointed in the region in 653. Administration began in 662, and in 677 a revolt took place, which failed at the end.

Tibetans and Chinese Attacks

In the 8^th century, Tibetan empire started attacking Ladakh state from the east while the Chinese also started invading from Central Asia through the passes. The administration was reorganized in 724. In 737, the Tibetans attacked the king of Bru-za, who tried taking help from Chinese, but had to pay homage to Tibet at the end. The Korean monk, Hyecho has mentioned that the three kingdoms to the northeast of Kashmir were under Tibetans. He also said that the region has many monasteries and monks. However, he stated that there are no monasteries or any influence of Buddhism in the kingdom of Tibet to the east. This is evidence to the fact that modern Ladakh state was under Tibet and followed Buddhism. Chinese General Gao Xianzhi tried his best to connect Central Asia and Kashmir in 747. Once Gao and his men lost against the Qarluqs and Arabs on the Talas river in 751, Tibet regained control over Ladakh once again. Another traveller Hudud-al-Alam states that People from Bolorian Tibet were mainly traders who lived in huts. People from different religions stayed here which points to the fact that trade was a popular activity in the region.

The Rise of Ladakh Dynasty

The Tibetan Empire collapsed in 842 and the first Ladakh dynasty was founded by a member of the ancient Tibetan royal house named Nyima-Gon. Under his rule, Ladakh was influenced by Tibetan culture. After a few years, people from different religions stayed in the region but most of them were Tibetans. After the dynasty started becoming powerful, they started spreading Buddhism in north-west India, particularly Kashmir instead of Tibet. Lde-dpal-hkhor-btsan (c. 870 -900) was a King of Ladakh worked hard to develop the Bön religion in his territory. Early monasteries including the Upper Manahris monastery were built under his regime. Hbum scriptures were mass produced during his time. The fifth king in line was Lhachen Utpala, who conquered Kulu, Mustang, and parts of Baltistan. Around the 13th century, India stopped supporting Buddhism and Ladakh started rebuilding its connections with Tibet.

There are many other interesting facts about the history of Ladakh. Keep reading and researching to enhance your knowledge.