With reference to ‘The History of Maryul Ladakh’ by Tashi Rabgias (Meme le).
-Rinchen Angmo
The history of Ladakh is a beautiful past of a people similar in some ways and diverse in others, of a land that celebrated all sentient beings, a land of Dharma but also a land that accepted every form of spirituality, a land where good will was and hopefully still is valued above gold.
Accounts of history that are written by indigenous writers are more authentic for they breathe life into the past by imbuing it with emotions for one’s land. Hence for this write up I only referred to ‘The History of Maryul Ladakh’ by Tashi Rabgias (Meme le). The original version was written in Bodhik/Bhoti (script followed in Ladakh, Tibet and other regions) : ‘Maryul Ladakhs Ki Nyonrabs Konsel Melong Zhes Chawa zJukso’. It was then translated into English: ‘History of Maryul Ladakh called the Mirror which Illuminates All’. Tashi Rabgais (Meme le) is a renowned scholar and historian from Ladakh. Reading this wonderful book not only made me aware of my land’s history but also reignited the love and pride I feel for belonging here.
The people of Ladakh are a racial mixture of Tibetans, Dardic Aryans and Mons. Later when Kashmiri traders settled and married here, they gave rise to a race of Argons. Perhaps there are also strains of Central Asian genes. People’s genealogy can be traced to a diverse range of races as Ladakh was a stop along the famous Silk Road. Thereon continued the history of a people who lived relatively peacefully and with great pride in their rich culture.
Dynastic rule in Ladakh began with the arrival of King Skilde Nyimagon. Prior to this different parts of Ladakh were ruled by different Chiefs (Chos). Skilde Nyimagon was the younger son of Depal Khortsan – of the Tibetan dynasty. Due to certain circumstances he had to escape to Western Tibet; he then became the ruler of Ngaris Skorsoom. During that period, the people of Ladakh revolted against the Chief of Gya and hence, upper Ladakh came under the direct rule of Nyimagon. Before his death, King Nyimagon divided his Kingdom among his three sons: eldest dPalgigon received Maryul Ladakh, middle Tashisgon received Guge and Purangs, and the youngest Detsuggon received Zanskar, Lahaul and Chiti. It was a period of the reign of the three rulers of Ngaris and Ladakh.
Hence, the first king of Maryul Ladakh was Lhachen dPalgigon. In one of the many Ladakhi folk songs about the King, one says : “Kindly look after us, oh the great Kings of solar and sugarcane races.” This is a reference to the great lineage that they took forward from the Tibetan dynasty whose first king was King Nyatri Tsenpo.
A quintessential aspect of Ladakh’s history revolves around Buddhism. Buddhism first arrived in Ladakh from Kashmir; this however transformed into Tibetan Buddhism. An important figure in this regard was Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo, who was born at Kuwang Tarne of Guge. At the age of eighteen he went to Kashmir and met Pandit Guna Mitra, Dharma Shanti, Shardakara Verma and Buddha Shri and studied many texts of the dharma with them. He is believed to have contributed to the construction of a hundred and eight Viharas and temples from Ladakh to Guge and Purangs in western Tibet. (42)
Tashi Rabgais (Meme le) states that ‘The main statues in the Viharas are those of the Varochana Buddha surrounded by the four Buddhas of east west, north and south. The shape and the architecture of the Viharas, the features and armaments of the Buddhas, and the Mandalas of Varochana Buddha and the mandala of purifying tantra of lower region and the wood carvings of the door etc clearly depict the art and the skill of the Kashmiri artists and craftsmen. These convey the history of art and architecture of the impermanent world.’(43) The writer’s understanding of and belief in Buddhism is apparent through his manner of expression and the fleeting references to impermanence; impermanence is a quintessential concept of Buddhism.
He goes on to state that ‘In the whole history of Tibet Lotsava Varochana of the first movement of Dharma and Rinchen Zangpo in the second movement of Dharma were recognized as the two best among all the Lotsavas.’
Conspiracy and Change in Power: The ruler of Lower Ladakh, Baghan devised a conspiracy with the people of Shel against the King Lotos Chogldan. Baghan was the son of King Tragpa Boom, the ruler of lower Ladakh. His actual name was Rinchen Namgyal, Baghan was his nickname. He managed to usurp King Lotos Chogldan’s throne. However, since Baghan was the son of Tragpa Boom, the dynasty of the Dharma Rajas of Tibet continued. (78). Nonetheless, such negative actions were bound to incur karmic consequences. The writer mentions that this was the first instance of wrongdoing in the affairs of the dynasty, which was otherwise most benevolent and sacrosanct.
King Baghan’s son, Tashi Namgyal built a palace on the top of Tsemo hill and named it Namgyal Tsemo. There are still remains of the wall structure of that palace even today (probably the one above Leh Palace). Below it he established the Chubi. The writer mentions that because Baghan himself flouted the laws of karma, his younger son too followed suit. Tashi Namgyal (the younger one) took out the eyes of his elder brother Lhawang Namgyal and kept him as a prisoner in Lingshed. (80)
Though Tashi Namgyal got the kingdom, he did not beget any sons. Therefore, he offered a wife to his blind brother in prison to continue the ancient race. Lhawang Namgyal had three sons: eldest Tsewang Namgyal, Namgyal Gonpo, and youngest Jamyang Namgyal.
Towards the later part of his life, Tashi Namgyal repented and made offerings to great spiritual lamas and monasteries of Tibet.
After Tashi Namgyal, Tsewang Namgyal became the ruler from 1530-1560 C.E. He ruled from Guge to Nyungti(Kulu) in the east. In the west he conquered Shigar, Skardu, Suru and Kartse. Since he was powerful, the people of Balti land held him in high esteem. The King would not send his officials to collect taxes. People were honest and simple at that time. The king and his ministers were contented. After conquering a place, there was no exploitation or suppression of people.
King Jamyang Namgyal and Queen Gyal Khatoon: After Tsewang Namgyal passed away, his brother Jamyang Namgyal assumed the throne – 1560-1590 C.E. Due to non-cooperation by the chief of Balti land Ali Mir Sher Khan, the king took the decision to invade Balti land. However, the invasion failed and the king was captured as a prisoner in Skardo. At that time the Balti forces took away the sacred relics of the Buddha that the king had. That these sacred relics were in possession of the King of Ladakh was known to the Baltis. ‘It was an amazing fact of history that being Muslims they kept these valuable articles without any damage and loss’. (89). Ali Mir Sher Khan had a beautiful daughter named Khatoon (Salima Khatoon). King Jamyang Namgyal and she fell in love, and she was about to conceive a child. Ali Mir too wanted to free the King from prison and offer the princess in marriage. In his dream Mir had seen a lion emerging from a lake in Skardo and dissolving in the body of Khatoon. Hence, he told her to name the child Singe Namgyal; as Singe means lion. Mir also proposed that the son should become the ruler of Ladakh; Jamyang promised to do so.
The news of their marriage was happily received by the aristocrats and common people of Ladakh. ‘In his teaching Buddha had stated that just like hatred is not overcome by hatred, hatred is overcome by love. That teaching was understood by the people, clearly at that time.’ (90). A plan was set forth to build a special temple for Queen Khatoon. Hence, a temple with the shape of a Balti Mosque was built at Bago. Inside the temple, a statue of Maitriya Bodhisattva in a meditative posture was installed. The queen was overwhelmed with deep reverence. Temple stands even today.
The queen was claimed to be an incarnation of White Tara, who established peace and amity among people and took refuge in the triple gem; she was also the mother of the famous Singe Namgyal. (90).
After marriage the King did not launch any military campaign. During that period the areas between Kartaksha and Skardo and between Kartse and Soth were under the rule of Ladakh.
The celebration of the marriage of King Jamgyal Namgyal and Queen Khatoon by the people of Ladakh goes on to show the secular nature of the erstwhile state. The people imbibed openness as per the tenets of Dharma (Buddhist philosophy). That the Queen Gyal Khatoon was recognized as an incarnation of the White Tara proves that people were able to think beyond the earthly clutches of religious segregation. Hence, it can be inferred that the people of Ladakh during that period were true followers of Buddhism as they understood and followed the tenets of its philosophy.
It is important to note that King Jamyang Namgyal distributed wealth and land holdings equally to the people three times. Prior to this, that Emperor Ralpachan of Tibet re-distributed wealth and land to the people on three occasions had been described in ancient history of Tibet. (94).
King Singe Namgyal: King Singe Namgyal ruled from 1590-1620 C.E. He invaded Guge and Gyerlung. Then he proceeded to the far eastern frontier at Namringla pass. He signed a treaty with Drepa Tsangpa. At that time Drepa Tsangpa was ruling the provinces of U and Tsang of central Tibet. He even invaded: Pothrigs , Wakha, Soth, Kartse.
Lama Stagtsang Raschen Rimpoche was appointed as the royal Guru by King Singe Namgyal. The writer states that this happened ‘as a result of previous karmic action and prayers not—through expediency’. Hence, once again the author’s understanding of our culture and philosophy is apparent.
In order to commemorate the passing away of his father, Singe Namgyal got prepared a two storey high copper gilded statue of Maitriya Buddha at Bago. As per Buddhist philosophy death is seen as a process in this samsaric cycle of life and death. In fact, Buddhist philosophy urges one to constantly meditate on death to understand the truth of impermanence and the need for compassion (Words of my Perfect Teacher). He also built the long Mani wall having the stupas of Bodhi and victory at the two ends. Lama Stagtsang Raspa conducted the consecration ceremony for these monuments. That was the first such Mani wall built in Ladakh.
To commemorate the passing away of his mother Gyalmo Khatoon, King Singe Namgyal made offerings to Panchen Lama Lobzang Chosgyan. Further he offered one thousand butter lamps each at Lhasa, Samyas and Drigung monasteries.
Lehchen Spalkhar or Leh Palace : ‘In this Jambudipa whenever a wheelmover Dharma Raja came – he built one or two big Palaces which are mentioned in the ancient history of various countries. Like wise in Maryul Ladakh the great King Singe Namgyal built the nine storey high Palace of Leh.’ (98).
‘The central court of the King and special quarters for the guests were properly set up. In the west there is the Dudul or evil subjugating stupa and in the east there is the lion gate. In the north there is a passage to bring drinking water from a beneficent spring. All these indicated the greatness of the King.’ (99).
King Singe Namgyal got published the sacred books of Kangyur or hundred and eight volumes of direct teachings of Buddha in gold and silver letters.
At that time blue black coloured papers were prepared from herbal materials and gold and silver inks were prepared by grinding thin sheets of gold and silver and persons with good hand writing were engaged to write books for a long period of time. These Kangyur books were later damaged during the Dogra invasion. The remaining portions of these and other books remain stored in a temple at Bago.
Together the tiger like Stagtsang Raspa Rimpoche and lion like King Singe Namgyal who were turning the wheel of religious and political affairs respectively, managed the functioning of Ladags commendably.
During that period, the ruler of Bhutan, Druk Nawang Namgyal developed a relationship of guru, supporter, great friend and well wisher of Singe Namgyal. Nawang Namgyal Japtung Rimpoche was one of the first Lamas of the Drukpa School to wield political power. However, the one who took over the seat of the Drukpa savior was the victorious Pagsam Wangpo. During that period Nawang Namgyal and Depa Tsangpa (Central Tibetan Government) were engaged in war. Singe Namgyal offered several areas of Ngari Skorsoom to Druk Nawang Namgyal.(104).
THE GREAT POLITICAL CHANGE : In the later period of Singe Namgyal’s life, the Mongol War lord Gorzjhi Khan (Khan means ruler) namely Stanzin Chosgyal invaded Tibet and conquered the three Cholkas or regions: Amdo, Kham and U Tsang. Thus, Gorzjhi Khan snatched power from Depa Tsangpa. Afterwards he offered all the three Cholkas (regions) to the fifth His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
King Singe Namgyal had apprehensions that his political power in Maryul Ladakh might be undermined in the future in case of a gradual increase of Gyalukpa monasteries in Ladakh. Hence, he requested Stagtsang Rimpoche to convert all the Gyalukpa monasteries to Drukpa School. However, Stagtsang Rimpoche appreciated all Schools of Dharma equally and hence, rejected the king’s proposal. Only if the monks of the Gyalukpa School voluntarily chose to embrace Drukpa tradition would he welcome them. The King accepted his Guru’s advice. ‘It is quite clear that the flourishing of teaching and practice of the Dharma without partiality for a long time in the region of Maryul Ladakh has been an amazing mission of the sage Stagtsang Raspa Rimpoche.’
King Delegs Namgyal: During King Delegs’ reign (1640-1680 C.E), the doubt expressed by King Singe Namgyal had begun to manifest. The Tibetan government prepared to invade Ladakh. Since it was commanded by a Mongol named Galdan Tsewang, this war was described as the Mongol War. The war was purportedly waged due to the threat interpreted by the Gyalukpa school of Tibet from the growth of the Drukpa school in Ladakh. The war continued for three years without closure. Ultimately King Delegs requested the Moghul Governor of Kashmir for assistance. The Moghul Governor of Kashmir sent the request to the Moghul emperor at Delhi. The emperor issued an order that if the King of Ladakh agreed to accept Islam as his religion, military aid would be provided. Hence, the King acceded and he was named Oqbed Mahmud Khan. The King consequently acquired back the full kingdom of Ladakh.
During the war, when the Leh Palace had come under Galdan Tsewang all documents came into his hands and he sent them to Lhasa. Thereby Ladakh lost a large source of history. However, there was a silver lining. Those documents also contained the letters sent by the supreme Lama Mipham Wangpo of the Drukpa School (the one the Tibetan government suspected) to King Delegs. In these letters Lama Mipham Wangpo had mentioned that the King must uphold the supremacy of the Gelukpa school and pay homage to and respect all the Schools of Buddhism without any discrimination. King Delegs had accepted these suggestions without any reservations. This removed the Tibetans’ suspicions and the misunderstanding was cleared. Hence, due to the mutual understanding of goodwill, a ‘Treaty of Reconciliation between Ladakh and Tibet’ was signed.
Misconduct by King Tsepal Tondup Namgyal and the beginning of the decline of the dynasty. : The King of Ejan, Abdul Sattar came to seek refuge in Ladakh (he was running away from the Chinese). Initially King of Ladakh gave assistance. However, later he gave Abdul Sattar away to the Chinese in the hope that Ngari Skorsoom would be returned to Ladakh; this did not happen and Abdul Sattar was killed by the Chinese. This marked the days of decline of the dynasty.
In Ladakh spirituality and culture were valued above warfare and violence, therefore, military forces were not advanced. States that didn’t value culture and the development of the mind, concentrated on warfare.
Due to the suggestions of the Manager of Tambis, Zorawar Singh invaded Ladakh in 1834 (Zorawar was appointed as the Wazir of Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu). The Manager of Tambis did so to avenge King Ejan’s death.
After various battles he reached Leh and witnessed the Palace and the town. Here he found merchants from Singkiang, Kashmir, Tibet, Baltiland, Kulu, Punjab etc. He was amazed for traders from different places were not to be found in Jammu and Kishtewar. (206).
After a series of events, he snatched power from the King of Ladakh. The King was given the village of Stok as an estate.
Due to the growth of British influence, Gulab Singh established cordial relations with the British. After Gulab Singh signed the Treaty of Amritsar, he bought Kashmir Valley by making a payment of seventy five lakh rupees (207). He then became the ruler of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh; of the last two through rather dishonourable means I must add.
Later the Dogras planned to attack Tibet. However, they were defeated by the Tibetans. Together the Manager of Hemis Monastery and Tibetan Ministers planned to free Ladakh from Dogra rule and restore freedom. This lead to a series of events; events that include brutal plunder and destruction of religious relics of Ladakh by the Dogra ruler. Ultimately the Dogras managed to regain control over Ladakh. (214).
Such a turn of events adversely affected the spirit of the people of Ladakh; ‘the Dogras were not highly cultured but knew how to use weapons, military strategy’ to root out ‘the independence of Ladakh’. However, due to the dedication of the great Lamas of Ladakh, religious affairs of Ladakh were not damaged. Lama Tsultrim Nyima Pal Zangpo initiated the repair of the statue of Buddha of Shel built in King Deldan’s time. In his biography, Lama Tsultrim has written : “The King achieves by using his order and a Yogi achieves by his Bodhicitta”. Venerable Bakula Konchok Rangdol Nyima Rimpoche initiated repairs at Lamayuru Monastery.
The head Lama of Stagna Monastery, Tashi Tamphel Rimpoche was recognized as the reincarnation of Lama Stagna Rimpoche. At Padar he discovered a mine of Sapphire. He presented a sample of Sapphire and offered the entire mine to the ruler of Jammu, with the request that as per the norms of ancient times, the monasteries be exempted from taxes. Gulab Singh acceded. Hence, the various monasteries of different Schools of Buddhism could remain as before. ‘In that way if the religious affairs of Ladakh remained undamaged, the credit goes to the above mentioned eminent great religious personality.’ (216).
Dogra Rule lasted in Ladakh from 1834-1947. ‘This was the worst period in the history of Ladakh. The people of Ladakh lost their independence.’ Many lives were lost to warfare and epidemic. The people rebelled time and again but were crushed. Heavy taxes which were difficult to pay were levied. However, in a period of more than one hundred years, not a single person requested the Maharaja to relax the taxes (236). This spirit of pride in oneself and stoicism is a common characteristic of the people of Ladakh. Both in times of hardship and prosperity, our culture has taught us to conduct ourselves with an unerring sense of dignity. Moreover, the values of our culture and philosophy are so nourishing for the soul that the sway of materialism and superficial power is relatively weak. I pray and hope that we can maintain this spirit in the seemingly dark future.
After India attained independence in 1947 and Jammu and Kashmir eventually became a part of India, Ladakh too got became a part of India.
I’ll end this piece with excerpts from a poem by Meme Tashi Rabgais le at the end of his wonderful book ‘History of Maryul Ladakh’:
‘In the region of Ladakh, in the village of Sethi
The worldly man who has taken birth there
The history of one’s country to one’s own people
Has been told in one’s own native language with humility
I have no accumulated wealth to be proud of
I have no accomplishments of my own
The small book of history which did not exist before
I present it as a gift to the people
If there is a little merit for the efforts made here
The teachings of the supreme savior Sakyamuni
Which is the source of all happiness
May it spread in all directions and remain for eternity
In the minds of the people of all the nations of the world
May love and compassion be developed?
May they become like parents and brothers
May they be able to consume the prosperity of a new era!’
(the poem was originally written in Bodhik)
My entire piece of writing is based on Meme Tashi Rabgais le’s book : History of Maryul Ladakh (originally written in the language of Ladakh). I deliberately chose to go through this book because the history of a place can be brought out best by an indigenous writer. This book is indeed a gift for anyone from Ladakh and outside because Meme Tashi Rabgais le has touched upon the nuances of beliefs and philosophy of Ladags (Ladakh).
It is indeed a miracle that a small kingdom like Ladakh has survived with its culture intact. Perhaps it’s the values of compassion imbued from our religion and way of life; perhaps it’s the accumulation of good karma and merit; perhaps it’s the will to just let things flow with a happy smile and leave it up to fate; perhaps it’s our love for sentient beings and nature; perhaps it’s the will to survive. Perhaps it’s a little bit of everything, and we need to keep this alive for the years to come. It is after all one’s responsibility to keep alive a place where compassion, differences, nature and clear blue skies co-exist with a smile.
