History Of Leh

Leh is a district towards the eastern part of Jammu and Kashmir. The Zanskar River feeds the town of Leh. The barren land of Leh has a mixed relief. Leh is the lucrative destination for all the nature lovers and it has many historical monuments and religious buildings that add to its charm. The history of Leh is as fascinating as its scenic beauty.

For centuries Leh has been a pivotal stopover on the trade routes along the Indus valley. Major commodities that were traded were grain, cashmere wool, salt, cannabis raisin, Banaras brocade, silk yarn and indigo. Many trade routes have been converged on Leh from the four cardinal directions.

History of the region is shrouded in mystery. It comes into light when we find the formation of a kingdom towards the end of the 10th century. A Tibetan prince-Skyid lde Nyima gon or Nyima Gon is credited to lay foundation of this kingdom. This prince was the grandson of Langdarma-an anti-Buddhist Tibetan king. This new king conquered the Western Tibet. He is believed to have found many towns and castles. It seems that he ordered the building up of the chief sculptures at Shey. Shey is at a distance of 15 kms to the east of modern Leh. It was the ancient seat of the Ladakhi kings.

During the generation of Prince Nyima Gon, the bitterness to Buddhism existed no more. An inscription shows his statement which says that he has got these constructions for the religious benefit of the Tsanpo (the dynastical name of his ancestors) and of all the people of Ngaris (Western Tibet).

During the time period of Delegs Namgyal (1660-1685 A.D.), Kashmir was a province of the Mughal Empire. The Nawab of Kashmir arranged a Mongol army to temporarily leave Ladakh. He returned later. He made many troublesome demands from Delegs Namgyal as a payment for assisting the latter. Among his slightest demands was the construction of a large mosque in Leh at a prime location. This mosque was not the first one in Leh. It reflects the Tibetan and Islamic architecture. The older mosques are also there which are smaller.

The kingdom of Ladakh was ruled by King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century. During his tenure, the glory of Ladakh was at its peak. He shifted his capital from Shey to Leh. When Leh became the capital of the region, it flourished and became one of the busiest markets on the Silk Route.

He is credited to have built the Leh Palace. The Royal palace was deserted when the Balti Kashmiris plagued it in the mid part of the 19th century. The royal family then shifted to Stok Palace where it lives till date. The Leh Palace now lies in shambles.

The Temple of the Guardian Divinities (also known as gon-khang) was built by the king Tashi Namgyal. He is believed to have ruled during the last quarter of the 16th century A.D. The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa is the main Buddhist centre.

Some older walls of fortifications are there. Behind these fortifications, as Francke reported, were used to be known as the 'Dard Castle'. If the construction of Dard Castle is credited to the Dards; the establishment of Tibetan rulers must be pre-dated by it as old as more than thousand years ago. Chamba and Chenresi monasteries are below it. The dates of these monasteries are still not known.

The splendor of Leh is now open to all. History of Leh adds to the fascination of Leh. So, make haste and visit the place of immense historical significance.