Hi there,
After retirement my father published his book on the history of Ladakh which throws light on the lives of series of Dharma Rajas that came one after the other since the 10th century C.E in Ladakh.
Ladakh’s first King was Lhachen dPalgyigon. The eldest son of the King Skilde Nyimagon of the Kingdom of Ngari in western Tibetan along Mt. Kailash
Prior to that there was the rule of the ‘Chos’ or Chiefs the famous of the Chos being the Gyapa Cho or the Chief of Gya region about 70 Kms from Leh on the Leh-Manali highway on the foothills of Tuglung Lha pass.
It is believed that there was almost a thousand year’s rule of the Chos or Chiefs and the populations were living in the hinterland areas not in the main Indus valley.
That happened with the coming of the Tibetan origin King in the early 10th century C.E and the establishing of a fort on the Shell or Shey hills which is still there in an impressionable ruin even today.
Hence, Ladakh was popularly known as the ‘Maryul’ in the past which means the ‘Red land’ due to its topography or due to the red sunset on a typical summer day that made the already red rugged rocks along the Indus valley still redder, this one can experience even today near Shey pick nick spot !
Another important aspect was that there was a renaissance of Buddhist cultural heritage taking place in the region of Ngari due to the arrival of the great Buddhist master, the Abbot of Maha Nalanda Vihara, Dipankara Shrigyana or Chozhi Paldan Atisa through Ngari into Tibet for the revival of Buddhism in Tibet in the 10th century C.E.
Later, his school became famous by the name of the Kadampa School. In Ladakh Lhukhil or present Likir Gompa has the legacy of Kadampa tradition.
With the coming of this great teacher or little prior to this period twenty novice monks were sent to Kashmir to learn Sanskrit and Buddhist studies. Out of twenty novice monks only two or three returned of whom we have the great translator and the master of the renaissance period Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo.
Who after spending 20 years in Kashmir became well versed in Sanskrit and Tibetan and began the constructions of unique Buddhist Viharas unlike the Tibetan or Ladakhi architecture but rather a fashioned in Indian Vihara style.
Today, we have the Aclhi, Mangyu and Sumdha as the remnants of the three unique Viharas of the 11th century C.E period built by the great Maha Pandita Rinchen Zangpo and out of this Alchi Vihara has been listed in the world heritage site!
My late father Aba Tashi Rabgias le describes so comprehensively in his history book titled, ‘Maryul Ladakhs Ki Nyonrabs Konsel Melong zJhes Chawa Zjhuks So’ or the ‘History of Maryul Ladakh called the Mirrior that Illuminates All’.
The same has been translated into English by him with the title ‘History of Maryul Ladakh’ which is available only in Leh as it being a self publication.
The book launch was done in the month of Sept 2018 through the hands of our Queen mother Ama Deskit Wangmo le when my late father was still living.
This was undertaken under the aegis of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Leh through the participation of the Academy of Art, Culture and languages of the former State Government of Jammu and Kashmir now under the U.T administration.
For the first time a modern day book review launch was undertaken by the retired Principle of Central Institute of Buddhist studies Sh. Nawang Tsering Phepa being a Professor of English the review was brief and very well prepared. the occasion saw the participation of Ladakh’s prominent intellectuals and Academicians besides participation of former Ministers, senior bureaucrats and well wishers of my late father. Since then it is becoming a trend to launch other books authored by the local writers in Leh at present.
The history book that begins in the 10th century C.E ends towards the last King of Ladakh Tsephel Tundup Namgyal in the year 1834 also brief history is shared about the Dogra rule from the year 1834 until 1947 when India got independence after more than two hundred years rule of the British. (concludes) bye for now.