Hi there,
Let me share something about trade and commerce scenario of our region. It is an interesting theme and I had already written in the past let’s do it again. As mentioned the caravan trade of Ladakh existed until the year 1962 after which it stopped completely.
The post independence Ladakh continued with its north and south eastern Changthang trade. This was simply a barter trade and there were about five hundred Buddhist families all over Ladakh that dealt in it and thrived handsomely.
One must see that this was a very important economic engagement which happened twice in a year before the start of agriculture season and another after the harvesting.
And the goods that were bartered included:
Barley, roasted barley flour (tsampa), wheat and wheat flour, pulses, mustard, dry fruits such as apricot, apple, walnut, mulberry, rice, jiggery, sugar, fabric like cotton, spices etc. These goods went from Ladakh on caravans of mules, horses, dZos, Yaks and donkeys escorted by the family business heads.
The trade that these goods fetched included:
High altitude lake dried salt, live stocks like ‘khalpa’ indigenous sheep, goat, horses, yaks, pashmina or cashmere wool, sheep wool, animal hides, musk, medicinal herbs, yak butter, dry cheese, cheese powder, ‘Thoot’ (a nomadic dry cheese delicacy made in jiggery and yak butter), dry meat of yak and pungent salted dry meat of sheep, goat, dzos and the brick tea etc.
It was due to the complementarities of the usages of these goods that sustained the trade and it also became indispensable over the period of time. The people of the high altitude Changthang region completely a nomadic stock while Ladakh a settled Agrarian Society.
The most outstanding traders amongst the Ladakhi traders were the Shammas*(Buddhist communities) of lower Ladakh along with Baltis of Kargil and Skardo also many large families in upper Ladakh belonging to both Buddhist and Muslim communities.
The Shammas employed donkeys as its means of transport while other made use of horses, mules, dZos (cross breed between local cow and Yak, a sturdy animal), yaks etc.
During this period barley was the main medium of exchange in Ladakh. The weights was measured in terms of ‘Bos’ (a wooden jar for measuring different weights of barley say, a Kg, one and half Kg or two Kg) there was a bo referred to as ‘Ser or gold bo’ probably the size of two Kg.
The weights were measured in ‘Khal’ (measuring four bos of one Kg each) that’s so many khals for this good or that one and so forth.
Weight was also measured on a tool called as ‘Nyaga’ (ancient weight measuring tool consisting of leather or a cotton container hanging at one end of the stick bar which extended horizontally outward and weight placed after the centre point of the stick bar and adjusting equilibrium.
In our village of Serthi (Sakti) the Changpa traders of Changthang would arrive in the month of late August and for next one month the ‘Spangchenmo’ (great meadow) of our village would become a very busy site with the posting of many nomadic tents and traders bringing their goods and live stocks such as goats, sheep, yaks, horses. Hundreds of sheeps carrying ‘Nugal’ (double cased bags filled with salt).
Our family too would receive its age old trading associates with annual goods comprising of:
Salt (mainly), besides wool, pashmina or cashmere, ‘Tsoskhul’ or Shatoosh fleece of the antelope, ‘Tsaru’ (hide of kids used in making ‘Lenan’ or ear like head gear on ‘Perak’ turquoise ladies head gear) also used in man’s overall ‘Kos or Namza’ and in the waist coats of the ladies.
Besides various edible goods such as brick tea, dry cheese, yak butter, thoot delicacy, dry yak meat, and dry meat of other live stock such as dZos, goat and sheep. They would also bring jewelry items such as turquoise, coral, pearls, ‘Docha’ (silver locket) both as jewelry and spiritual item to install small statues of Buddhas and Bodhisatvas. Some would also bring various ancient statues of deities also kitchen wares such ‘Marlook’ (butter melting pot), ‘Tibril and Meslung’ (tea and fire pot) etc.
Whatever, one might think the Changthang trade engaged the people of Ladakh and outside with its unique economic opportunities and prospects. All this ended with the coming of the Chinese occupation of this region.
Question is can this border be open for future trade and commerce and tourism instead of wasting resources on military built up and its deadly consequences for the two ancient civilizations? Bye for now.