The Tibet–Ladakh–Mughal War of 1679–1684 was fought between the Central Tibetan

Ganden Phodrang The Ganden Phodrang or Ganden Podrang (; ) was the Tibetan system of government established by the 5th Dalai Lama in 1642; it operated in Tibet until the 1950s. Lhasa became the capital of Tibet again early in this period, after the Oirat l ...

government, with the assistance of Mongol khanates, and the

Namgyal dynasty of Ladakh The Namgyal dynasty was a dynasty whose rulers were the monarchs of the former kingdom of Ladakh that lasted from 1460 to 1842 and were titled the Gyalpo of Ladakh. The Namgyal dynasty succeeded the first dynasty of Maryul and had several conf ...

with assistance from the Mughal Empire in Kashmir.

Background

In the late 17th century, Ladakh sided with

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...

in its dispute with Tibet. The Tibetans decided to punish Ladakh for interfering in their relations with

and the oppression of Gelug monasteries in Ladakh.

War

In 1679 the

5th Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was the 5th Dalai Lama and the first Dalai Lama to wield effective temporal and spiritual power over all Tibet. He is often referred to simply as the Great Fifth, being a key religious and temporal leader ...

appointed the lama of the

Tashilhunpo Monastery Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (), founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama, is the traditional monastic seat of the Panchen Lama, and an historically and culturally important monastery in Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. The monastery was ...

, the Koshut Golden Chhewang (), as the commander of the Tibeto-Mongol expedition to Ladakh. He is said to have done so against the advice of his prime minister not to send the expedition. Galdan Chhewang first secured his flanks when he made a treaty with Raja Kehri Singh of

Bashahr Bushahr, also spelt as 'Bashahr' and 'Bussahir' or 'Bushair' was a Rajput princely state in India during the British Raj. It was located in the hilly western Himalaya promontory bordering Tibet in the northern part of colonial Punjab region. T ...

, granting him trade rights with Tibet. Galdan Chhewang's first campaign resulted in the defeat of the Ladakhi army led by Shakya Gyatso (, at Khan-dMar. The following year he defeated the Ladakhis again at

Chang La Chang La is a high mountain pass in Ladakh at an elevation of in the Ladakh Range between Leh and the Shyok River valley. The Chang La, on Leh to Pangong Lake road, lies on the Leh- Karu- Sakti- Zingral-Chang La- Durbuk-Tangtse-Pangong Lake ...

(''Byan-la'') and occupied the country with the exception of the fortresses of

Basgo Basgo or Bazgoo, is a village situated on the bank of the Indus river in Leh district, Ladakh, India. It was once an important cultural and political centre and is frequently mentioned in the ''Ladakhi Chronicles''. It is known for its gompas s ...

, and Tinggmosgang, which held out against the Tibetan attacks for the next three years. The stalemate was broken with the Mughal Empire's intervention in the war. Kashmir was a Mughal province at this time and included Ladakh in its sphere of influence. In 1683 an army led by Fidai Khan, son of governor Ibrahim Khan of Kashmir, defeated the Tibeto-Mongol army and lifted the siege of

, continuing the pursuit until

Lake Pangong Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake (; ; hi, text=पैंगोंग झील) is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of . It is long and divided into five sublakes, called ''Pangong Tso'', ''Tso ...

. The Kashmiris helped restore Ladakhi rule on the condition that a mosque be built in

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former ...

and that the Ladakhi king convert to Islam. The Mughals retreated after signing a treaty with the Ladakhis. Kashmiri historians assert that, after this, the Ladakhi king converted to Islam in return. However, the Ladakhi chronicles do not mention such a thing and the Ladakhi people refute it. The king agreed to give tribute to the Mughals in return for their help. Johan Eleverskog writes that in his struggle for power over Tibet, the Fifth Dalai Lama employed fear and violence over the Tibetan territories.

Treaty of Tingmosgang

In 1684, the

Prime Minister

Desi Sangye Gyatso Desi Sangye Gyatso (1653–1705) was the sixth regent (''Desi (Tibet), desi'') of the 5th Dalai Lama (1617–1682) in the Ganden Phodrang government. He founded the School of Medicine and Astrology called Men-Tsee-Khang on Chagpori (Iron Mountain) ...

and the King

Delek Namgyal The Namgyal dynasty was a dynasty whose rulers were the monarchs of the former kingdom of Ladakh that lasted from 1460 to 1842 and were titled the Gyalpo of Ladakh. The Namgyal dynasty succeeded the first dynasty of Maryul and had several conf ...

of Ladakh signed the 1684

Treaty of Tingmosgang The ''Ladakh Chronicles'', or ''La-dvags-rgyal-rabs'' (), is a historical work that covers the history of Ladakh from the beginnings of the first Tibetan dynasty of Ladakh until the end of the Namgyal dynasty. The chronicles were compiled by th ...

to end the war. According to the ''

Ladakh Chronicles The ''Ladakh Chronicles'', or ''La-dvags-rgyal-rabs'' (), is a historical work that covers the history of Ladakh from the beginnings of the first Tibetan dynasty of Ladakh until the end of the Namgyal dynasty. The chronicles were compiled by th ...

'', the treaty fixed the Tibet-Ladakh border at the

Lhari stream The Charding Nullah, traditionally known as the Lhari stream and called Demchok River by China,{{efn, name="White Paper XII" is a small river that originates near the Charding La pass that is also on the border between the two countries and flows n ...

near Demchok, and regulated trade and tribute missions between Ladakh to Tibet.; ;

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tibet-Ladakh-Mughal war of 1679-84 Conflicts in 1679 1680s conflicts History of Ladakh Wars involving Tibet Wars involving the Mughal Empire 1679 in the Mughal Empire 1680s in the Mughal Empire