Ladakhis, Ladakhi people, or Ladakspa are an ethnic group and first-language speakers of the

Ladakhi language The Ladakhi language is a Tibetic language spoken in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is the predominant language in the Buddhist-dominated district of Leh district, Leh, and a minority language in the district of Kargil district#Langua ...

living in

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. A small number of Ladakhis are also found in Baltistan,

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

History

has a long history with evidence of human settlement from as back as 9000 B.C.E. It has been a crossroad of high Asia for thousands of years and has seen many cultures, empires and technologies born in its neighbors. As a result of these developments Ladakh has imported many traditions and culture from its neighbors and combining them all gave rise to a unique tradition and culture of its own.

Culture

The languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs of the Ladakh region are similar to

. Ladakhi is the traditional language of the region. The popular dances in Ladakh include the khatok chenmo, cham, etc. The people of Ladakh also celebrate several festivals throughout the year, some of the me Hemis Tsechu and Losar.

Religion

Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard and Shinu tribes and Shina people, the main inhabitants of the Dras and Dha-Hanu regions, predominantly follow Islam while small minorities follow

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

. The region's population is split roughly in half between the districts of

Leh Leh () is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Kashmir_dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TE ...

and

Kargil Kargil or Kargyil is a City in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TERTIARY, tert ...

. 76.87% population of Kargil is Muslim (mostly

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

), with a total population of 140,802, while that of Leh is 66.40% Buddhist, with a total population of 133,487, as per the 2011 census. In 2024, 5 new districts were created. Currently Buddhism is the majority faith in five of the districts-

, Changthang, Zanskar, Sham and Nubra; and Islam is the majority faith in

and Drass district. The majority of Ladakhis, Changpa and Brokpa follow

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

while most Purigpa and Shina follow Islam.

References

Ladakh Ethnic groups in India Ethnic groups in Ladakh {{India-ethno-stub

History

Culture

Religion

See also

References