About the Book Ladakh is a remote area in the western Himalayan region. In spite of the huge mountain ranges, Ladakh had developed into an active and important religious, cultural and commercial relation with many areas including Buddhist Tibet. Ladakh along with Sikkim, Bhutan and Mustang in the cis Himalaya continuous to be practiced Tibetan Buddhism as a living religion, as it has been for thousands years. This study traces the deep historical relationship between Ladakh and Buddhist Tibet. I have used the term Buddhist Tibet to indicate the time period that is before Chinese occupy Tibet.

I would like to express my gratitude for the assistance have received from various people and institutions researching and writing this book. This book has mainly grown out of a dissertation that I wrote at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Few articles that I have already published are also included in the book. I have also used some data that I have collected for the undergoing research project at Richen Shah Center for West Himalayan Cultures at Islamic University of Sciences and Technology, (IUST) Awantipora, Kashmir.

About the Author Dr. Sonam Joldan was born in Leh Ladakh. He received his doctorate in 2006 from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has participated in many international conferences and published several articles on the Western Himalaya. He has been working as Public Relations Officer (PRO) with the Minister for Tourism and Culture of the Government Jammu and Kashmir State of India for about two years. He has been awarded many gold medals in National Shooting and Archery championships. At preset he is working as Assistant Professor at the Rinchen Shah Center for West Himalayan Cultures, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, Kashmir in India.

Preface Ladakh is a remote area in the wester Himalaya. In spite of the huge mountains ranges, Ladakh had developed into an active and important religious, cultural and commercial relation with Buddhist Tibet and many other countries. Ladakh along with Sikkim, Bhutan and Mustang in the cis Himalayan states where Tibetan Buddhism continuous to be practiced, as a living religious, as it has been for thousands years. This study traces the deep historical relationship between Ladakh and Buddhist Tibet. I used here Buddhist Tibet to indicate the time period that is before Chinese invade Tibet.

Introduction Ladakh is the northernmost part of Jammu and Kashmir State, linked with the Kashmir valley by the Zogila pass (3529 meters) and forms a part of the trans-Himalayas.' It is one of the most elevated regions of the earth, the altitudes ranging from 3000 meters to 7000 meters.2 It lies roughly between 32 to 36 North latitudes and 76 to 79 East longitudes.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages