Ladakhi Studies

Higher Education Scenario in India has become a dynamic platform. Blended Learning, as a pedagogical tool for imparting education has gained a solid foothold in the educators' environment in India, especially in the post Covid era. Rapid expansions in technology and platforms available for imparting learning has left the educators spoilt for choice. With effective blends of face to face learning and online interventions, the educators of today are able to achieve effectiveness of learning content and improvement in learning quality. When it comes to creating effective blends, educators need to be careful that their choice of pedagogical tool matches the learning content. They need to determine whether the blend of pedagogies created for learning purposes are effective in achieving the decided learning outcomes. In this scenario, theatre as a pedagogical tool for language learning has gradually gained a strong foothold. This paper aimed at analysis and review of different forms of theatre and dance drama as a pedagogical tool for language learning for development of quality education. Data for this research has been collected through interviews of educators involved in language learning using effective blends of theatre as a pedagogical tool. The results of this research shows that theatre as a pedagogy for language learning has not gained much popularity and has not been practiced enough in institutes of higher education due to several factors. But the ball has started rolling. Given suitable opportunity, these forms of language learning, blended with other learning content, can actually help in creating an effective blend for achievement of learning outcomes.

The research paper examines the patterns of coexistence between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Ladakh from the sixteenth century onwards. Employing a historical and analytical approach, it explores the socio-cultural, economic, and religious interactions that shaped inter-community relations in the region. The study highlights the shared cultural practices, mutual exchanges, and everyday interactions that fostered communal harmony despite differences in religious beliefs. It further investigates the ways in which communities negotiated common spaces and developed a sense of regional belonging while maintaining distinct religious identities. By tracing the traditions of coexistence, the paper seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of Ladakh's pluralistic social order. In doing so, it contributes to broader discussions on interfaith relations, cultural accommodation, and peaceful coexistence in historically diverse societies.

This article explores Begar (forced labour) as a key instrument in the expansion and consolidation of the Dogra State of Jammu and Kashmir during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Moving beyond traditional military narratives, it argues that Dogra territorial growth, particularly in the frontier regions of Ladakh, Baltistan, Gilgit and other mountainous frontier regions, depended not only on armed campaigns but also on the systematic mobilization of forced labour. Begar served as a significant logistical mechanism, enabling the movement of troops, transport of supplies and the construction of roads, forts and administrative infrastructure in a geographically challenging and environmentally constrained terrain. The study highlights how geographical isolation, rugged topography and limited economic resources shaped the Dogra State's sustained reliance on compulsory labour extraction, showing that Begar was not a temporary wartime necessity, but an organized practice of governance embedded in the everyday functioning of frontier administration and military control. Despite periodic criticism and reformist pressures, particularly under British influence, the system continued well into the twentieth century, until its official abolition in the 1920s, with coercive practices continuing in modified forms thereafter till the accession of the state with the Indian Union.

Our nation is filled with variety of culture and traditions. There are above 570 distinctive tribal groups residing all over India. Tribal and folk traditions reveal and outline beliefs, essence, and desires of people that contribute them a unique national identity. The significance of protecting our cultural heritage and value is that it keeps us integrated as citizens of one nation. Photography as a medium of art, which not only captures the real life, moment, emotions and expressions but also, helps in recording and communicating it to the world. This paper is an initiative to review the role and impact of photography in preserving Folk and tribal culture, tradition and art in India.

Nineteenth century was one of the most important periods in the history of Ladakh. It was the period when centuries old political status of Ladakh was transformed with the region losing its independence and becoming a part of the Dogra state of Jammu and Kashmir.Following this period of political transition, ‘Ladakh wazarat’ emerged as one of the most important peripheral districts of the Dogra empire, which now came to acquire commercial and strategic importance as well. This period of changed political undercurrents in Ladakh was also concomitant with the emergence of another external influence in the form of colonial intervention. The colonial policy of expansion in the western Himalayas coalesced with the rise of the Dogras as their ally. And the greatest fallout of the British-Dogra alliance was the foundation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir with treaty of Amritsar in 1846. Taking leverage of this alliance, there was a progression in colonial interference in the affairs of the Dogra state, a phenomenon which is commonly witnessed in the princely states, and has been a theme widely studied by the scholars.
Through this essay, I have attempted to study the nuances of colonial intervention in the ‘Ladakh wazarat’, as part of the Dogra empire. Such epochal state of transition and intervention, endangered new conditions and circumstances which needs deliberations to understand socio-political mechanisms adopted by the external forces in establishing their control and influence in the peripheral ‘wazarat’ of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative and political contingencies that were created in Ladakh under such conditions forms the theme of this paper, based on which this study investigates the stages of confrontations and conformity that took place between the Dogras and the British authorities, while administrating and controlling Ladakh.

Nineteenth century was one of the most important periods in the history of Ladakh. It was the period when centuries old political status of Ladakh was transformed with the region losing its independence and becoming a part of the Dogra state of Jammu and Kashmir.Following this period of political transition, ‘Ladakh wazarat’ emerged as one of the most important peripheral districts of the Dogra empire, which now came to acquire commercial and strategic importance as well. This period of changed political undercurrents in Ladakh was also concomitant with the emergence of another external influence in the form of colonial intervention. The colonial policy of expansion in the western Himalayas coalesced with the rise of the Dogras as their ally. And the greatest fallout of the British-Dogra alliance was the foundation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir with treaty of Amritsar in 1846. Taking leverage of this alliance, there was a progression in colonial interference in the affairs of the Dogra state, a phenomenon which is commonly witnessed in the princely states, and has been a theme widely studied by the scholars.
Through this essay, I have attempted to study the nuances of colonial intervention in the ‘Ladakh wazarat’, as part of the Dogra empire. Such epochal state of transition and intervention, endangered new conditions and circumstances which needs deliberations to understand socio-political mechanisms adopted by the external forces in establishing their control and influence in the peripheral ‘wazarat’ of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative and political contingencies that were created in Ladakh under such conditions forms the theme of this paper, based on which this study investigates the stages of confrontations and conformity that took place between the Dogras and the British authorities, while administrating and controlling Ladakh.

The nineteenth century was one of the most important periods in the history of Ladakh. It was the period when centuries old political status of Ladakh was transformed with the region losing its independence and becoming a part of the Dogra state of Jammu and Kashmir. Following this period of political transition, 'Ladakh wazarat' emerged as one of the most important peripheral districts of the Dogra empire, which now came to acquire an enhanced commercial and strategic importance as well. This period of changed political undercurrents in Ladakh was also concomitant with the emergence of another external influence in the form of colonial intervention. The colonial policy of expansion in the western Himalayas coalesced with the rise of the Dogras as their ally. And the greatest fallout of the British-Dogra alliance was the foundation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the treaty of Amritsar in 1846. Taking leverage of this alliance, there was a progression in colonial interference in the affairs of the Dogra state, a phenomenon which is commonly witnessed in the princely states, and has been a theme widely studied by the scholars. Through this essay, I have attempted to study the nuances of colonial intervention in the 'Ladakh wazarat', as part of the Dogra empire. Such epochal state of transition and intervention, endangered new conditions and circumstances which need deliberations to understand socio-political mechanisms adopted by the external forces in establishing their control and influence in the peripheral 'wazarat' of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative and political contingencies that were created in Ladakh under such conditions forms the theme of this paper, based on which this study investigates the stages of confrontations and conformity that took place between the Dogras and the British authorities, while administrating and controlling Ladakh.

The nineteenth century was one of the most important periods in the history of Ladakh. It was the period when centuries old political status of Ladakh was transformed with the region losing its independence and becoming a part of the Dogra state of Jammu and Kashmir. Following this period of political transition, 'Ladakh wazarat' emerged as one of the most important peripheral districts of the Dogra empire, which now came to acquire an enhanced commercial and strategic importance as well. This period of changed political undercurrents in Ladakh was also concomitant with the emergence of another external influence in the form of colonial intervention. The colonial policy of expansion in the western Himalayas coalesced with the rise of the Dogras as their ally. And the greatest fallout of the British-Dogra alliance was the foundation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the treaty of Amritsar in 1846. Taking leverage of this alliance, there was a progression in colonial interference in the affairs of the Dogra state, a phenomenon which is commonly witnessed in the princely states, and has been a theme widely studied by the scholars. Through this essay, I have attempted to study the nuances of colonial intervention in the 'Ladakh wazarat', as part of the Dogra empire. Such epochal state of transition and intervention, endangered new conditions and circumstances which need deliberations to understand socio-political mechanisms adopted by the external forces in establishing their control and influence in the peripheral 'wazarat' of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative and political contingencies that were created in Ladakh under such conditions forms the theme of this paper, based on which this study investigates the stages of confrontations and conformity that took place between the Dogras and the British authorities, while administrating and controlling Ladakh.

Our knowledge about the practitioners and followers that make up the Buddhist social world in Spanish-speaking countries is still minimal despite its relevant history and roots. Yet we have considerable resources, as evidenced by studies of the institutionalization and propagation of Buddhism both in Spain (with the pioneering works of Díez de Velasco and the thesis of Liliana Arroyo), and in Latin America (the compendium of excellent works published in Buddhistdoor en Español). 
Most of the information about the Buddhist population comes from global data and surveys, such as the World Values Survey, with high representation from the Asian world, where most Buddhists live (According to the Pew Research Center, Buddhism is the fourth world religion (after Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism) and is followed by almost 7% of the world’s population. 95% of Buddhists live in Asia. Data on Buddhism in the West and Spanish-speaking countries are scarce and do not provide a comprehensive vision of what the Buddhist population outside Asia is like and its relationship with Buddhism, its values, and its individual and social practices.
And hence our goal is to get a little closer to the characteristics of people who follow or are close to Buddhism and to their path of practice towards enlightenment. With this we also hope to better understand the processes of introduction and adaptation of Buddhism to the West and specifically to the Spanish-speaking world, characterized by being mostly Catholic.

Developmental agendas have pre-dominated political practice in Leh-Ladakh and have become a political rhetoric. These developmental agendas have frequently been appearing in the electoral politics of Ladakh merely as conventional promises made by the political parties. These promises of development are being promulgated in the pretext of demands like UT status, Divisional Status for Ladakh, Greater Autonomy to the Hill Council, Tunnels on Zojila and Rotangla passes, Kailash Mansarovar raod, etc. resulting in undervaluing or reducing the importance of primary developmental needs in the fields like public health, education, communication etc. So, in Ladakh, the developmental claims are mainly appeared in the pretext of some bigger long term goals failing to meet some of the genuine needs of the society. Moreover these bigger agendas have tended to be projected as a panacea of all the other small development related problems in some primary fields. This paper argues that these conventional big agendas irrespective of the feasibility and properness of timing have come to marginalize all the genuine demands that ought to have been raised.

The integration of nature within educational settings has gained increasing attention due to its impact on children's cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development. Montessori education, developed by Maria Montessori, places strong emphasis on the relationship between children and the natural environment. Nature is not viewed merely as an addition to the curriculum but as an essential component of learning and holistic development. This paper examines the use of nature in Montessori classrooms and explores how natural environments, outdoor learning experiences, and nature-based materials contribute to children's development. Drawing upon Montessori philosophy, contemporary educational theories, and current research studies, the paper analyses the role of nature in fostering independence, concentration, creativity, environmental awareness, and social responsibility among learners. The study further discusses practical applications of nature in Montessori classrooms and the challenges educators face while implementing nature-based pedagogy in modern educational contexts.

En mars 2020, suite aux premiers cas de Covid-19 en Indonésie, le gouvernement annonçait la fermeture totale de tous les sites touristiques du pays. Dans les mois qui suivaient, l'industrie du tourisme s'effondrait avec une chute de 14 milliards $ US (1,3 % du PIB) (OMT, 2021) 2 et des pertes d'emploi conséquentes pour les régions les plus touristiques (3,5 millions d'emplois menacés). Ce fut le cas du village de Bejiharjo, situé dans le district de Gunung Kidul rattaché au territoire spécial de Yogyakarta, seconde destination touristique d'Indonésie. Depuis le classement de cette région comme géoparc en 2010 par l'État indonésien puis par l'UNESCO en 2012, le gouvernement local a fait du tourisme l'un des pivots de son économie. Secteur d'investissement stratégique, cette économie a connu une longue période de croissance : passant de 616 696 touristes locaux en 2011 à 1 337 488 en 2013, et à 3 680 803 (pour 20 000 internationaux) en 2019 sur l'ensemble des sites du géoparc 3 . En peu de temps, le tourisme est devenu un domaine d'investissement prioritaire et, comme l'indique le Département du Tourisme et de la Culture de Gunung Kidul, il s'agissait dès lors pour les services régionaux de « faire de Gunung Kidul une destination touristique de premier plan, avant-gardiste et cultivée pour une société compétitive, avancée, indépendante et prospère en 2021 » 4 . Cependant, à Bejiharjo, la rapidité et la brutalité avec laquelle l'activité touristique s'est développée au cours de la dernière décennie ont bouleversé les modes de vie villageois. Cette activité -dominante et surinvestie par rapport à la demande -est devenue le théâtre de conflits internes autour de la captation et de l'accroissement de la manne touristique. Le triptyque délicat avancé par l'UNESCO et les institutions gouvernementales régionales -préservation environnementale, développement économique et valorisation de la localité socio-culturelle -semble avoir du mal à se combiner au niveau local.

The Bhalesī dialect is an Indo-Aryan language variety spoken in the northern portion of Bhadarwah, Jammu-Kashmir, India. Situated at a critical linguistic frontier, Bhalesī exhibits a unique blend of archaic features and influences from adjacent Pahari and Kashmiri dialects. This paper reviews and extends the foundational descriptive work on Bhalesī, focusing on its distinctive phonological and morphological characteristics. A primary finding is the presence of vocalic Umlaut-a phenomenon parallel to that found in Kashmiri-used fundamentally in the formation of the plural and oblique noun stems. Furthermore, the dialect's isolated geography contributes to its role as an "eminent pattern of dialectical preservations and innovations," making it crucial for understanding the historical development of the NorthWestern group of Indo-Aryan languages.

The accessible adobe brick ruins of Nyarma in Ladakh provide a unique opportunity for research on earth building traditions up until ca. 1000 years ago. The monastic compound which today is in ruins with no remaining wooden structure is composed of one main temple and four free standing temple structures. According to literature sources, only the main temple is dated .Mineralogical research on material qualities together with an examination of the construction of the temples revealed the relation between material qualities and properties of construction. Results include knowledge on the origin of the temples' earth material and the processing of such material as an economic working practice. Aspects of construction, like the width of the walls, the different kinds of brick bond, the sizes of the bricks or the tapering of walls, are analyzed and the results juxtaposed to mineralogical analyses on factors such as bulk-and clay mineralogy, grain size distribution, grain shapes, color and organic additives. With a package of constructive and material features, the individual characteristics of each temple are uncovered and the results compared. Conclusions are made on the use of different brick sizes and `3-bricks' and `2-bricks' brick bonds, and their relation to a certain group of temples. An explanation for the method of tapering walls and the use of tapered walls within the whole monastic compound is determined. Certain analogies in constructive and material characteristics allow for a hypothesis on the grouping of temples within a common period of foundation. The stating of an interrelation between certain methods of construction and the quality of the building material is a methodological step forward in research on the interrelation between historic and recent methods of construction, and is a basis for further research on vernacular Himalayan structures.

This research paper aims to examine the historical and geopolitical trajectory of Minsar (alternatively referred to as Mensar, Menze or Mansar in various sources). It is a largely forgotten yet geopolitically significant Indian enclave in Tibet. Minsar represents a crucial chapter of Indo-Tibetan history and a significant aspect of Himalayan frontier security. Positioned along the historic Kailash–Mansarovar pilgrimage corridor, its revenues were reserved for the upkeep of sacred sites at Mount Kailash and the adjacent holy lakes of Mansarovar and Rakas Tal. Drawing upon archival revenue records and census reports, this study presents robust evidence of India’s long standing sovereign claims over Minsar. The enclave is presently under de facto Chinese control in the absence of any formal instrument of Indian renunciation. This study contends that Minsar’s strategic proximity to China’s G-219 highway, along with its cultural and religious linkages to India, necessitates renewed scholarly attention within the broader context of Himalayan territorial disputes.

Tuberculosis is a disease of global public health concern. Knowledge about cause, mode of transmission, duration of treatment among TB/default patients is of utmost importance. Objectives-To assess the knowledge about Tuberculosis in Tuberculosis and default patients, and to understand sociodemographic characteristics of patients who defaulted from RNTCP treatment regimens. For this case control study, eligible patients for the study were identified from the TCU registers and contacted to answer a questionnaire. Whole Kashmir valley was selected for sampling. For each case of default, two controls (Cured/ Treatment completed) were interviewed on already formulated, pretested questionnaire in their respective homes. A total of 61 cases (Default) and 122 Controls (Cured/Treatment Completed) were taken up for study. 27.9% of the study population belonged to district Baramulla, 27.9% from district Budgam, 26.2% from district Srinagar, 11.5% from district Anantnag followed by 6.6% from district Pulwama. Only 18% of default patients attributed TB to microbe, 42.6% of the default patients did not know the cause of TB. The association of default with knowledge about cause of TB was found to be statistically significant (p value 0.02). 44.3% of default patients did not know how TB spreads, only 26.4% of the default patients stated mode of spread of TB by air. The association of TB with mode of spread was found to be significant statistically (p value 0.02). 49.2% of default patients stated 6 months as duration of treatment; however, 91.8% of controls mentioned 6 months as duration of treatment of TB. The association of knowledge about duration of treatment with default was found to be highly significant statistically (p value 0.001). Cough was the most common symptom present in 78.7% of default patients followed by fever in 52.5%, haemoptysis in 32.8% and weight loss was seen in 24.6% of default patients. There is a wide gap in factors pertaining to knowledge about Tuberculosis and duration of treatment among Cases and Controls.

First of all, I would like to address the question if the calculation methods and mathematical operations used in the previously researched areas of time calculation and astronomy (skar-rtsis) as well as financial, economic and tax mathematics (rde'u-rtsis) in Tibet in themselves represented something like arithmetic as pure mathematics and that therefore their validity could not be questioned. An example is presented for this purpose. The fact that this validity was assessed in this way also by well-known Tibetan mathematicians can be seen from the following concluding remark of the sde-srid Sangs-rgyas rgya-mtsho (Vaidūrya dkar-po, p. 21) in his explanations of arithmetic: rab-byams shes- bya kun brtsi yang/ bsgyur-bkod thams-cad de-ltar yin “Even if you calculate anything that is widely known, every multiplication and division is like this.”
Basically, this also justifies the auditability of statements of claims from tax collection and financial planning and Economics through mathematics. This auditability was one of the pillars of the constitutional community and the state in Tibet.

It must be said that the Tibetan arithmetic and astronomical knowledge did not exceed what one learns by the end of middle school classes in a German high school.  Nevertheless, the Korean Jo, Sokhyo spread the following thesis: “However, the field of Indo-Tibetan as-tronomy is beyond the reach of understanding of nearly all Tibetologists.” The second part of my paper will provide examples of applications of mathematical knowledge by Tibet re-searchers that terribly support this thesis.
In the third part I would like to introduce mathematical, statistical procedures which can be easily mastered and which are indispensable as a basis for a serious presentation of the social history of Tibet.
My lecture ends with the statement that serious Tibetological research is not possible with-out comprehensive knowledge of the Tibetan written language.

In the Kalachakra tradition, Shambhala is usually described as a hidden and sacred land. Most scholars explain it as a symbolic or inner geography of enlightenment, not as a place that can be reached by normal travel. This article takes a simple question: do Kalachakra texts, rituals, and living traditions still keep the memory of a real landscape that was understood as Shambhala in a ritual sense?
The study focuses on the Zanskar–Ladakh region of the western Himalaya. It combines close reading of Kalachakra texts with field observations, local oral traditions, ritual practices, old place names, and architectural evidence connected with the Kanika Chorten. Through this approach, the article looks at how ideas such as inner and outer principalities, mandala structure, deity symbolism, and the Eight Auspicious Signs appear in the land itself, in village locations, and in the religious life of Zanskar.
The paper suggests that Zanskar worked as a ritual landscape. Here, the mandala and deity images of Shambhala was not only imagined but also placed onto real mountains, rivers, and valleys. The round flow of the Zanskar River, mountains that look like lotus petals, the survival of Sanskrit-based place names, and Kalachakra palace-related building layout together show a long tradition of linking sacred ideas with lived space.
It says that Shambhala is more than just a story or a place beyond this world. Instead, it's a ritually remembered area of land especially after the Fourth Buddhist Council whose narratives has changed over time due to changes in Mahayana and Vajrayana in the later period. Looking at it this way, Zanskar seems like a place with deep historical roots and a rich culture that brought together Kalachakra theory, ritual practice, and sacred memory. This may have something to do with eschatological traditions that go back to King Kanishka and Ashvaghosha.

This paper presents a multilingual translation of the Subhāṣita-Mañjarī (literally, “a cluster of wise sayings”; Padmaja Prakashan, 2015, 4th rev. ed.), a traditional Sanskrit collection of didactic verses selected and compiled by Dr. Sadananda Das of Leipzig University. It contains 101 verses suitable for Sanskrit language study and moral instruction, accompanied by parallel translations in 13 languages: Japanese, Korean, Modern Chinese, Classical Chinese, Tibetan, Odia, Czech, Polish, German, Italian, French, English, and Spanish. The work was undertaken as an international collaboration led by Dr. Sadananda Das and Dr. Yosuke Fujimoto of the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies, and originated in a summer school in Spoken Sanskrit held in Leipzig in 2024. The translations reflect the varied approaches by individual translators in balancing semantic fidelity to the Sanskrit original with literary expression appropriate to each target language. Alongside the translated texts, this paper includes appendices containing an overview of the Sanskrit meters used in the Subhāṣita-Mañjarī and audio recordings of the subhāṣitas in Sanskrit, Odia, Czech, and Korean. The publication is thus intended to serve as a resource for the study of classical Sanskrit wisdom and culture worldwide.

This study centers on Ti shri Ras pa Shes rab seng ge (1164–1236),
the last Imperial Preceptor of the Tangut Empire, situating his career
within the empire’s struggle for survival and its deployment of Tantric
statecraft. A lineage holder of the ’Ba’rom Bka’ brgyud tradition, Ti
shri Ras pa served the Tangut court during its final three decades (c.
1196–1226). Celebrated for conducting battlefield Mahākāla rituals to
fortify Tangut forces against Mongol incursions, he exemplified the
fusion of esoteric Buddhism and secular governance that defined
Tibet-Tangut relations. His career offers a critical vantage point from
which to explore the entanglement of religion, warfare, and political
vulnerability in a collapsing empire.

Sindh bölgesinin köklü Raşidî (Rashidi) Seyyid ailesinin Ehl-i Hadis (Ahl al-Hadith) ve Selefi çizgideki önde gelen Khilafatist Pirlerini ve âlimlerini ele alır. Özellikle Sindli Raşidî Seyyidleri arasında yetişen ve Osmanlı Hilafeti'ne aktif destek veren önemli isimlere odaklanır: Allamah Rushdullah Shah Rashdi (Sindh'te Khilafat Hareketi'nin öncülerinden biri olup, Larkana'da konferanslara başkanlık etmiş ve hareketi güçlü şekilde desteklemiştir), Allamah Ihsanullah Shah Rashdi (Rushdullah Shah'ın oğlu olarak Khilafat Hareketi'nin Sindh'teki erken aşamalarında önemli rol oynamış, İngiliz politikalarına karşı direnişte etkin olmuş ve Jhandewara Cemaati'nin manevi liderliğini üstlenmiştir) ve Pir Mahbub Shah Rashdi (aile içindeki etkili Pirlerden biri olarak anti-kolonyal ve Khilafatist çabalarla bağlantılıdır).
Raşidî Seyyidleri, Sindh'in İslami ilim geleneğinde hadis, akaid ve fıkıh alanlarında etkili olmuş, Güney Asya'daki Ehl-i Hadis hareketinin önemli temsilcileri arasında yer alır. Çalışma, bu Khilafatist Pir ve âlimlerin Osmanlı Hilafeti'ne (özellikle hilafet kurumunun sembolik ve dinî otoritesi ile küresel Müslüman ümmetin birleştirici unsuru olarak) gösterdikleri sadakati, destekleyici tutumlarını ve bu bağlılığın Selefi/Ehl-i Hadis metodolojisiyle nasıl uyum sağladığını tarihî, fikrî ve siyasî boyutlarıyla inceler.
Hind Alt Kıtası'ndaki Ehl-i Hadis akımının Osmanlı hilafetine yönelik genel yaklaşımı, 1919-1924 yılları arasındaki Khilafat Hareketi dönemindeki yaygın dayanışma ve Osmanlı ulemasının çeşitli akımlara bakış açısı da karşılaştırmalı olarak ele alınmıştır. Sindli Raşidî Pirlerinin faaliyetleri, beyanları ve biyografik bağlamları üzerinden Osmanlı hilafetinin Müslüman dünyasındaki birleştirici rolüne vurgu yapılır.
Anahtar kelimeler: Raşidî Seyyidleri, Ehl-i Hadis, Selefilik, Osmanlı Hilafeti, Sindh uleması, Khilafat Hareketi Sindh, Allamah Rushdullah Shah Rashdi, Allamah Ihsanullah Shah Rashdi, Pir Mahbub Shah Rashdi, Ahl al-Hadith Sindh, Hilafet bağlılığı, Khilafatist Pirler.

Once renowned as an entrepôt within the Trans-Himalayan trade networks, Ladakh, the northernmost region of India, occupied a pivotal position linking the subcontinent with Tibet and Central Asia.

Both historical and ethnographic in approach, Ladakh: The Land of Gold traces the region’s past through the enduring pursuit of gold and examines how this precious metal shaped Ladakh’s encounters with empires, culture, and religion. Drawing on extensive archival and archaeological resources, as well as rare oral testimonies recorded during his travels, the author advances a new interpretive framework for understanding Ladakh’s history.

Rigzin Samphel is a Ladakh based freelance writer and researcher. This is his first publication.

Аннотация. В последние годы в научный оборот были введены письма калмыцкой знати XVIII-XIX вв., а вместе с ними и печати, оттиски которых стоят на этих письмах. В данном исследовании приводится прочтение легенды на печати Чимета, двоюродного дяди известного калмыцкого правителя Аюки-хана. Цель статьиввести в научный оборот сфрагистические данные о печати Чимета и выяснить ее происхождение. Материалом послужили недавно опубликованное письмо Чимета 1708 г., а также образцы печатей из Берлинской Турфанской коллекции Берлинско-Бранденбургской академии наук и гуманитарных наук и каталог оттисков печатей из Ладакха. В ходе исследования выяснено содержание надписи на печати Чимета и ее предположительное происхождение. Ключевые слова: Калмыкия, печать, сфрагистика, калмыцкая сфрагистика, Чимет, уйгурский язык, Тибет, Турфан, Ладакх, квадратное письмо. Митруев Б. Л. Печать нойона Чимета // Вестник Бурятского государственного университета. Гуманитарные исследования Внутренней Азии. 2021. Вып. 3. С. 47-54.

Out of courtesy to colleagues who have limited knowledge of German language.
Abbreviated English translation by Google translate of:  Das Märchen von der Einkerkerung einer ladakhischen Prinzessin in der Burg von Kagbeni: Eine Herrscherurkunde des 7. Dalai Lama zum Krieg zwischen Mustang und Jumla des Jahres 1723. Zentralasiatische Studien 47 (2018), S. 7 – 27.

Over the last few decades, artists in Ladakh have made significant changes to sacred Buddhist art, particularly in how they create thangkas. Thangkas were primarily used in religious ceremonies, but are now sold in tourist markets and monasteries. This commercialisation of thangkas raises questions about their authenticity, ritual value, and cultural continuity. This paper is based on ethnographic work conducted in the Leh district of Ladakh, India, in 2025, which integrates semi-structured interviews with artists, shop proprietors, and women conservators of the Shesrig Foundation with visual analyses of paintings and murals. The findings show that artists respond differently to commercial pressure. Rabden and Chuskit adhere closely to canonical iconometry, consecration rituals, and devotional discipline, whereas Birju and Tsewang modify imagery, pigments, and production speed to cater to the demands of tourists. Synthetic colours have replaced mainly natural, mineral-based colours, although natural materials continue to be used in conservation work and for high-value commissions. Shop owners often act as cultural mediators, educating buyers about cultural significance and the ritual placement of thangkas, and encouraging their participation. The women conservators of the Shesrig Foundation are a big change in a field that has mostly been run by men. This study demonstrates that changes in Ladakh's thangka trade are not a story of decline, but of ongoing negotiation, where livelihood, ritual practice, and cultural continuity coexist in dynamic tension.

Thanks to paintings that decorate the best preserved Tibetan Buddhist temples, now within India, we have a record of thigma, tie-dyed woollen cloths, from ca. 1200, if not before. Jordan Quill unlocks a world of knowledge that has previously been left largely unexplored owing to the lack of extant textile examples.

The following research paper is an attempt to explore and examine the ways in which transmission of men, materials and knowledge along the Silk Roads helped in the political, economic and cultural evolution of the Kashmir region from ancient to modern times. The study aims to understand the geographical continuity and cultural affinity between Kashmir and the rest of Central Asia. It focuses on the dominant position acquired by Kashmir and Ladakh in the trans-Himalayan trade networks. However, with the onset of the Great Game these traditional trade and cultural linkages between Central Asia and Kashmir were greatly disconnected. As colonial influence gradually extended over the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, these historic ties were fragmented, representing a significant geopolitical shift in the region's prominent role along the Silk Roads.

The publication of the following and other legal documents prove that the kings of Ladakh in the 17th and 18th century were by no means able to make decisions in an absolutist manner over the heads of lower officials. This is also evident in the present legal dispute over the fields of a gNyer-pa in Purig, which was obviously delayed by the hesitation of local decision-makers. In addition, the king was obliged to ensure compliance with traditional law and the impartial conduct of trials. This traditional law is described in several documents using the terms yul-khrims (local law) and yul-rgya (basic legal documents). I am not sure whether, as was the case with the tax bases, there were also lists of land ownership in the reign of dKar-rtse that constituted a kind of land register. Undoubtedly, the fundamental legal relationships were based on royal charters issued by the respective king or his predecessors and on supplementary court rulings that went beyond these, which were available in written form and were consulted in legal disputes. Although the king was the supreme magistrate in all these matters, he often delegated his authority to representatives (sku-tshab), who then acted on his behalf.

Bhutanese law has inherited certain Indo-Tibetan Buddhist systems, which bear the imprint of political and legal thought linked to Buddhism. From the 17th century onwards, it developed its own codes of law, embodying the Buddhist project of eudemonistic governance, framed by ethics and based on understanding between the people and the Bodhisattva King. From the 20th century onwards, the country’s legal codes incorporated notions from Anglo-American law. The 2008 Constitution attempts to harmonize royalty, Buddhism and democracy.

This chapter examines some of the methodological practices employed in the compilation of the Tibetan-Italian-Tibetan dictionary by Francesco Orazio della Penna (1680–1745), an Italian Capuchin friar sent on an apostolic mission to Tibet. It shows how an in-depth examination of the dictionary entries reveals important details about Della Penna’s encounter with the Tibetan language. Considered within their historical context, these entries illustrate the author’s methods of approaching, deciphering, and translating cultural concepts that were often entirely unfamiliar to him. At the same time, they demonstrate his malleability in repurposing Tibetan Buddhist expressions to render Christian concepts, as well as his efforts to render Buddhist ideas comprehensible to a Western, Catholic audience. In so doing, this chapter shows that a philologically oriented reading of the dictionary allows us to reconstruct how it was created and to document aspects of this early encounter between Tibet and the West.