Social Life of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh

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The State of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the largest states of the Indian Union. Situated in the north-west extremity of India, it captures a strategic position in our sub-continent. Most of the population is of Indo-Aryan stock but Kashmir is actually inhabited by diverse and different races separated one from the other by high mountain passes. There are many strange and interesting customs and social practices prevailing among them.

Jammu is the home of the Dogras, a hardy people divided into various castes and sects. They speak the Dogri language, a mixture of Sanskrit, Punjabi and Persian words. One of the distinct class of the Valley is that of the Brahmins, popularly called Kashmiri Pandits. They are considered to the purest specimens of the ancient settlers in this area. But the overwhelming majority of the people in the state profess the Islam. This population is divided into Sunni and Shia sects, the former being in a prepondering majority.

The people of Ladakh belong to three distinct races, namely the Dards, the Mons and the Mongolians. The first two belong to the Aryan race whereas the Mongoliams have close resemblance to Tibetans. They migrated sometime in the 10th century A.D. from Central Asia. Majority of the population of Ladakh is Buddhist.

The present volume depicts a panoramic view of the social life prevailing in these mountainous regions of India.

Usha Sharma after obtaining graduate degree from Delhi University and post-graduate degree in English Literature from Punjab University entered the teaching profession in mid-seventies. She has a long teaching experience and has over the years, attended various educational seminars/workshops. Apart from a few articles, she has more than a dozen books to her credit.

The golden Valley of Kashmir is one of the loveliest spots of the world. Most of her people claim descent from the primitive Indo-Aryan stock but Kashmir is actually inhabited by diverse and different races separated one from the other by high mountain passes. There are many strange and interesting customs and social practices prevailing among them.

Jammu is the home of the Dogras, a hardy people divided into various castes and sects. They speak the Dogri language, a mixture of Sanskrit, Punjabi and Persian words. Khatris and Mahajans form the backbone of trade and commerce in this area. Harijans area community which mostly follow the profession of agriculture.

One of the distinct class of the Valley is that of the Brahmins, popularly called Kashmiri Pandits. They are considered to be the purest specimens of the ancient settlers in this area. During numerous political upheavals they suffered at the hands of religious persecutors. They studied the Persian language and kept themselves in their traditional occupation, viz. government job which was retained by them throughout the later periods of Mughal, Pathan and Sikh rule. Also, in the fields of art, philosophy and literature they have produced a galaxy of authors, savants and saints.

It goes without saying that the overwhelming majority of the people in the Valley profess the Muslim religion. This population is divided into Sunni and Shia sects, the former being in a preponderating majority.

The people with whom the visitor to the Valley oftenly comes in close contact are the hanjis or boatmen of Kashmir.

The State of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the largest states of the Indian Union. It is situated between 32° 17' and, 36° 58' north latitude, and 73° 26' and 83° 30' east longitude. It covers an area of 22,22,236 sq. km. It has boundaries extended to Russian Turkistan in north, Tibet is east, Punjab in south and Pakistan in west. It includes, besides the celebrated Valley, the areas of Jammu, Ladakh, Baltistan, Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar. It is mostly mountainous, rising in several tiers from the plains in the south to the high altitude valleys and peaks in the north, and enclosing some of the loftiest inhabited helmets in the world.

The State has a chequered history which is chronicled in Sanskrit verses in the Rajatarangini (literary the "River of Kings"). Dr. Stein, an eminent Oriental scholar said that "Kashmir can claim the distinction of being the only region of India which possesses an uninterrupted series of written records of its history reaching back beyond the period of the Muhammadan conquest and deserving the name of real chronicles".

Kalhana relates the story of Kashmir till the 14th century when Buddhist and Hindu rulers ruled over it. After four centuries of Muslim rule it was conquered by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab in 1819. Soon after his death in 1839, the East India Company defeated the then Sikh ruler of Punjab who ceded Kashmir to the Company in lieu of Rupees one crore. The Company sold Kashmir to Raja Gulab Singh, the Dogra Government of Jammu. The Dogra dynasty ruled over the state till 1949. However, on the transfer of power in 1947, the State of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, and Ladakh, a part of that State became an integral part of India.

**Contents and Sample Pages**