Of leading foreigners who visited Ladakh in last seven centuries

The lure of the moonland-- Ladakh has beckoned many visitors- travelers, scholars, expeditionists and the rest, in last seven centuries; most of them Westerners, who have contributed towards a better understanding of this mystery land. Let us make a brief mention of these FIRST-comers as this is the first compilation on this information.

During the reign of the grandson of Rinchen Lha-Chen-Khri-tsung-de, that is between 1380 and 1400 AD, a large number of Nestorian Christians is first believed to have migrated to Ladakh, as refugees from Central Asia but not much is known about their visit and may be the un-deciphered writing on the rock at Tangsey, Durbok in Ladakh belongs to them.

In the first half of 15th century the two kingdoms of Shey and Basgo were reunited and the founder of the united dynasty took the surname of Namgials. Senge Namgial who ascended the throne in 1616 A.D was the great king of Ladakh. During his reign Father Francesco de Azevedo and Giovani de Oliveiro visited Ladakh. These Jesuits describe Senge as “a man of tall stature, his ears adorned with turquoise and he wore a string of skull bones around his neck”.


In 1715 when Nyima Namgyal ruled Ipolito Desideri passed through Ladakh and saw the lake of Shey blue like turquoise; alas! at present there is no trace of this lake. William Moorcroft along with George Trebeck stayed in Ladakh from 1820 to 1822 and it is believed the former put forth the advice of building a fort to the king. During the same time Alexander Csoma de Korosi spent over a year in a monastery in Zanskar. In the wake of stirs of Ranjit Singh’s expansionist empire, King Tsemphel Namgial made an offer of allegiance to East India Company through William Moorcroft.

In 1834-35 Henderson came to Ladakh and acted as informer of Dogras. Commander of chief of Dogras Zorawer Singh invaded Ladakh and built the fort at Leh in 1836. G.T. Vigne, author of Travels in Kashmir, Ladakh and Iskardo: was in Leh from 1835-38 and he speaks of the restrictions and the troubles Dogras gave him in Leh. 1838 brought Dr.Falconer to Leh. In 1846-47 Alexander Cunningham surveyed and demarcated the boundaries between Ladakh, Spiti and Tibet. During 1852-54 he wrote his book Ladakh and West Himalayan Tibet. In 1856 Hermann Von and Emil Schlagintweit visited Ladakh. Hermann was the first visitor to have obtained a manuscript of ex-King of Ladakh-Jygmed Namgial, which was later published in German in 1866. He is also believed to have introduced poultry in Ladakh.

In 1862 Frederic Dew, a geologist traveled Ladakh and Coyley was the first British Joint Commissioner of Leh in 1867. Johnson, who served as the governor of Ladakh from 1871-83, was the first British to have conducted the geographical survey of Ladakh. Authour of Life of St. Issa -unknown life of Jesus and the renowned Nicoles Notovitch, visited ladakh during 1866 and also later in 1890 when he was treated by Dr. Karl Marx in Hemis Gompa. In 1870 and again in 1873 Douglas Forsythe crossed Ladakh while going to Yarkand and Kashger for forging trade between East India and Eastern Turkestan.

In 1871 Robert Shaw, the British Joint Commissioner at Leh and ambassador designate, traveled to Kashghar. His agent Andrew Dalgleish settled in Yarkand and for 14 years was engaged actively in Leh-Yarkand trade. Andrew was assassinated by an Afghan, Daud Mohamud, enroute. In 1864 Morovian mission had penetrated Leh. In 1885 Leh became the headquarters of the Morovian Church mission and the Leh church was established by Rev, Ratslab. Dr Karl Marx was the first medical missionary doctor in the mission hospital Leh.

In 1892 two Britons Major N. Malcolm and Captain Neilly Wellby accompanied by six Ladakhis; including Baba Kalam Rasul Malik- the greatest known expeditionist of Ladakh after Galwan Rasool, left from Leh to Peking via Tibet. In 1902 the English traveler A. Reeve Herber was in Leh. In 1903 Rev. J. Peter of the Morovian Mission started a newspaper- Ladakh Phoyian, in ladakhi language; the first paper in J &K state. In 1906 the Swedish explorer and author of Trans Himalaya, Sven Hedin came to Leh and stayed at Lamayuru gompa in July 1906. After Karl Marx-who perhaps died around 1890, his brother in law Dr. A.H. Francke, also of Morovian misson, came to Leh. On being sponsored by Director General of Archeology in 1909 Francke worked on the same manuscript ( La-dvags-rgyal-rabs- chronicles of Ladakh) on which Marx had worked. He compiled Antiquities of Indian Tibet and History of Western Tibet- published in 1926 and 1927. One F.E. Shaw was in Leh during Francke’s time. Francke’s history of Ladakh is a pioneer and fundamental work which was consulted by all historiographers and improved by few.

Since 1930s Prof G. Tucci and Prof L.Petech have become and still remain the chief authorities on the history and culture of old western Tibet. Tucci wrote Indo-Tibetica and Petech A Study of the Chronicals of Ladakh. Recently in 1986 a ladakhi scholar has brought out a book on history of Ladakh in Bodhi Language. Snellgrove and Skorupski who worked on Monastic paintings of Ladakh, remained here from Oct 1974 to Feb 1975. The noted writer Heinrich Harrer visited Ladakh six times from 1944 to 1978. Writings of these leading and undaunted visitors have contributed greatly to the appreciative understanding of this mystery land, its people, its religion and culture.

(Feedback at writemindscape@gmail.com)