INTRODUCTION:

Ladakh’s physical proximity to Eastern Turkistan has meant that it has always played an important part in history. This proximity has made it possible for overland commercial routes to exist, as well as culturally connections between various areas. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the territories of Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley were connected to the regions of Central Asia via trade and other forms of interaction. Today, families that have traditionally had trading relations in Leh recount the commercial movements that occurred between Leh and Yarkand all the way up to the middle of the past century. Old men with beards at the medieval mosque in the heart of Leh's commercial district light up with excitement whenever the word "Yarkand" is spoken.

"Reopening the Karakoram Pass," as one of the men put it, "would be hugely beneficial for Ladakh and will make Leh a major trading center." These age-old trade relations via Ladakh to Central Asia gradually declined. Luciano Petech claims that during the second half of the eighth and first half of the ninth century Ladakh must have remained under a loose suzerainty of Tibet.¹ And being under the suzerainty of Tibet, Ladakh must have been an important trade emporium of the said kingdom. With the fall of the Tibetan monarchy, Ladakh and Dardic speakingpeople coexisted. During the The history of Ladakh may be deduced by looking at the origins of the numerous roads leading to Ladakh and the nations that are located in close proximity to it, as Jacqueline Fewkes has pointed out.² These diverse routes give a spectacle that allows one to gaze into the history of the area and its relationship with the countries in close proximity to it. During the nineteenth and twenty centuries, Ladakh served as a crossroad between British India and Central Asia. It is vital to comprehend this region's history in this context.

Routes That Are Crucial:

Ladakh has not been isolated or in any way cut off from its neighbors despite the fact that it is located in a physically distant region. In point of fact, up until 1947, it served as the hub of a network of trade routes whose immediate destinations included Skardu, Srinagar, Hoshiarpur, Kulu, and through these, the wide plains of India, Lhasa, and Yarkand despite the challenges posed by the high altitude and mountainous terrain.³ There are men who are still alive today in Leh and Kargil who have traveled from Yarkand in Sinkiang across the 5575- The recollections of these guys provide us with the opportunity to get a glimpse of the last remnants of an economic system that had persisted for generations. Even more important and fundamental to Ladakh's economy than this glamorous long-distance trade in luxury goods was the local inter-regional trade.⁴ There are a number of routes which connect Ladakh with India on the one hand and China and Central Asia on the other, some of them are given. The following is a list of the principal links for regions in and beyond India that are accessible via Ladakh:⁵

a) The road from Kashmir to Yarkand: This is the main high route that goes to Yarkand and passes via Kargil and Leh.

b) Kullu-Yarkand road: This route enters Ladakh Tehsil from Lahol in the Government area and is the preferred destination of traders from Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, and other cities in the region. The British Joint Commissioner is responsible for ensuring that the Treaty High Road, which is comprised of the two routes described above, is in good condition at all times.

c) The Khalsi-Chorbat road is one that branches off of the Treaty road close to Khalsi and connects with the Kargil-Skardu route close to Kiras. This road is only accessible during the summer months.

d) The path from Tanktse to Lhasa takes travelers to Rodak by way of Man Pangam and Shushal. During the winter, the establishment is closed for around three months.

e) The route between Giah and Damchok and Lhasa is blocked throughout the winter for about two months. The following is a list of the many routes that may be taken to reach Ladakh from each conceivable direction:⁶

1. The western route that passes via Kashmir and originates in Kabul and the Punjab.

2. The route that travels to Leh from the center of Punjab through Jammu, Kashtwar, and Zanskar in the south-western direction. This route has a fork that takes travelers from Zanskar to Rukchu and then on to Leh.

3. The route that leads to Leh from the south and passes via Kulu, Lahul, and Rukchu on its way from Lahore and Amritsar. In Rukchu, another route that comes from Bisahar by way of Spiti connects with this one.

4. The route that runs from Lhasa to Garo and then continues on to Leh across the Indus River. This route to Garo is connected to a branch that comes from India and goes across the Niti Pass.

5. The route that heads east from Chinese Tartary and passes through Rudok, the Chushal Valley, and the Sakte Valley before arriving at Leh.

6. The route that leads to Leh from the north, beginning in Yarkand and Kotan, passing through the Karakorum Mountains, and then following the Shayok and Nubra rivers. The original path, which has now been blocked by glaciers that flood the stream, followed the Shayok from its source all the way to Sassar. From there, travelers had the option of continuing down that river or traversing the mountains and traveling down the Nubra river to reach Leh.

7. The route that heads north-west from Balti, passing via the Shayok and Indus rivers on the way to Leh.

At the Crucible of History is Ladakh:

During this time, Ladakh held a pivotal position within the network of overland trade routes. In the year 1846, a new princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was founded, and the territory of Ladakh became a part of this princely state. Leh served as a meeting place for merchants from all around Central Asia, Tibet, and India who wanted to trade their wares. Not only did this economic interaction keep the underdeveloped economies of the semi-closed system in these distant and high-altitude districts afloat, but it also supplied the crucial raw materials for the burgeoning shawl and carpet industries in Kashmir. In addition to this, it provided significant assistance to the local commerce that took place between Leh and Skardu (Baltistan), which was a Tehsil within the Ladakh Wazarat of the state of Jammu and Kashmir back when the Dogras were in power. Leh Bazaar was the location where merchants from Eastern Turkistan and Russia made contact with their Indian counterparts. At the same time, a great number of Russian merchants made their way to Kashmir from the Ladakh side on a rather regular basis. Leh, the capital of Ladakh, served as a trading hub for Russian commodities that were imported from Yarkand. Large amounts of Kashmiri shawls were in high demand among the Russian aristocracy in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The demand was particularly strong. Alexander Burnes also wrote about the "great passion for shawls among the Russian nobles," which he believed was the primary reason for the very high pricing of this items.⁸

However, the Chinese closed the Yarkand route, which prohibited Russians from having direct access to Kashmir for the purpose of doing business. Since the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir saw his newly acquired realm as his own personal property, he used his authority as the ruler of the recently founded princely state in an unconstrained manner. In light of the Russian incursion into Central Asian territory, the independence of the Maharaja on the boundary became an eye sore for British India. As a result, missions were sent out to investigate the strategically important position of the newly constituted kingdom. Dr. Cayley was given the responsibility of performing a particular job in Ladakh in order to monitor and guard the border situation. Even at that time, the British had very little power in Ladakh.⁹ Because of the strategic significance of the routes that linked the British Indian dominion of Punjab to Central Asia, the control of Delhi Darbar was expanded over the maharaja. This was the case because of the importance of the routes.

The "Great Game," which was the result of a heated competition between the British and the Russians in Asia throughout the nineteenth century, provided the impetus for the involvement of British India in Ladakh. As tensions between the United Kingdom and Russia increased, the British government decided to use Ladakh as a 'buffer zone' to monitor Russian expansionism in the region. It is noteworthy to recognize the interests and continuous participation of the British, Russian, and Chinese in the territory of Eastern Turkistan.¹⁰ Beginning in the late 1860s, the British expanded their sphere of influence in Ladakh by appointing a Trade Agent in Leh. According to G.L. Alder,¹¹ the first British Trade Agent, Dr. Henry Cayley, was tasked with the responsibility of bringing about several improvements to the trading process.

According to sources from the United Kingdom, Dr. Cayley was assigned to the location of Leh with the responsibility of "maintaining the tariff fixed by the Maharaja of Kashmir." However, in reality, he was required to "enquire into the state of trade between India and Central Asia and to collect and sift political information regarding the progression of events in Chinese Turkistan." In the beginning, Cayley's presence at Leh was seasonal and temporary. However, later on, he was appointed as a permanent Leh agent designated as British Joint Commissioner, following the treaty between the Government of India and the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir in 1870.¹² Together with the Jammu and Kashmir Wazir, he was tasked with the responsibility of supervising the Treaty Road to Central Asia while simultaneously maintaining political developments. As a direct consequence of this, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir's ties with Yakub Beg, the ruler of Eastern Turkistan from 1865 to 1877, deteriorated, and the British interest in Ladakh and its border regions increased. As a consequence of this, the British interest in Ladakh and its frontier territories decreased the control of the Maharaja in Eastern Turkistan. The British state was able to increase its interior control over the princely state and at the same time boost border security by controlling the route in the peripheries and the borderlands, which gave them more control over the route overall.¹³

The Current Predicament in Geopolitics

After that point, there have been no ongoing involvements in the region. Ladakh's strategic importance after independence was overlooked, and the northeastern part of the region was considered to be one of the world's bleakest stretches. Nehru described this region as having "no people live and not a blade of grass grows."¹⁴Despite this, the region is important to the question of national security for both China and India. The strategic position of Ladakh, which is a component of the trans-Himalayan trade route, is overlooked, and there has been no real endeavor to study this crucial geopolitical region. On the other hand, India began seeing Central Asia as "our near abroad" beginning in the 1990s and continuing forward.

India's participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has been a focus of New Delhi's efforts since the beginning of 2012, when they unveiled their "Connect Central Asia" agenda. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a global organization that includes Central Asia that addresses concerns such as commerce and terrorism. Since 2005, India has been a part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an observer, and it has been working hard to become a full member of the organization ever since it became an observer in 2005. In 2016, India was finally welcomed into the SCO as a full member. Because to this occurrence, India now has a greater stake in the Central Asian area. During our conversation with the expert on foreign policy, P Stobdan, a senior fellow at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA), which has its headquarters in New Delhi, shared the following information: "India is working to set up other international transport corridors, thereby facilitating trade and commercial interaction with the Eurasian region." He highlights the fact that India does not have a military policy in place for the Central Asian area. It is possible for India to realize its goal of gaining access to Central Asia through Ladakh if the country works to improve its connection to Leh and continues to revive the long-standing historical commercial relations it has had with Central Asia. India must cast its understanding of Himalayan geopolitics and border strategy in light of its strategic relevance in relation to Central Asia.

The Resumption of Historically Significant Trade Routes

The physical geography of the land is less likely to undergo significant shifts than the human geography of a region.¹⁵ This implies that while there may be periodic changes to the political borders, the geographical limits will almost always stay the same. The Karakoram Pass is one of the greatest instances of such a boundary since it was utilized by the commerce caravan that traveled between Leh and Yarkand. This historic trade route across the Karakoram Mountains has the potential to act as India's primary commercial access point to Central Asia. It is possible to go from India to Central Asia by following this route via Xinjiang, which is an autonomous region in China. In addition, China has said that Kashgar, which is located in Xinjiang, would be turned into a free trade zone over the next few years.¹⁶ On China's side of the border, freight highways are already linked to Central Asia. On the Indian side, the Rohtang pass tunnel in Himachal Pradesh is now being construction, and its completion is anticipated to take place in the not too distant future. This route, which will link Delhi and Leh, would be accessible in all weather. Between Leh and the foot of the Saser La Mountain, there is already a motorable road that can be driven on year-round. The Karakoram Pass is not a significant distance away from this location. Therefore, old trade connections have the potential to be revitalized and made financially viable once again. The Karakoram trade route is important to India in a number of different ways. There was some concern that Chinese invaders may enter the Indian subcontinent via the Karakoram and Saser mountains. Both of these crossings are located in Pakistan. Up until 1984, India did not have authority over the mountain ranges that are located to the west of the Karakoram. This was one of the reasons why this statement is partially accurate. Karakoram and Saser passes may be thought of as gates that act as strict borders between India and Central Asia now that Saltoro ridge is firmly held by Indians. Saser pass is also known as the Saltoro pass. Demand for feasible transport connection and land-linking services are being generated as a result of the rise of Asian integration as well as growing economic prospects for interregional commerce. Despite this, India and the nations of Central Asia have been working to overcome the challenges posed by geographical separation and geopolitical competition. The more essential topic is how to reestablish the historic Silk Route that passed through Ladakh and gave a space to link India and Central Asia through the Xinjiang region of China. It is unmistakable that Xinjiang served as the crossroads for many modes of transportation in times past and that it continues to do so now. Ladakh continues to be one of the most practical routes to use while traveling to Xinjiang and is thus one of the ways that India may establish a connection with Central Asia. However, India has not yet fully recognized the geo-strategic significance of Ladakh in relation to Central Asia, and China's sensitivity to any involvement in Jammu and Kashmir may rule out this option. China is sensitive to any engagement in Jammu and Kashmir. The revitalization of an ancient trade route that was active up to the year 1947 would have significant symbolic ramifications if it passed through Ladakh. This route was known as the Silk Route. The route that passes via Xinjiang would be more practical in comparison to the highly turbulent regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Today, China adheres to the guiding idea of the "Silk Route Strategy" in order to establish direct connections with the nations of Eurasia through its region of Xinjiang. To connect with other commercial hubs, the city of Beijing has built a network of trains, motorways, and pipelines. One of China's most significant accomplishments was completing the Pakistan-bound Karakoram highway, which stretched from Gilgit-Hunza-Chitral-Dir and Islamabad all the way to the Arabian Sea. As a means of fostering more commercial activity, the Chinese government is now formulating plans to expand trade corridors that link Yarkand and Khotan to Rudok, Gartok, and, finally, Taklakot. When it comes to opening up roads and trains on India's North West border, the country has three alternatives to choose from. These were the historic trade routes that connected India with China and Central Asia through Ladakh or Gilgit and the Wakhan Corridor or Kabul to Central Asia. These routes went via Afghanistan. If the Ladakh route were repaired, it would make it easier for India to trade with China and other countries in Central Asia.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, it is in India's and China's best interests to recognize the strategic significance of the border region of Ladakh and to work for the restoration of the historic Ladakh Route. Both countries have a lot riding on the outcome of this issue. It is important to keep in mind that Karakoram Pass is a natural geographical gateway, and it will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Throughout its history, Ladakh maintained a variety of sub corridor connections with the states that surround it. Until the late 1940s, the connection was a symbol of peace, prosperity, cross-cultural and human security. Unfortunately, the connectivity that was severed in 1947 gradually made it more difficult for free commerce, human transit, and religious and cultural movements across boundaries that were otherwise permeable. Even legal commerce has decreased, but residents of border areas like as Anlay, Hemya, Kuyul, Demjok Nyoma, and Mud continue to engage in informal trade. At the Indo-Chinese border crossing locations in Ladakh, there is an unofficial market for the exchange of commodities such as clothing, dress materials, electrical goods, medications, crockery, porcelain, footwear, craft products, tea, saffron, and jewelry, among other items. Aside from this, both Jammu and Kashmir and Xinjiang are considered to be unstable regions since both Jammu and Kashmiris and Uighurs, two Muslim identities that are distinct in terms of their ethnicity but have a shared goal of "secessionism" from New Delhi and Beijing, respectively. The maintenance of cordial relations between China, India, and Pakistan, as well as a shown readiness for peace, composite discourse, and conflict resolution within the framework of "humanitarian universals," are essential to the upkeep of the status quo. In view of the importance of the Ladakh area, which was discussed before, there is a pressing need to conduct an exhaustive research on cross-border development in order to determine whether or not it is feasible to build international links via the use of traditional routes in order to promote stability, connectivity, and growth.

REFERENCES:

1. Petech, Luciano Kingdom of Ladakh c. 950-1842 A.D., Roma: Istituto Italiano Per ILMedio Ed Estremo Orient, 1977.

2. Fewkes, Jacquiline H., Trade and Contemporary Society along the Silk Road: An ethno-history of Ladakh. New York, Routledge. 2009.

3. H.N.Kaul, Shridhar Kaul. Ladakh Through the Ages: Towards a New Identity.New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company, 1992.

4. Fewkes, Jacquiline H., Trade and Contemporary Society along the Silk Road: An ethno-history of Ladakh. New York: Routledge, 2009

5. Preliminary Reports of Ladakh Settlement, Leh Archives, Jammu and Kashmir.

6. Cunningham, Alexander., Ladak- Memorandum detailing the Boundary between the Territories of Maharaja Gulab Singh and British India. London. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 1948.

7. The Jammu Maharaja associated himself with the British during the Sikh Wars of 1846. The result of which was that a treaty was imposed on the Lahore Darbar by British and Kashmir and the hilly regions of Ladakh, Baltistan, Astor, Hunza and Gilgit district were sold to Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu for a sum of seventy-five lakh Nanakshahi.

8. Burnes, A. Travels into Bokhara, a Journey from India to Cabool, Tartary, and Persia in 1831-3. vols. 2nd ed. London. 1835.

9. Alexander Cunningham focuses on the major valleys and rivers to describe the outlying of routes; other sources emphasize the major centers of halts or the major regions of departures and destinations. Cunningham, Alexander. Ladak, Physical, Statistical and Historical: with notices of the surrounding countries. London. W.H. Allen and co. 1854.

10. Hopkirk, Peter. The Great Gme: On secret service in high Asia. John Murray Publishers. 2006.

11. G. Alder. British India’s Northern Frointier. London: The Royal Commonwealth Society and Longmans. 1963.

12. Cayley, Dr. Copy of Dr. Cayley’s report: From T.H. Thornton, Esq., Secy. To Govt., Punjab to W.S. Seton-Karr, Esq., Secy. to Govt. of India.Foreign Political A, National Archeive of India. 1868.

13. Canning, Edward. Roads from India to Central Asia. American Association for the Advancement of Science 5 (May 1885).

14. Fisher M.W. and L.E. Rose. Ladakh and the Sino-Indian Border Crisis. Asian Survey.1962.

15. Mackinder, Halford J. The Geographical Pivot of History. The Geographical Journal 23, 1904.

16. http://www.kstq.gov.cn/xwpd/GZTQ/201501/00002648.html. 2015

Received on 31.07.2023 Modified on 10.08.2023

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2023; 14(4):224-228.

DOI: 10.52711/2321-5828.2023.00044