Aryan Valley
Dah Hanu region[note 1]
Region in Ladakh
Aryan valley in Ladakh, India
Aryan valley in Ladakh, India
Nickname: 
Brokpa region
Aryan Valley is located in Ladakh
Aryan Valley
Aryan Valley
Location in Ladakh, India
Aryan Valley is located in India
Aryan Valley
Aryan Valley
Aryan Valley (India)
Coordinates: 34°36′16″N 76°30′28″E / 34.6043302°N 76.5078127°E / 34.6043302; 76.5078127
CountryIndia
Union TerritoryLadakh
DistrictLeh and Kargil[1]
Highest elevation
3,000 m (10,000 ft)
Lowest elevation
3,000 m (9,000 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Human habitats3,727
Spoken
 • LanguagesBrokskat
Ethnicity
 • Ethnic groupBrokpa (Minaro)
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)

Aryan Valley, historically known as Dah Hanu valley or region,[note 1] is an area comprising four villages — Dah and Hanu in Leh district, and Garkon and Darchik in Kargil district — and associated hamlets in Central Ladakh, India.[2][note 2][note 3] Until its absorption into the Maryul kingdom, Brokpa chiefs wielded nominal autonomy in the region.[3] The current name originated in the tourism industry c. 2010 to market the Brokpas, the Brokskat language speaking mostly-Vajrayana Buddhist local inhabitants, as being the primordial Aryans.[web 1][note 4][note 2] The physical features of the Brokpa people, such as their tall stature, fair complexion, high cheekbones, and blue-green eyes, bear a resemblance to European characteristics.[4][5][6]

Geography

Historically, the area was known as Dah Hanu valley or region to the British administrators,[note 1] and as Brog Yul, "Hill country," in Tibetan.[note 3] The villages and hamlets are situated 15 km east of Batalik & 70 km east of Kargil; they lie south of the Hindukush-Karakoram mountain range at an elevation of 9000–10000 feet.[note 5][note 3] The Aryan Valley, extending from Hanu to Gurgurdo village, features diverse geographical elements. To the west, the Gurgurdo stream merges into the Indus at Batalik. Moving eastward, the Baroro stream joins the Indus at Garkon, and further east, the Yaldor stream converges at Dah.[7][8] In the easternmost part, the Hanu stream, originating from a glacier near Chorbat, joins the Indus at Hanu Thang.[9] These watercourses predominantly follow the left bank of the Indus, with settlements on the right bank, such as Baldesh and Darchik, relying on their own streams.[2]

Significant settlements in the area are associated with streams originating from glaciers. Two hydro projects, each with a 9MW capacity, are operational along the Dah and Hanu streams[10][11]

Flora and Fauna

The region exhibits varied vegetation, including herbs, shrubs, and trees like Shukpa, Stagpa, Umbu, Seva, Skyrepa, Spenme, Kangtakari, Askuta, Garma, Yuled, and Kumout. The local population, known as Brokpa, observes rituals at a juniper shrine named Chilligi Deuha.[12]

Himalayan Ibex.

Despite the challenging climate, the area is home to diverse bird and mammal species. Observations include Pallas Dippers, Blue whistling thrush, Brown Dipper and Greenish Leaf Warblers, Common Swift, Eurasian Crag Martin, Large-billed Crow, Mountain Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, Hume's leaf warbler, Red-mantled Rosefinch and Red-fronted Serin. The Himalayan Himalayan Ibex sporadically appears in the landscape.[13]

Economy

In contrast to other regions in Ladakh, the Aryan Valley stands out with its lower elevation and relatively warmer climate, as the river flows at approximately 9000 feet. The region excels in crop cultivation, and the local economy thrives on agriculture, focusing on the cultivation of diverse fruits like apple trees, apricots, mulberries, and grapes. The favorable combination of moisture and warmth contributes to the success of these crops. Notably, apricots from Dha in the Aryan Valley are renowned for their exceptional sweetness. Additionally, the villages in the Aryan Valley boast more green cover compared to the spartan landscape of Ladakh, further enhancing the scenic beauty of the area.[14][15][16][web 2][note 6]

History

Brokpas

The Brokpa people, also known as the Minaro tribe, have a rich and diverse history with multiple theories surrounding their origins. Some sources suggest they are descendants of Alexander the Great's lost army, while others propose that they are the only surviving descendants of the indigenous Aryans in India.[17][18][19] The region is inhabited by the Brokpas — an exonym, used by the Ladakhis (lit. Highlanders) —, who are a sub-group of the Shin people.[2] From their oral history, it can be reasoned that Dah-Hanu region was first occupied c. 10th century by a group of migratory Shinas who practiced the largely-animist ancient Dardic religion, and staked claim to the Minaro ethnic identity.[2] About six hundred years hence, another group of Shinas — influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism — migrated to Dah-Hanu, fomenting a conflict but yet chose to live together.[2] Until its absorption into the Maryul kingdom, their chiefs wielded nominal autonomy in the region.[3]

Uninfluenced by Islam to any significant extent, the Brokpas of Dah-Hanu maintained a unique culture unlike most of neighboring Shinas.[2][web 2]

kargil war

The Aryan Valley, encompassing the Batalik-Yaldor-Chorbatla sector and characterized by rugged terrain and strategic heights ranging from 5000 to 5600 meters, became a pivotal theater during the Kargil War. In May 1999, shepherd Tashi Namgyal, hailing from Garkhon village in Aryan Valley, played a crucial role in early intruder detection at the Jubar ridgeline. Employing binoculars, his vigilant observation promptly alerted the Indian Army to the presence of six individuals clad in black Pathani outfits. This episode exemplified the significance of local contributions, as the shepherd's alertness became instrumental in shaping the unfolding narrative of the conflict.

The Yaldor and Chorbat sectors, accessible by moving upwards from Dah and Hanuthang within the Aryan Valley, held strategic importance during the Kargil War due to their distinctive geographical features. These sectors emerged as focal points of the conflict, with the elevation changes contributing to their strategic significance.

Responding to the intrusion, The Indian Air Force successfully evicted intruders from strategically occupied heights in the Aryan Valley's Batalik-Yaldor-Chorbatla sector.[20][21][22]

The Kargil War has impacted Brogpa villagers' traditional practices. Military occupation of high alpine pastures reduced goat ownership but increased the use of donkeys. Men now serve as army porters, transporting supplies to border posts and occasionally bringing back deceased individuals. The conflict has dramatically altered the landscape of Brogpa villages, transforming once-fertile fields into active battle-zones.[23]

Aryan association and neologism

In 1880, G. W. Leitner, a British orientalist, called the Brokpas "remnants of an ancient and pure Aryan race" — this trope would be reinforced by other colonial administrators, effectively exoticising them.[24][25] Mona Bhan, a Professor of South Asian Studies and Anthropology at Syracuse University, notes that such a historical racialising of linguistic and cultural traits has persisted even in modern ethnography on the Brokpas.[26]

In 1980, H. P. S. Ahluwalia reported having met three German Neo-nazi female tourists who attended a Brokpa festival and hoped to be impregnated by the "pure Aryans"; such mythical tourists would be a staple of media coverage on the region.[27] Over time, the Brokpas imbibed the Aryan characterization to the extent of tracing descent from Alexander's army.[web 3][28] During the 2003 elections to the Kargil Hill Council, they claimed representation to the minority seats based on their Aryan identity, among other factors.[24] However, this self-fashioning differed from the usual connotations of "Aryan" in the West.[29] For the Brokpas, their Aryan identity laid in a millennia-old-struggle to maintain a unique identity in the face of persecution by various rulers, as told through folk-lores, and was a tool to improve their abject socioeconomic marginalization.[29]

Beginning in 2010, as the Government wished to attract tourism to the region, local travel agents began to market the "Aryan-ness" of the inhabitants;[29] the state government reinforced the trend by projecting the Brokpa people as "pure specimens of the Aryan race".[web 1] Some Brogpas even changed their surnames to "Aryan".[30] The name "Aryan Valley" was created within this discourse.[web 1] In 2019, locals demanded that the "Aryan valley" be declared as a heritage village to boost tourism.[web 2] The discourse on the Aryan traits of the Brokpas has been increasingly appropriated by right-wing Hindutva groups to leverage their supposed indigeneity against the Muslim other and to "validate their hold on India's disputed territory".[web 1][31]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Dah Hanu:
    • Shaw (1878), p. 27: "I paid visit to the Dha Hanu district (the home of these so called Buddhist Dards on my way down to India from Ladak (western Tibet) last winter (1876)."
    • Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts: "Dha-Hanu is a remote area consisting of four major villages and small hamlets situated on both sides of the banks of Sindhu (River Indus). The four major villages are known as Dha, Hanu, Garkhan and Darchik.
    • Bray (2008), p. 46: "A 16 century dispute over King Tsewang Namgyal's authority in the Dha-Hanu region illustrates how the hierarchies could be both extended and contested. The king summoned the people of Hanu, who until then had been closer to the Maqpon (ruler) of Skardu, to assist in the construction of a road."
  2. 1 2 A. Divya (2019-02-08) The Dard Aryans of Ladakh: who are this tribe, what are their concerns?, The Indian Express: "Some 200 km from Leh are the villages of Dha, Hanu, Garkone and Darchik on both sides of the Indus River, inhabited by the Buddhist Dard tribes. The villages are together called the “Aryan valley.”"
  3. 1 2 3 Sharma (1998), p. 1: "In Tibetan (Ladakhi), it is called 'Brog-yul', a hilly mountainous region (Brog-- Hill +yul-- country). It is a land of narrow ravine and valleys south of Hindukush - Karakoram range forming the part of central Ladakh. The prominent inhabited localities of these land are DaH, Hanu, Darchiks, and Garkhone."
  4. ↑ Tourism:
    • Bhan (2018), p. 86 "More significant, Brogpas used discourses of Aryanism to promote tourism and secure funds for the preservation of an "endangered and unique Aryan culture" that was allegedly threatened by forces of change and modernity."
    • Bhagabati (2021), p. 109: "The occult pull of their fabricated ancestry has become so irresistible that this region today is known as Aryan Valley in the tourism industry."
    • A. Divya (2019-02-08) The Dard Aryans of Ladakh: who are this tribe, what are their concerns?, The Indian Express: "They have demanded that the government set up a tribal hostel and declare the “Aryan valley” a heritage village to boost tourism."
  5. ↑ Sharma (1998), p. 1: "It is situated in narrow rocky gorges of Indus Valley at the elevation of 9000-10000 ft. above the sea level [...] Surface approach to this land is either from Kargil (from Srinagar side) or from Leh, the headquarters of Ladakh. The distance from Kargil side is approximately 70 km. and from Leh 190 km."
  6. ↑ Sanjay Dutta (2 August 2021)

References

  1. ↑ Arora & Jayaram (2020), p. 65.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nicolaus (2015).
  3. 1 2 Vohra (1982), p. 76.
  4. ↑ "The Tribal Soul of India". BBC Travel. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Headdress of the Brokpa Community, India - One of a Mind by ABURY". abury.net. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  6. ↑ atlasofhumanity.com. "India, Brokpa People". Atlas Of Humanity. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Krishna, Ashok; Chari, P. R. (2001). Kargil: The Tables Turned. Manohar Publishers & Distributors. ISBN 978-81-7304-368-0.
  8. ↑ Ludra, Kuldip Singh (2001). Operation Badr: Mussharef's Contribution to Pakistan's Thousand Years War Against India. Institute for Strategic Research and Analysis. ISBN 978-81-901361-1-2.
  9. ↑ Mitteilungen aus dem botanischen Garten und Museum Berlin-Dahlem. Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum. 2004.
  10. ↑ "J-K Power Development Corp okays work plan of Rs 1,276.69 cr".
  11. ↑ "Secretary Power & NRE, UT Ladakh Ravinder Kumer reviews the progress of Transmission Line projects".
  12. ↑ Bhasin, Veena (July 2008). "Social Change, Religion and Medicine among Brokpas of Ladakh". Studies on Ethno-Medicine. 2 (2): 77–102. doi:10.1080/09735070.2008.11886318. ISSN 0973-5070.
  13. ↑ "Ladakhi, spiti and Delhi" (PDF).
  14. ↑ Frederick, Drew (1875). Jammoo And Kashmir Territories. pp. 262–267. In these part of ladakh, spanning about 100 miles along the Indus Valley from Baltistan borders to beyond Leh, the landscape is characterized by a narrow rockbound gorge. The river flows with an eddied surface, and the challenging rocky terrain isolates villages, hindering traffic between Ladakh and Baltistan. Garkon, a notable village, stands out with its unique cultivation on narrow ledges between cliffs. The valley, at an altitude of 9000 feet, experiences a hot climate in summer, but villages like Garkon thrive with crops, including apple trees, apricots, mulberries, and vines, benefiting from moisture and warmth.
  15. ↑ Kalla, Aloke Kumar; Joshi, P. C. (2004). Tribal Health and Medicines. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-8069-139-3.
  16. ↑ "Dha-Hanu in Ladakh | Dha-Hanu Tour | Dha-Hanu Map | Dha-Hanu Weather | Dha-Hanu Photos | Travel.india.com". www.india.com. Retrieved 14 December 2023. The villages of the Brokpas are also famous for their scenic splendour. Unlike the spartan landscape of Ladakh, the Brokpa villages have more green cover. Temperature in the villages is also higher than in other parts of Ladakh which has also led to the thriving vegetation. Temperature during summer reaches up to 40 degree Celsius. Isolated from the modern world, the community mainly thrives on horticulture. Apricot and apples are the main crops. Apricots, especially from Dha, are renowned for their sweetness. The apricot stones are used for producing oil.
  17. ↑ "The Tribal Soul of India". BBC Travel. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  18. ↑ atlasofhumanity.com. "India, Brokpa People". Atlas Of Humanity. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  19. ↑ "In Pictures: The last Aryans". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "3 Infantry Division / Trishul Division". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "rediff.com Special: The Kargil Review Committee Report". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "13 years on, a good shepherd awaits recognition". The Hindu. 6 August 2014. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  23. ↑ Jones, Adam (October 2006). Men of the Global South: A Reader. Zed Books. ISBN 978-1-84277-513-4.
  24. 1 2 Bhan, Mona (2006). Visible Margins: State, Identity & Development among Brogpas of Ladakh (India) (Thesis). Rutgers University. ProQuest 305292033.
  25. ↑ Syama et al. (2019).
  26. ↑ Bhan (2018), pp. 82–83.
  27. ↑ Friese (2000).
  28. ↑ "The Last of the Aryans". Open The Magazine. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2023. Among Brokpas themselves, an awareness of their 'Aryanness' has spread far and wide with the influx of tourists and others drawn by the tag. Within just decades, the process of exoticising is firmly and disturbingly in place. Aware of Aryan looks and cultural traits, Brokpas are now seen to seek these out in themselves.
  29. 1 2 3 Bhan (2018), pp. 84–86.
  30. ↑ "In Pictures: The last Aryans". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  31. ↑ Bhagabati (2021).

Bibliography

Printed sources
Web-sources
  1. 1 2 3 4 Mona Bhan, “Aryan Valley” and the Politics of Race and Religion in Kashmir, Society for Cultural Anthropology, 24 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Dard Aryans of Ladakh: who are this tribe, what are their concerns?". The Indian Express. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2022. They have demanded that the government set up a tribal hostel and declare the "Aryan valley" a heritage village to boost tourism.
  3. ↑ Jain, Akshai (1 January 2010). "Who went where, when? On the trail of the first people in India". mint. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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