Ladakhi, India

The Indian Ladakhi tribe is rather sizeable and has around 57000. Border areas of Jammu and Kashmir states are the place of residence of the tribe. Much of this territory is occupied by the Indus River Valley. Favourable climatic conditions and abundance of fresh water give the Ladakhi the ability of farming, which remains their principal means of livelihood.

Large buckweat and bean field processing as well as the processing of wheat and root crops requires a lot of physical efforts. So even children are actively involved in the work. Ladakhi culture and a way of thinking are similar to Tibetan culture. They are mostly Buddhists, but some of them have a religion largely borrowed from Hinduism. Ladakh are actively engaged in trade, that’s why they can’t be called absolutely isolated.

Isolated remains their rich culture based on monogamy and brotherly polyandry. There are no someone else’s children in a family. They are all considered common and inherit from their parents in order of seniority. The eldest son of the family must divide his conjugal rights with his younger brothers. Like many years ago, fertile land continues to be the main value for the Ladakhi tribe nowadays. Next - Tsaatans