Baltistan (Urdu: بلتستان) , also known as بلتیول (Baltiyul) in the Balti language, is a region to the north of Kashmir, bordering Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. It is situated in the Karakoram mountains just to the south of K2, the world's second highest mountain. It is an extremely mountainous region, with an average altitude of over 3,350 m (11,000 ft). It is inhabited principally by Balti Muslims of Tibetan descent who converted from Tibetan Buddhism prior to the 16th century. Urdu ( , , trans. ... Balti (بلتی) is a language spoken in Baltistan, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... The autonomous regions of China are the largest type of autonomous area in China. ... Karakoram is a mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, China, and India, located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh and Baltistan. ... K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth. ... The Balti are the descendants of an amalagam of Tibetan, Indo-Aryan and Mon people, whose population of 400,000 is found in the Pakistani-controlled Baltistan (called Baltiyul by locals) and Kargil and Leh districts of Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... The Tibetan people are a people indigenous to Tibet and surrounding areas stretching from Central Asia in the West to Myanmar and China in the East. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ...

Baltistan was an independent state but was occupied by the Raja (King) of Kashmir in the nineteenth century. In 1947 when India and Pakistan gained independence, it was still part of Kashmir. Now the region is divided between India and Pakistan. The districts of Skardu (Skardo) and Ganche) which is a part of Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK), is a disputed territory claimed by both India and Pakistan, but controlled by Pakistan, a de facto federal dependency of Pakistan administered directly from Islamabad; its main town is Skardu. It contains the highest peaks of the Karakoram, including K2. Indian Baltistan (the district of Kargil) is located in the north of the Indian occupied Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir. Skardu Town as seen from the Skardu Fort Skardu (Urdu: سکردو) is the principle town and capital of Baltistan district, one of the districts making up Pakistans Northern Areas (also part of the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir). ... Ghanche District is the eastmost district of the Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... Pakistan Administered Kashmir Capital Muzaffarabad Status Disputed Territory Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without...   (Urdu: اسلام آباد) is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. ... Skardu Town as seen from the Skardu Fort Skardu (Urdu: سکردو) is the principle town and capital of Baltistan district, one of the districts making up Pakistans Northern Areas (also part of the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir). ... K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth. ... Kargil was a part of Gilgit-Baltistan before 1947, but now is a town in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. ... This article is about the area controlled by India. ...

[edit] Geography

This article is largely based on the article Ladakh and Baltistan in the out-of-copyright 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, which was produced in 1911. It should be brought up to date to reflect subsequent history or scholarship (including the references, if any). When you have completed the review, replace this notice with a simple note on this article's talk page. Thanks!

Karakorum Highway and Indus

Baltistan is often called "little Tibet". The adjoining territory of Baltistan forms the west extremity of Tibet, whose natural limits here are the Indus from its abrupt southward bend in 74 45 E., and the mountains to the north and west, separating a comparatively peaceful Tibetan population from the fiercer Aryan tribes beyond. Muslim writers about the 16th century speak of Baltistan as Little Tibet, and of Ladakh as Great Tibet, thus ignoring the really Great Tibet altogether. The Balti call Gilgit a Tibet, and Dr Leitner says that the Chilasi call themselves But or Tibetans; but, although these districts may have been overrun by the Tibetans, or have received rulers of that race, the ethnological frontier coincides with the geographical one given. Baltistan is a mass of lofty mountains, the prevailing formation being gneiss. In the north is the Baltoro glacier, the largest out of the arctic regions, 35 miles long, contained between two ridges whose highest peaks to the south are 25,000 ft and to the north 28,265 ft. The Indus, as in Lower Ladakh, runs in a narrow gorge, widening for nearly 20 m. after receiving the Shyok. The capital, Skardu, a scattered collection of houses, stands here, perched on a rock 7250 ft. above the sea. The house roofs are flat, occupied only in part by a second storey, the remaining space being devoted to drying apricots, the chief staple of the main valley, which supports little cultivation. But the rapid slope westwards is seen generally in the vegetation. Birch, plane, spruce and Pinus excelsa appear; the fruits are finer, including pomegranate, pear, peach, vine and melon, and where irrigation is available, as in the North Shigar, and at the deltas of the tributary valleys, the crops are more luxuriant and varied. Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (915x942, 232 KB) Seitenstrasse des Karakorum Highways entlang des Indus durch Baltistan. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (915x942, 232 KB) Seitenstrasse des Karakorum Highways entlang des Indus durch Baltistan. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... The Indus is a river; the Indus River. ... Aryan (/eÉ™rjÉ™n/ or /ɑːrjÉ™n/, Sanskrit: ) is a Sanskrit and Avestan word meaning noble/spiritual one. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... , Ladakh (Tibetan script: ལ་དྭགས་; Wylie: la-dwags, Ladakhi IPA: , Hindi: लद्दाख़, Hindi IPA: , Urdu: لدّاخ; land of high passes) is a region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Northern India sandwiched between the Kuen Lun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people... An afternoon scene in Gilgit Gilgit (Urdu: گلگت) is the capital city of Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... Ethnology (greek ethnos: (non-greek, barbarian) people) is a genre of anthropological study, involving the systematic comparison of the folklore, beliefs and practices of different societies. ... Gneiss Gneiss (IPA: ) is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. ... K2 from Concordia The Baltoro Glacier, at over 70 kilometers long, is one of the longest glaciers outside of the polar regions. ... This article is about the geological formation. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. ... A gorge is a narrow passage between steep mountains or hills. ... Skardu Town as seen from the Skardu Fort Skardu (Urdu: سکردو) is the principle town and capital of Baltistan district, one of the districts making up Pakistans Northern Areas (also part of the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir). ... Binomial name Prunus armeniaca The scientific name for the apricot is Prunus armeniaca L., which puts it in the same subgenus as the plum (Prunophora). ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Species About 35; see text. ... Binomial name L. For the color see: Pomegranate (color) The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5–8 m tall. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name (L.) Batsch Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Melon is a term used for various members of the Cucurbitaceae family with fleshy fruits, or may specify the typically sweet-fruiting members, muskmelon and watermelon. ... Shigar is a valley and a town in Baltistan near Skardu that is watered by Shigar River. ... Nile River delta, as seen from Earth orbit. ...

Baltistan, actually a complex of beautiful valleys, is situated amid the famous ranges of Himalaya and Karakoram, straddling the river Indus, between Ladakh and Gilgit. Some of the highest peaks of the world - Chogo-ri (K-2), Mashabrum (K-1) and Gashabrum group of peaks besides beautiful glaciers like Sia-chen, Baltoro, Biafo and Chogo-lungma are situated in this region. The dimensions of Baltistan have been fluctuating over the course of history. It is currently smaller than ever before, with an area of 17,000 square kms. and an estimated population of 4,00,000. Baltistan consists of six major valleys like Skardo, Rongdo, Shigar, Khaplo, Kharmang and Gultari. Baltistan presents a beautiful contrast of high peaks, deep gorges, straddling glaciers, vast deserts, sandy plains, turquoise blue lakes, colourful panorama, lush green oases and villages.

Baltistan consists of five valleys namely Kharmang (Kartakhsha), Khaplu, Skardu, Shigar and Rondu (Rongyul). Important villages include Kharmang, Tolti, Ghasing, Mehdi Abad (Parkuta) in Kharmang valley.

[edit] Baltistan region

Baltistan has two districts namely Skardu and Ganche districts of Baltistan Division of the disputed Kashmir Region of Northern Pakistan; note Khaplu is by far the coldest and dampest place in within Pakistan temperatures reaching below -20 degrees Celsius. Local government areas called districts are used, or have been used, in several countries. ... Skardu Town as seen from the Skardu Fort Skardu (Urdu: سکردو) is the principle town and capital of Baltistan district, one of the districts making up Pakistans Northern Areas (also part of the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir). ... Ghanche District is the eastmost district of the Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... Districts are a form of local government in several countries. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ... Look up Region in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... Khaplu (35° 10 0 N, 76° 19 60 E, altitude 2,560m) is the capital town of the Ghangche District of northern Pakistan. ...

• SKARDU
  • Gultari
  • Kharmang
  • Rondu
  • Shigar
  • Skardu (the capital)

• GANCHE
  • Khaplu
  • Mashabrum

Ghanche (Gangche) is the main part of Baltistan. Ghanche's population is about 0.5 million and purely Balti-speaking. 95 percent of the population belong to the the sofi noorbakhshi sect. surmo, Khaplu, Ghwari,, Thaly, Brah, Chourbat, Saltro and Hushey are the main valleys of the district. SURMO Surmo is the one of the most important region of Baltistan.it have so many cultural heritage and civilization and islamic values.Surmo consisted the velleys of Tarkary, Khar ,gund, Langkhun, chughugrong and Tishary,commulatively it is included 800 houses and approximately 9000 population.At most large area of caltivated area and noncaltivated area coverd the 25%of the district areas.There are so many cultural symbol like rigalmo khar, surmo shagharun khar minduq sar(flower garden)and so many other attribute find like make picture on hill are the very old civilization the baltistan region which is the effect of the old chiness civilization. surmo is also very old vellay of Baltistan, to prove this point i must support the walnut trees in the region found with 150 years ago.Geographically is very important region with respect to military and other network of transportationally.The biggest bridge named "surmo bridge" situated in surmo which linked siachen regin with the district headquarter khaplu and also linked churbut velley as well.The people of the this area are hardworking, honest in dealing.Unfortunately the most cultivated fields deprived due to river flood of shoyke river. The Young generation of the surmo struggling in education and deram of surmo as a modern vellege in future era.Therefor two NGOs named "AL-MUSTAFA WELFARE ORGANIZATION" and "AL-ZEHRA WELFARE FOUNDATION" are palying vital role in verius feild of life like helth care and emphasise on education as well as environment of the area. The above administrative divisions were created by the Government of Pakistan. Historically, Baltistan consisted of the present day Baltistan(District Skardu and Ghanche) and Kargil, which is now under the Indian control. Kargil is linked to Baltistan through Kharmang valley, and Gultari. Gultari also borders with district Astore, which had been part of the terrotary of the Balti ruling family rMakpons. In fact, the Raja of Astore is a rMakpon. Shigar is a valley and a town in Baltistan near Skardu that is watered by Shigar River. ... Skardu Town as seen from the Skardu Fort Skardu (Urdu: سکردو) is the principle town and capital of Baltistan district, one of the districts making up Pakistans Northern Areas (also part of the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir). ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Khaplu (35° 10 0 N, 76° 19 60 E, altitude 2,560m) is the capital town of the Ghangche District of northern Pakistan. ... Balti (بلتی) is a language spoken in Baltistan, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ...

Writers and historians of different nations have given different names to Baltistan. Central Tibetans have called it Nang-mgon. The historical reference appearing in Ptolemy's - BYALTAE- dates back to the 2nd century BC. The Chinese have named it Palolo, Palilo and Palor. Arabian historians such as Al-Beruni render it Balorthe Arabic version of the Chinese name, which was later Persianised as Baloristan. As the area is geographically located on the Tibetan plateau and for centuries remained a part of the Tibetan Empire, the majority of population being ethnically and linguistically of Tibetan origin, Indian historians have thus named it Little Tibet. The people themselves refer to their homeland as Balti-yul (Land of Baltis) which suggests a link with Ptolemy's BYALTAE. Baltistan is the Persian rendering of Balti-yul.

[edit] Historical Perspective

The first reference about the area (Baltistan) occurs in the Epic of King Gesar (Kesar), but in a fragmentary shape. Reliable historical records date from the last days of Palolashahi rulers of Baltistan (Palolo) who, according to some rock-inscriptions, ruled the area of Ladakh and Gilgit too from the 5th century to 727 AD. In 727 AD the Tibetan king Khri-Lde-gtsug-bRtan invaded Baltistan and in 737 AD the Tibetans conquered Brushal (modern Gilgit) annexing these to their empire. These areas remained provinces of the Tibetan empire till the death of the last king of Tibet Glang-Darma around 880/900 AD, when the foremost western provinces, Baltistan and Brushal became independent. Since then till the 12th century AD, Baltistan remained under several petty chiefs under the overlordship of the Shagari-tribe of Skardo. In 12/13th century AD, a young fugitive namely Ibrahim Shah, migrated to Baltistan from Iran via Kashmir, managed to obtain power in Skardo and founded the Maqpon Dynasty which subsequently ruled the area for twenty-four succeeding generations. During the reign of ninth Maqpon ruler namely Ghota-Cho-Senge, one Saint Syed Ali Hamadani introduced Islam to the region. In 1531 AD Sultan Saeed Khan, the ruler of Kashgar invaded Ladakh and Baltistan. Ali Sher Khan Anchan the most powerful king, fifteenth in the kings of the Maqpon Dynasty, conquered Ladakh and Western Tibet up to Purang in the east and Gilgit and Chitral in the west during his reign (1590-1625 AD).

Similarly his grandson Shah Murad conquered all these areas for the second time between 1655-1680 AD. For about two hundred years all these areas remained tributaries to the Maqpon kings of Baltistan. A comparatively new, more graceful culture and tradition of fine-arts flourished during this era. The Maqpon kings were great patrons and admirers of the new culture and society. In 1779 AD the Afghans of Kashmir invaded Skardo but could not sustain their control any longer. In 1840 AD the Dogras of Jammu conquered Baltistan and annexed it to their State, but in 1947-48 AD the area was annexed to Pakistan. However, Pakistan has maintained its status as the disputed area of Kashmir.

[edit] See also

• Balti language
• Balti people
• Baltit Fort
• Karakoram
• Karakoram Highway
• Skardu
• Skardu Airport
• Ladakh
• Chourbat Valley is an important valley of Baltistan; Chowar, Siksa, Thongmos, Sokhmos, Piun, Siari, Frano, Partuk, Kosting, Kowas, Marcha, Dawoo, Kalan, Lonkha, Thang, Tiaqsi, Turtuk, Cholongkha and Bioqdang are big towns of Chourbat valley.

Balti (بلتی) is a language spoken in Baltistan, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... The Balti are a people of Tibetan descent with some Dardic admixture whose population of 300,000 is found in Pakistani-controlled Baltistan (a former district of Ladakh); and in Kargil and Leh districts of Ladakh, a region in Indian-controlled Jammu & Kashmir. ... In former times survival of the feudal regimes of Hunza was ensured by the impressive Baltit fort, just above Karimabad. ... Karakoram is a mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, China, and India, located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh and Baltistan. ... Karakoram Highway route map The highest point on the highway: the Khunjerab Pass The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest paved international road in the world. ... Skardu Town as seen from the Skardu Fort Skardu (Urdu: سکردو) is the principle town and capital of Baltistan district, one of the districts making up Pakistans Northern Areas (also part of the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir). ... Skardu Airport is a small domestic airport, located at Skardu, Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... , Ladakh (Tibetan script: ལ་དྭགས་; Wylie: la-dwags, Ladakhi IPA: , Hindi: लद्दाख़, Hindi IPA: , Urdu: لدّاخ; land of high passes) is a region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Northern India sandwiched between the Kuen Lun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people...

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition article "Ladakh and Baltistan", a publication now in the public domain.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the eleventh edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

[edit] External links

Explore Pakistan Tourism http://explorepak.com

• The Changing Northern Areas
• Pakistan's Northern Areas dilemma
• Tourism Northeran Areas
• Pakistan's Northern Areas