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Kashmir marks the northernmost advance of islam in the himalaya. while Ladakh is aptly named little tibet. Ironically the Ladakhis are of Tibetan stock. Indeed it was a province of tibet and was governed in secular matters by an Independent prince and spiritual affiars by Dalai Lama. Tibetan Changpas form the bulk of pulation in central and eastern ladakh. These nomadic herdsman can be seen living in black yak hair tents on the mountains with their yaks,goats and sheep. They still provide the fine pashmina goat wool. The mons,nomads of Aryan stock introduced budhism and established settlements in the valleys. The Droks and dards from Gilgit area settled along the Indus valley and introduced irrigation.

Many converted to Islam 300 years ago. Most are cultivators based on language speaking Sanskrit. The Baltis with Central Asian origin mostly lived in Kargil region. The Zanskaris are of the same stock as the Ladakhis and because of the sheer isolation of the homelands were able to preserve the Buddhist culture against the onslaughts of Islam. The majority of Zanskaris are Budhists,though there are Muslim families at Padum,the capital dating from the Dogra invasion.

Kasmir is influenced by the sanskrit and belongs to the dardic branch of indo aryan languages. Linguistically and physically kashmiris are similar to the tribes around Gilgit in pakistan. The ladakhis physically reveal Tibetan Mongalian and Indo aryan origin while their language belong to the tibetan burmese group.