Monthly Archives: February 2015

Zangskar is a sub-district of the Kargil district which lies in the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. While Kargil is pre-dominantly occupied by Muslims, the majority of the population of Zangskar is composed of Buddhists … Continue reading →

Questions of identity have been raised time and time agin in this course. Depending on where we are in the world an individual’s identity can vary drastically based on what is important to them and who they choose to align … Continue reading →

Part of my interest in this class originally stemmed from the little I knew about Ladakh to begin with and how I wanted to learn more about this region of the world. In high school, I took an introductory anthropology … Continue reading →

After briefly talking about the British partition of India in 1947, I started thinking about the complex relationship between India and Pakistan. These two countries have been at odds with each other over the Kashmir issue, and other reasons for … Continue reading →

Every group of people have both similarities and differences in identity. Biases can arise when power structure is naturally oriented toward one identity over another   identity which can end in conflict. This type of conflict is evident in Northern Ireland … Continue reading →

Of the two districts of Ladakh Leh is more Buddhist and Kargil is more Muslim. A huge reason for why Islam began to spread in Ladakh without incredible dispute was because of the inter-community marriages between muslims and the royal … Continue reading →

Buddhism is a religion that broke off from the Hindu tradition over 2,500 years ago in Northeastern India, and is still very much evolving. Besides some basic tenets that many or most Buddhists would accept – the idea of a … Continue reading →

The Himalayan mountain range covers five countries, within which dozens of religions are practiced and languages spoken. In beginning to study the cultures present in this area, I was reminded of another location also known for its blend of nations: … Continue reading →

In the video we saw in class, Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar: Crash Course World History #13, John Green was describing the monotheistic beliefs of Islam called Shahada when he said: ‘There is no … Continue reading →

Our discussion in class about the nature of the Himalayas terrain and how it allowed for contained cultural pockets made me think about India’s diversity as a whole. The subcontinent is host to a myriad of religious traditions, cultural practices, … Continue reading →