Born in 1922, Mohd Hassan, a resident of Leh, Ladakh, India, attended a school that was started by the Shia community of Leh, in Chutey Rantak, Leh, in 1915. Mohd Hassan recalls the teachers of that time: Bah Nabi, Munshi Hussain (the father of Dr. Ramzan), Kharmangpa, Akhon Ahmed ( Sheikh Mirza’s father ). These teachers were paid Rs. 5 per month. According to Mohd Hassan, his school years were marked by a mixture of progress and setbacks. He admitted that he often alternated between passing and failing and frequently dropped out and re-enrolled, reflecting the challenges of staying in school during that era.
Mohd Hassan cherished his school days and deeply appreciated the efforts of the community to sustain the school in Chutey Rantak. Unfortunately, the school faced severe financial dificulties in the 1940s. In an attempt to save it, the Muslim community of Leh pooled together a significant sum of Rs. 40,000. This money was used to purchase Bal and Lena from the local market, and a man named Sheikh Ali, a native of Baltistan, was entrusted with selling the stock in Kashmir to generate additional funds for the school. Sadly, Sheikh Ali never returned, and the school was forced to close in 1945.
In between, after finishing class five, Mohd Hassan’s parents decided to continue his studies and enrolled him in a middle school in Leh, where the late Shri P. Namgyal, one of Ladakh's foremost political leaders, was his classmate in Class 6. His other classmates included Wangdan,Togochey, from Stok who was in boarding, Sonam from Phyang Gondarey, and Maj Tsetan Phunsok from Hunder. Shri P. Namgyal’s elder brother, the legendary Col Rinchen, was also in school with them in Class 7. Zomdey Ka Tashi Punsok, who had been posted as a teacher in Skardo, Shigar and Kharmang, was Aba Hassan’s tuition master. At that time, there was no school beyond Class 8 in Ladakh, and anyone interested in further studies had to go to Srinagar. Mohd Hassan didn’t pursue further studies and was soon inducted into the Army. Later, as circumstances allowed, he joined the Ladakh Police.
Mohd Hassan has fond memories of Changthang, where he was posted for many years. In 1952, while in service, Jawaharlal Nehru visited Ladakh in a Dakota plane that landed in a remote region. Nehru was accompanied by Indira Gandhi, who was a young girl at the time, along with Sheikh Abdullah and some senior ministers of the Government of India. This was the first time Mohd Hassan tasted mithai (Indian sweets), which was distributed by the local administration. He also recalls that at one time, Katcho Mohd Ali Khan from Kargil was the SDM in Nyoma.
Once while in Changthang with Tashi Namgyal of the Bandepa family and a two-star officer named Ghulam Rasool they went to Phobrang village to meet the Goba (the village Headman) named Chopel, a very wealthy man with over 1,000 raluks (goats and sheep). To their surprise, none of the 15-20 families were at home. Only one elderly woman remained in the village. She informed them that a Lama Chenmo (a senior Lama) had come to visit the village, and all the villagers had gone to attend his teachings. When Mohd Hassan and his companions arrived at the gathering, they found the villagers listening to the Lama and asking him questions. The session lasted until 4 p.m., after which it was Ghulam Rasool’s turn. The Lama looked into a khatak (ceremonial scarf) and told Ghulam Rasool that there was a gathering in his house in Leh and that he should prepare for unpleasant news. After returning to Phobrang village, Goba Chopel insisted on slaughtering a goat for the group, but Ghulam Rasool was not in the mood for a celebration and insisted on returning to their base in Chushul. They reached Chushul that night, around 2 a.m., where a message was waiting for them that a member of Ghulam Rasool’s family had passed away. Mohd Hassan and Ghulam Rasool quickly borrowed two horses from the Kotwal and traveled back via the Muglib route.
Mohd Hassan is one of the few people who witnessed a little-known event in Ladakhi history. Somewhere between the late 1940s and early 1950s Ladakh saw the sudden arrival of hundreds of Kazakhs fleeing from atrocities. They were armed and arrived with their families, women, children, and livestock. According to Aba Hassan, they also had valuables, apparently looted from Tibetan monasteries and nomads during their journey to India. Soon they were allowed to set up temporary camps at Choglamsar, Skara Yokma Spang, and Shey. Desperate and tired, they were willing to barter generously with their possessions. Mohd Hassan would go to Skara with chunpo, for which he would receive one sheep. He would buy yaks and horses from the Kazakhs, purchasing a yak and a horse for Rs. 2 each, and then selling them for Rs. 3 and Rs. 3.5 in the market. One sheep was exchanged for a single roti (bread). In those days, law and order were maintained by Col Abdul Majid of the Kashmir government. After a few months, in early 1950s in the month of October or November, the Kazakhs were shifted on foot, out of Ladakh, through the Zojila Pass. Many of them died on the way, but a few managed to reach Baltal in Kashmir, and it is believed that they were later settled in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Years later, while in Srinagar with Ramatullah of the Sergar family and Wakhapa Rigzin, Mohd Hassan, along with another person from Kargil, visited Col Abdul Majid, who had retired and settled in Resham Khana near Batamaloo, Srinagar. Majid’s house was decorated with expensive Kazakh items, which he claimed to have bought from the Kazakhs.
Before 1947, traders known as Hors (from Xinjiang) and Karjapas (from Himachal) would visit Leh. The Hors would visit Leh in ston (autumn) and would buy olthang (grass fields) in places like Horzey, Kyokpey Olthang, and Choskorpe where they would keep their camels, horses, and donkeys. They would set up small markets in Leh and sell carpets, wool, charok, kampis, basho, and almonds. They would even sell horses; a horse was sold for Rs. 25, and Rs. 1 was paid as a commission to anyone who helped with the sale. Mohd Hassan still remembers how the Hors would announce “Nye da Baram” in the Uyghur language, meaning “Where are you going?” and “Nye may Kalem,” meaning “What are you doing?”.
Mohd Hassan believed that Hors after crossing the Karakoram Pass, would part ways in Shyok valley: some moved to Leh through Khardung La or Chang La, while others moved toward Baltistan along the Shyok River. Aba Hassan also heard strange stories from Ladakhis, especially Chushotpas and Nubrapas, who traveled with the Hors to Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO). They claimed to hear the sound of galloping horses at night, which the Hors attributed to King Gesar’s horses. They also reported seeing dead bodies that appeared lifelike but would turn to dust when touched. Then there were tales of people finding treasures left behind by the Hors. One story involved someone finding a horjon (a double bag used by the Hors on horseback) containing traditional kulchas (small breads). When each kulcha was broken, a gold coin was found inside. The Hors reportedly carried these coins to avoid customs at the Karakoram Pass.
Besides the Hors, the Karjapa traders would travel on horses with their servants, selling smandok (medicinal ingredients), kuram, cha, ras, tarchok, pabbu, and das (rice). Unlike the Hors, they would stay near the mountains for 6-7 days, setting up their tents in Gangles, Chomchala, Kugala, Lgeuma, and Smanla, where their servants would take care of the horses.
Reminiscing about the time when Leh was the summer capital and Skardo was the winter capital of Ladakh, Mohd Hassan recalled the Darbar shift system. One of his tutor’s friends, Katcho Raza of Skardu, would accompany the commissioner from Skardu in May and return in October. Even the dogs were carried on palkis. The team included the cooks, office kanungo, munshis and other officers, in total about 20-30 people. The commissioner was the highest-ranking official. They would stay in Leh for six months, similar to the Darbar shift in Kashmir. This practice was discontinued after India’s independence in 1947.
Before 1947, Leh had a very small deployment of forces under the Dogras. According to Mohd Hassan there were only 15-20 sepoys at Zorawar Fort, who were responsible for guarding the government Treasury. A similar number of sepoys were stationed in Kargil Treasury. Mohd Hassan recalled hearing that before Zorawar Fort was built, a ruined fort had stood in its place. He had also heard stories of Mirza Haider, who invaded Ladakh in the 1530s, destroying the fort by flooding it. Mohd Hassan remembers that when he was a young boy, the fort was repaired, and laborers were paid a daily wage of 4 annas for their work.
In Leh, there was a Kotwal (police officer) who earned Rs. 8 per month. Mohd Hassan remembers one Kadir, from the Kalam family, who was a one-star officer. If transferred to Skardo, the Kotwal’s salary increased to Rs. 12. The same applied to any official transferred from Skardo to Leh. Initially, the thana (police station) was located in the new bazaar, but it was later shifted to Hors Sarai Kongma, which had been used as a Sarai (inn) by the Hor traders. The Sarai Yokma was taken over by the armed forces and eventually converted into quarters, which were constructed by an engineer from the Marstelang Cho family. Mohd Hassan also recalled that there was a Charas godown near Chutey Rantak, which was later given to Munshi Isa and Pir Sahib in exchange for land taken from them during road construction. In those days, the Hors bought Charas, which the Karjapa traders would then transport on horses to the plains. Mohd Hassan mentioned that there was a customs godown near Balkhang where Charas duties were collected, but he was unsure of its fate. Other customs sites in Ladakh included Balukhar in Khalste and a site near the present-day Khardongla Hotel, close to Chubi and Chutey Rantak. A Bangey Munshi (scribe) used to reside near Hemis Labrang.
Mohd Hassan also fondly remembered the days of Dosmochey, a festival. Three days before the festival, Skutaks from Leh would go to Stok to invite the Stok King to the Leh Palace. On the day of the festival, the Skutaks of Leh would welcome the Aba Gyapo (the king) and Abhi Gyamo (the queen) with a grand Kalchor and Spos. The Skutaks would follow them on 50-60 horses. This would be followed by a dance at Khardok Chenmo and a Larna.
Two rounds of interviews over three years with Mohd Hassan le revealed many fascinating and lesser-known aspects of Ladakhi history. His life is a treasure trove of experiences from early 20th-century Ladakh, and his memories provide valuable insights into the culture and history of the region. His rich experiences should be professionally documented, as few people in Ladakh have lived such an extraordinary and impactful life.