Facets of Ladakhi society, economy and its monastic establishment in the medieval period

This work is an attempt to look into the social and economic structure of medieval Ladakh. Ladakh in the medieval times was well connected to its neighbours through the network of trade routes. These routes provided a means for the movement of people, and helped in the cultural, material and economic exchanges. The structure of the Ladakhi society was hierarchical and it was reflected in the title of address and reference and also from the order of sitting in the social gathering. The monasteries also had a great impact on the life of the people as monks had to be engaged in every sphere of life. Monasteries also influenced the economy of the region as they were the major landholder. The pattern of the household system in Ladakhi society is related to the taxation system and the ownership of the land. The economy of medieval Ladakh depended on the combination of agriculture, pastoralism and trade.