Due to its long border with China, Laddak, a steep high altitude region, is far from the lives and imagination of most Indians, becoming part of everyday conversation and worry.
Let's take a look at a brief introduction to the area, its history, and some of the places where Indian troops clashed and detained with Chinese troops. Remember its geographical features.
Ladakh through history
Located between the Kunlun Mountains in the north and the Himalayas in the south, Ladakh was originally populated by Indo-Aryan and Tibetan people.
Historically, the region included Zanskar, Lahore, Spiti, Aksaitin, Ngarri, Ruduk, as well as the valleys of Baltistan, Indus and Nubra.
Ladakh has always been at the crossroads of important trade routes and has always enjoyed its strategic importance.
At the beginning of the first century, Ladakh was part of the Kushan Empire.Until the 15th century, it was part of Tibet and was governed by the local Lama dynasty.
After that, he took turns many times between the Kingdom of Kashmir and Zhang Zhong.
In 1834, General Zorawar Singh, a general of Rajagrab Singh who ruled Junk as part of the Sikh Empire, extended the boundaries of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Kingdom to Ladakh.
Partition, Pakistan, Chinese occupation
Shortly after the division of India, a tribal Raider (a Pakistani army in disguise) attacked Ladakh. They captured Cargill and headed for Leh when faced with an Indian army that regained Cargill.
India has always considered Aksaitin to be part of Jammu and Kashmir, but in the 1950s China built the Western Expressway or the NH219, connecting Tibet and Xinjiang in the region.
It was always easier accessible for the Chinese than for the Indians on the other side of Karakorum.
India learned of this route in 1957, and it was one of the causes of the 1962 Sino-Japanese War. Since then, China has strengthened its control over the region.
China today claims that Aksai Ching is part of Hotan County, Xinjiang.
Following the agreement between China and Pakistan signed on March 2, 1963, Pakistan transferred the Shaxham Valley, which is part of the Baltistan region of northern Karakorum, to China.
Ladakh through the eyes of China
China's expansion into the region began after the 1949 Communist Revolution, when veteran warfare veteran President Mao Zedong began to integrate the perimeter of China as part of his expansive design.
The PLA occupied Tibet in 1951 and then turned to Ladakh.
The reason was that the road connecting Kashgar in Xinjiang and Lhasa in Tibet had to go through Aksaitin, which was owned by the Indians but they rarely traveled.
Galwan Valley attracts attention
With the Tibetan rebellion of 1959 and the flight of the Dalai Lama to India, China further strengthened its military presence in Ladakh to secure the NH 219.
India has responded to the "progressive policy" as part of its efforts to set up an army garrison in the region to prevent China's expansion.
As a result, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Conca Pass area in 1959.
The Indian army then set up a post in the Samjunjling area to block off Chinese posts, and the Galwan Valley, which signaled the beginning of the 1962 war, became a place of action.
Pangong Tso: the lake in battle
In a recent confrontation, Indian troops first spy on Chinese on the banks of Pangonzo.
This lake is one-third of India and two-thirds of China, and is tactically very important to the Chinese, who have built infrastructure on both sides to ensure rapid military buildup.
China's invasion of the region allows the Chushul Bowl to dominate by shifting the LAC west so that it can occupy significant heights both north and south of the lake.
The narrow Chushul Valley, on the road to Leh, north of Pangonzo, remained an important target for the Chinese during the 1962 war.It was here that the Battle of Chushur fought.
Strategic SSN: To the Far North
The area that spans Galwan, Depsan Plateau and Daulat Begg Oldy (DBO) is called Subsector North (SSN).
Located east of the Siachen Glacier, this enclave is very important because it is close to the Karakorum Pass near the Western China Highway or NH 219 towards Aksai Chin.
It is SSN that provides overland access to Central Asia through the Karakorum Pass.
Control of this region is also important for the protection of the Siachen Glacier between the Pakistani Sartoro Ridge and the Zaseru Ridge near the Chinese claim line.
The height of Galwan overlooks the all-weather Durbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road.This road connects Leh and DBO at the foot of Karakorum Pass, which separates Ladakh from China's Xinjiang region.
Control over these heights allows China to easily block this path.
Why is China stubborn in Galwan?
The occupation of Galwan nullifies the tactical advantage India gained by building an all-weather Durbuk-DBO road over the past 20 years.
Last year, the Border Road Organization (BRO) made this steep terrain even more accessible by completing a 430-meter long bridge over the Shyok River.
This makes the Darbuk route to the DBO available throughout the year, halving the military's travel time to SSN.
It is this bridge, coupled with work in progress on the link road to the LAC in the area, prompted the PLA to enter Galwang.
