Renu Nanda
Professor and H.O.D
P.G. Department of Education
University of Jammu, Jammu
Stanzin Nouskit
Research scholar
P.G. Department of Education
University of Jammu, Jammu
Abstract
Baltis are those distinct people whose ancestors were migrated from Baltistan to Kargil and Leh before the Partition. They are most likely a descendant of the Scythians (Saka) derives their name from their home land “Baltistan” and perceive their distribution in Kargil, Leh and in part of Baltistan. About 300,000 population of Baltis of Tibetan descent with some Dardic admixture were found in Pakistan controlled Baltistan, and in the Kargil and Leh district of Ladakh, are region in Jammu and Kashmir (India). They are also spread in Pakistan’s major urban centres of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Tibetan, Islamic and Indian influence has shaped the Balti culture into its modern form. Islam plays an important role in Balti culture. It is predicted from the rock carvings that the ancient Baltis were animist and believed in Shamans. Separated from its linguistic kin, Balti is under pressure from more dominant languages such as Urdu. This is compounded by the lack of a suitable means of transcribing the language following the abandonment of its original Tibetan script. The Balti language is a Tibetan language spoken in Baltistan division of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, and adjoining parts of Ladakh, India. Baltis dialect is considered as the oldest dialect of Tibetan and is based on Standard Tibetan. It has its own alphabet.
Keywords: Balti, Culture, Dialect, Language, Kargil, Ladakh.
