Land of the Aga
Kargil, with a population of about 1.25 lakh, is spread over an area of 14,086 square kilometers. It is located at a distance of 205 kilometers from Srinagar towards Leh. Kargil is called the land of Aghas in today's world. This is because most of the Shia Muslims live in Kargil and Agha is called a religious head and preacher. (Photo – kargil.nic.in)
Meaning and history of the name Kargil
The name Kargil is made up of two words Khar and Arkil. Khar means palace and Arkil means center i.e. place between palaces because this place has been situated between many princely states or kingdoms in today's Jammu and Kashmir state. According to many critics, the word Kargil is made up of the words Gar and Khil.
In the local language Gar means 'any place' and Khil means a central place where people can live. This is supported by the fact that the place is about 200 kms from Srinagar, Skardu, Rah and Padum. With the passage of time Khar Arkil or Gar Khil came to be known as Kargil. (Photo – kargil.nic.in)
Names associated with Thatha Khan
Present-day bureaucrat and historian Parvez Dewan in his book 'Kargil Blunder' says that a pioneer named Kargil had cleared the forests in the Poyen and Shilikchay areas before Thatha Khan came here and later named the place.
Advent of Islam
Thaa Thaa Khan is said to have been a prominent warrior who founded a dynasty in the region. Islam came to Kargil in the 15th century. Mir Shams-ud-Din Iraqi, a scholar of the Shia school of Central Asia, visited Baltistan and Kargil with his missionaries to preach Islam.
ancient name of kargil
In ancient times, most of the present Kargil region was called Purik. This name has been given by Tibetan scholars because the people living in this part of the land have the characteristics of Tibetans. Drass is inhabited by people of Dard caste and Zanskar has Ladakhi-Tibetan ancestry. The racial ancestry of Kargilis is Aryan, Dard, Tibetan and Mongoloid. Apart from Islam, followers of Buddhism are also present here.
Languages of Kargil
Kargil is a place where multi-ethnic, multilingual, multi-cultural people live. The people here are Brogpa, Baltis, Purik, Shina and Ladakhi. The languages spoken here are Shina, Balti, Purig, Ladakhi. Balti and Shina languages are written in Urdu script, so Urdu is common in this area.
Kargil district was formed in the year 1979
Kargil became a separate district in the Ladakh region in the year 1979, when it was separated from the then Leh district. In July 2003, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil was established in the district.
The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council has 30 councillors, of which 26 councillors are elected while the remaining 4 are nominated. Kargil district has nine administrative blocks.
