Kargil district

**Kargil** is a district that forms part of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, currently administered by India as part of the Union Territory of Ladakh. It lies close to the Line of Control and is bordered by Pakistan-administered Gilgit–Baltistan to the north, the Kashmir Valley and Jammu to the west, Leh district to the east, and Himachal Pradesh to the south.

Administratively, Kargil is divided into nine blocks: Kargil, Drass, Sankoo, Taisuru, Shargole, Shakar-Chiktan, Zanskar, GM Pore/Trespone, and Lungnak. The district has three tehsils—Kargil, Zanskar, and Sankoo. Zanskar and Drass also function as sub-divisions, each headed by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

## Name

The name **Kargil** is said to derive from the Balti-Tibetan words _Khar_ and _Rkil_. _Khar_ means "Castle" and _rkil_ means "Centre" - thus a place between castles (as the place lay between many kingdoms). The ancient name of Kargil was _Purig_.

## Demographics

With a population of 140,000, Kargil is the only Muslim majority district in Ladakh. Of the total population, 85% are Muslim, of which 73% follow Shia Islam. Most of the district's Muslims are found in Kargil town, Drass, Wakha and the lower Suru valley. The remainder 14% are followers of Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, mostly found in Zanskar with small populations in the upper Suru valley (Rangdum) and around Shergol and Mulbekh. Another 1% of the population follow Hinduism and Sikhism.

Purig and Balti people of Tibetan origin (converting from Buddhism to Islam in the 16th Century) mainly live in  Kargil. They have mixed with the Dard, Mon and other Aryan people. The mainly Muslim Dards live in the valley of Drass and speak Shina. A small number of Buddhist Dard, known as Brokpa, live in the Dha-Hanu region near the Lamayuru monastery. Some Arghons also live in Kargil Town. Later, immigrants from Kashmir and Hindus Jammu have come to live in Kargil.

## Other websites

- "District Kargil", Official Kargil Site
- Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Kargil
- **native name**: करगिल
کارگل
- **native name lang**: hi
- **settlement type**: Districts of Ladakh, District
- **image skyline**: Kargil Town Panorama.jpg
- **image caption**: Kargil
- **image map**: Ladakh Districts (2019).svg
- **map caption**: Map of Kargil district in Ladakh
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision type1**: States and territories of India, Union Territory
- **subdivision name1**: Ladakh
- **subdivision type2**: List of districts of India, District
- **subdivision name2**: Kargil
- **established date**: 1 July 1979
- **seat type**: Headquarters
- **seat**: Kargil
- **unit pref**: Metric
- **area total km2**: 14,036
- **elevation m**: 2676
- **population total**: 140,802
- **population as of**: 2011
- **population density km2**: auto
- **demographics type1**: Languages
- **demographics1 title1**: Official
- **demographics1 title2**: Spoken
- **demographics1 info2**: Purik, Hindi/Urdu, Shina language, Sheena, Balti language, Balti
- **timezone1**: Indian Standard Time, IST
- **utc offset1**: +5:30
- **postal code type**: Postal Index Number, PIN Code
- **postal code**: 194103
- **registration plate**: LA 02