ABSTRACT
The practice of exchanging princesses (giving and/or receiving them as brides) was a prevalent feature of ancient diplomacy that was widely practised in Tibet2 and in the states of the north-western himalayas. accounts of bride exchange3 can be found in ladakhi and balti histories and in folksongs that commemorate the birth and accomplishments of kings (rgyal-po) and lords (jo-bo),4 Queens (rgyal-mo) and noble ladies (jo-jo) and other important historical figures, such as ministers, priests and famous artists. In this article, we will look at folksongs concerning ladakh’s ‘royal era’ (rgyal-dus) that celebrate the extraordinary lives of muslim princesses who were sent as brides to the court of ladakh and became known as Khatuns, muslim queens of buddhist kingdoms.
