Mandok Gyalmo

Mandok Gyalmo (also spelt as Mindoq or Mindok, ) was a 17th-century Ladakhi princess and queen of Maqpon king Ali Senge Anchan. She was a daughter of ruler of Ladakh Jamyang Namgyal and a half-sister of his son and successor Sengge Namgyal.

Biography Mandok was a daughter of Jamyang, who was enthroned in 1595 as the Gyalpo of Ladakh. Being an ambitious ruler, he invaded the small Muslim principalities in Purig and Baltistan to bring them under the Ladakhi control. During this period Ali Senge Anchan was the ruler of Skardu. Anchan, leading an alliance consisting of Yabghu Raja of Khaplu and Amacha Raja of Shigar, invaded Ladakh. He bypassed Purig where Jamyang was present with his army through Marol and captured Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Soon the Ladakhi king was made prisoner as well. Anchan gave the throne of Ladakh back to Jamyang after marrying his daughter, Mandok. In return Jamyang was given hands of a Balti princess in marriage, Gyal Khatun, on the condition that her son would be his successor in Ladakh.

Mandok Gyalmo has been sometimes wrongly described as a Mughal princess in the Balti traditions. According to Balti folklore, she brought musicians and artisans with her and introduced musical instruments such as the surnai, karnai, dhol and chang in Baltistan. A Balti song (sbal-glu), Hilal Bagh, narrates her arrival to Skardu with a large procession of men and horses. The Satpara stream remains the primary water source for the Skardu city till today.