Leh, with an area of 45,110 sq km, is the largest district in India. It is situated in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, between 32 degree to 36 degree North Latitude and 75 degree to 80 degree East Longitude. The district is bounded by Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the West and Tibet in the north and eastern part and Lahaul Spiti district of Himachal Pardesh in South East.

Leh town is 434 km from Srinagar and 474 km from Manali. Leh district comprises of Leh town and 112 inhabited villages. The total population of Leh is estimated at 1.17 lacs. In the ancient times Leh was a part of Greater Ladakh spread over from Kailash Mansarover to Swaat (Dardistan).

Not much information is available about the ancient history of Ladakh. However, reference about the place and its neighbourhood in Arab, Chinese and Mongolian histories gives an idea that in the 7th Century AD fierce wars were fought by Tibet and China in Baltistan area of the Greater Ladakh in which deserts and barren mountains of Ladakh was turned into battle fields for the warring armies.

Around the 8th century the ruler of Kashmir, Laltadita conquered Ladakh. In the 8th Century itself, the Arabs conquered Kashghar and established their control over Central Asia which embraced Islam in the 9th century and thus a buffer state came into being between Tibet and China, terminating the hostilities between the two warring countries.

The ancient inhabitants of Ladakh were Dards, and Indo-Aryan race from down the Indus. But immigration from Tibet more than a thousand years ago largely overwhelmed the culture of the Dards. In eastern and central Ladakh, today's population seems to be mostly of Tibet origin. Buddhism reached Tibet from India via Ladakh. The area was the stronghold of Buddhism before Islam reached Ladakh.

Over a thousand years ago Raja Skitde Nemagon, ruled over Ladakh which was then known as Muryul (Red Country), as most of the mountains and the soil in Ladakh wears a red tinge.

In the 10th Century Skitday Nemagon, along with a couple of hundred men, invaded Ladakh where there was no central authority. The land was divided in small principalities, which were at war with each other. Nemagon defeated all of them and established a strong central authority. Those days Shey, was the capital of Ladakh became to be known as Nariskorsoom, a country of three provinces.

The present Ladakh was divided into two provinces while the third comprised western Tibet. The area of western Tibet slipped away from the kingdom but was reunited in 16th Century by the famous Ladakhi ruler Sengge Namgyal. Ladakh was an independent country since the middle of 10th century.

Ladakh is famous for its stark landscapes and monasteries.

In the post-partition scenario, Pakistan and China illegally occupied 78,114 sq km and 37,555 sq km of the state, respectively while the remaining part of the state acceeded to India. Pakistan also illegally gifted 5180 sq km of this area to China. Ladakh, comprising the areas of present Leh and Kargil districts, became one of the seven districts of the State. In 1979 when the reorganisation of the districts was carries out, the Ladakh district was divided into two full fledged of Leh and Kargil.