Trade routes from Ladakh (Durbuk to the north of Tankse is unmarked)
Durbuk is at a key location between the Indus Valley to the west, the Shyok Valley to the east and the Pangong Lake region to the south. The trade routes to Yarkand (via the Shyok Valley) as well as Rudok (via the Pangong Lake) passed through here.[b]
Durbuk lies in the valley of the Tangtse River, which is described as "well-cultivated" in the British sources. The river is also said to be swarming with fish.[2]Godwin-Austen believed that the valley must have been the bed of a lake at some point in the past.[10]
The Tangtse River originates in the Loi Yogma valley to the southwest of Tangtse, and flows past the Tangtse and Durbuk villages to join the Shyok River. After Durbuk, the river bends sharply to the right and flows in a 400–500 m. gorge for 12 km.[11] At Durbuk, it also receives on the left a small stream that originates below the Chang La.[3]
In historical sources Durbuk is sometimes referred to as "Dumra" (Ldum-ra or Nubra), which is really the name of the Shyok River valley.[c] It is possible that Durbuk might have been part of the Nubra chieftaincies in the past. Alexander Cunningham includes Durbuk within Nubra.[12]
Transportation
In the preset time, Durbuk is connected to all parts of Ladakh by road. A southwest road to Karu connects it to the Indus river valley, thence to Leh and Kargil. Another southeast road connects it to the Pangong Tso and Chushul. A northwest road along the western branch of the Shyok River connects it to Diskit and Turtuk.
The 235 km long Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road in the north, connects it to places on the eastern branch of the Shyok River, including the Shyok village 16 km to the north and further north to Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) military post on the China border. The stretch between Shyok and DBO is also called Sub-Sector North (SSN) by the Indian Military, and is off-limits to civilians.[8]
According to the 2011 census of India, Durbuk[d] has 160 households. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 66.62%.[13]
^In old British documents, the name is spelt as Durgu,[2][3]Durgo,[4] or Durgukh.[2][3] The traditional name is Hdor-khug also spelt Rdo-khug.[5]
^There were three routes from the Indus Valley to the Shyok Valley, via the Khardung La, the Digar La and the Chang La. Khardung La was most frequently used for the summer route and Chang La, via Durbuk, for the winter route. (Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak 1890:563–564)
"The Tibetan soldiers pursued the remaining troops as far as a place called Dumra, just one day's journey from Leh, where the Tibetan army pitched their camp." (Shakabpa, One Hundred Thousand Moons 2009:583–584)
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