Human activity in the Zanskar valley dates back to at least the Bronze Age, as evidenced by ancient petroglyphs found in the region. The early inhabitants were likely Indo-European Monpa people, who were later joined by waves of Tibetan migrations starting around the 8th century CE. During this time, Buddhism began to take deep root in the valley, leading to the establishment of some of the oldest monastic institutions in the Himalayas.
By the 10th century, Zanskar was incorporated into the Kingdom of Guge. Following the collapse of Guge, Zanskar operated as a series of semi-independent kingdoms, primarily divided between the royal houses of Zangla in the north and Padum in the south. Throughout the 15th to 17th centuries, the region enjoyed periods of sovereignty, though it frequently had to pay tribute to more powerful neighbors in Ladakh or Kashmir.
In 1840, Zanskar’s independence came to an end when it was conquered by the Dogra general Zorawar Singh, subsequently becoming part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Following India's independence in 1947, the region navigated the geopolitics of the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, remaining safely within Indian territory due to its rugged geography. In 2019, Zanskar transitioned from being part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to the newly formed Union Territory of Ladakh, an administrative shift that has spurred new infrastructure investments.