Kashmir, Sir Younghusband Francis Edward [the best novels to read .TXT] 📗

LONDON
ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK
1911

First published September 1909
Reprinted August 1911

TO
HIS HIGHNESS
MAJOR-GENERAL MAHARAJA SIR PRATAP SINGH
G.C.S.I.
MAHARAJA OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

IN RECOGNITION OF MUCH HOSPITALITY AND IN TOKEN OF
A FRIENDSHIP OF MANY YEARS

PREFACE

When Major Molyneux asked me to combine with him in the production of a book on Kashmir I could not resist the temptation to describe what he had so faithfully depicted, though my official duties naturally leave me insufficient time to do real justice to the theme. I have not been able to write with the completeness that I should have wished; and I am aware of many sins of omission. I can only hope that when the description fails the reader will be fortunate to have his attention irresistibly diverted to one or other of my collaborator's beautiful pictures.

The Residency, Srinagar,
September 1908.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Scenery and Seasons

Bernier's impression of Kashmir in 1665—Comparison of Kashmir and Switzerland—The road in—First signs of spring—Srinagar in March—A start for Shikar—Shikaris—Forest-clad hill-sides—Signs of stag—View over the valley—Rosy mountains—Unrealised beauties—A duck-shoot—The view from Hokrar—Harwan in spring—Varying beauties of Kashmir—Harwan in May—Clouds on the mountains—A Kashmir village—Irises and roses—Trout-culture—A trout stream—Srinagar in April—The view from Gupkar—A spring scene—Unusual rain—The Nishat Bagh—Pandrathan—Srinagar in summer—The valley in September—The end of the monsoon—The gorgeous autumn—A Hokrar duck-shoot—The valley in winter—Shikaris—Shooting in winter 1

CHAPTER II

Travel in Kashmir

Travel in old times—My first entrance—My old retainer—Present modes of travel—Stages from the railway—Srinagar house-boats—Srinagar shops—Expeditions from Srinagar—The descent from the Tragbal 47

CHAPTER III

Srinagar and Neighbourhood

An old capital—The Maharaja's arrival—Procession through the city—The European quarter—The Jama Masjid—Shah Hamadan—Dr. Neve's Hospital—The Takht-i-Suliman—Pandrathan—The Dal Lake—The Nasim Bagh—The Shalimar Bagh—The Nishat Bagh—Parihasapura 63

CHAPTER IV

The Residency Garden

The first week in March—Fruit trees in bloom—Kashmir tulips—Golden orioles—Roses in May—Strawberries—Burbank's Delphiniums—The height of summer—The garden in autumn—Autumnal colours 87

CHAPTER V

Gulmarg

The "Meadow of Flowers"—Its numerous attractions—Views over the valley—Flowers—Nanga Parbat 98

CHAPTER VI

The Valleys and Places of Interest

The Sind Valley—Gangabal Lake—The Lolab—The Lidar Valley—Martand—Achibal 108

CHAPTER VII

Sport

Game Preservation—The year's bag—Duck-shooting—Fishing 118

CHAPTER VIII

The People

Kashmir beauties—The Pundits—Mohamedans—The Quadiani sect—Kashmiri villagers—Boatmen 125

CHAPTER IX

The History of Kashmir

Possible effect of natural beauty—Ancient ruins—Martand—Greek influence—Buddhist influence—Kanishka—Lalitaditya—Avantivarman—Short reigns—Internal struggles—Perpetual intrigue—Advent of Mohamedans—Zain-ul-ab-ul-din—Akbar—The Moghals—Afghan oppressors—Sikhs—Rise of Gulab Singh—Break-up of Sikhs—Gulab Singh and the British—Treaty of 1846—Gulab Singh acquires Kashmir—Its deplorable state—Ranbir Singh—Country still depressed—Famine of 1877—Improvements during present reign133

CHAPTER X

Administration

System of rule—Personal—Sources of revenue—Land revenue assessment183

CHAPTER XI

Products and Manufactures

Wool—Silk—Fruit—Rice—Other grains—Experimental farm—Soil—Implements—Forests—Mineral products—Shawls—Carpets—Silk—Papier-mâché—Puttoo—Boat-building—Trade194

CHAPTER XII

The Electrical Scheme

Water-power turned to electric power—The Jhelum River harnessed—The flume—The power-house—Difficulties encountered—The dredging scheme222

CHAPTER XIII

The Peaks and Mountain Ranges

The Peak K2—Errors in observation—Nanga Parbat—Rocks of great peaks—The Himalayan range234

CHAPTER XIV

The Story of the Mountains

Interest of study—Kashmir under the sea—100,000,000 years ago—Kashmir an archipelago—Finally upheaved—Cause of upheaval—History of life—At first no land life—Ferns—The Coal Measures—Great reptiles—Mammals—Kashmir valley a lake—Appearance of man—Reflections on the story—Need to look forward—Creating higher man251

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

By MAJOR E. MOLYNEUX, D.S.O.

  PAGE 1. Wild Rhododendrons Frontispiece 2. Approach to Srinagar 2 3. The Land of Roses 4 4. Mouth of the Sind Valley 6 5. Sunset on the Wular Lake 8 6. Dawn in the Nulla 10 7. Kotwal from the Forest above Kangan, Sind Valley 12 8. Above the Camping-Ground, Sonamarg, Sind Valley 14 9. The Kajnag from Sopur, Early Spring 16 10. Kotwal from near the Dal Darwaza 18 11. The Lull before the Storm, Dal Lake 20 12. Above Lidarwat, Lidar Valley 22 13. Sunset on the Jhelum, above Srinagar 24 14. Spring in Kashmir 26 15. On the Dal Lake in Spring 28 16. Entrance to the Mar Canal 32 17. The Temple, Chenar Bagh 34 18. Ruins of Lalla Rookh's Gardens, Lake Manasbal 36 19. A Ladaki in Summer Costume 52 20. The Valley of Gurais 62 21. Market Boats on the Mar Canal, Srinagar 64 22. Above the Fifth Bridge, Srinagar 66 23. Shawl Merchants' Shops, Third Bridge, Srinagar 68 24. Mosque of Shah Hamadan, Srinagar 70 25. A Hindu Temple, Srinagar 72 26. In the Mar Canal, Srinagar 74 27. Guggribal Pointe on the Dal Lake 76 28. Lotus Lilies on the Dal Lake 78 29. Shalimar Gardens 80 30. The Nishat Bagh 82 31. A Terrace of the Nishat Bagh 84 32. The Residency and Club, Srinagar 88 33. The Takht-i-Suliman, from the Residency Garden 94 34. On the Circular Road, Gulmarg 100 35. In the Forest 102 36. From the Circular Road, Gulmarg 104 37. Gorge of the Sind Valley at Guggangir 108 38. The Frozen Lake, Gangabal 110 39. Early Morning near Pahlgam, Lidar Valley 112 40. The Ruins of Martand 114 41. A Srinagar Bazaar 116 42. A Corner of the Village of Pahlgam, Lidar Valley 128 43. A Mountain Farm-House 130 44. A Boatman and his Family 132 45. Ruins of Temples, Wangat, Sind Valley 134 46. Ruined Gateway of Martand 136 47. Ruined Temples of Avantipur 138 48. Gate of the Outer Wall, Hari Parbat Fort, Srinagar 156 49. At the River's Edge, Srinagar 160 50. Lalla Rookh's Tomb, Hassan Abdal 162 51. Bridge of Burbur Shah, Chenar Bagh, Srinagar 164 52. Spring Floods in the Kutical Canal, Srinagar 166 53. Looking down the Gurais Valley, from Dudhgai Village 168 54. Akbar's Bridge, Karallayar 174 55. The Camping-Ground at Lidarwat 198 56. A Wayside Shrine 202 57. Evening on the Dal Lake 210 58. Mount Haramokh, from the Erin Nullah 238 59. A Mountain Glen, before the Melting of the Snows 240 60. Lake Shisha Nag, Lidar Valley 244 61. Distant View of Nanga Parbat, from the Kamri Pass 246 62. Mount Kolahoi, Lidar Valley 248 63. Rampur, Jhelum Valley Road 252 64. In the Sind Valley 254 65. Lake Shisha Nag at Sunset 258 66. The Tannin Glen, Lidar Valley 260 67. Going to the Wedding, Upper Indus Valley 262 68. Mountain Mists 264 69. Near the Kolahoi Glacier, Lidar Valley 266 70. Lake Sinsa Nag, Lidar Valley 270

Sketch Map of Kashmir at end of Volume.

KASHMIR

CHAPTER I

SCENERY AND SEASONS

Bernier, the first European to enter Kashmir, writing in 1665, says: "In truth, the kingdom surpasses in beauty all that my warmest imagination had anticipated." This impression is not universally felt, for one of the very latest writers on Kashmir speaks of it as overrated, and calls the contour of the mountains commonplace and comparable to a second-rate Tyrolean valley. And fortunate it is that in this limited earth of ours we every one of us do not think alike. But I have seen many visitors to Kashmir, and my experience is that the bulk of them are of the same view as the above-mentioned Frenchman. They have read in books, and they have heard from friends, glowing descriptions of the country; but the reality has, with most, exceeded the expectation. Some have found the expenses of living and the discomforts of travel greater than they had expected. And some have arrived when it was raining or cloudy, and the snows were not visible; or in the middle of summer when the valley is hazy, steamy, and filled with mosquitoes. But when the clouds have rolled by, the haze lifted, and a real Kashmir spring or autumn day disclosed itself, the heart of the hardest visitor melteth and he becomes as Bernier.

The present book will deal, not with the whole Kashmir State, which includes many outlying provinces, but with Kashmir Proper, with the world-renowned valley of Kashmir, a saucer-shaped vale with a length of 84 miles, a breadth of 20 to 25 miles, and a mean height of 5600 feet above sea-level, set in the very heart of the Himalaya, and corresponding in latitude to Damascus, to Fez in Morocco, and to South Carolina.