I shall now give a brief account of the country of Kashmir and of its peculiarities.
Kashmir*
belongs to the fourth climate. Its latitude is
35° N., and its longitude, from the White Islands, 105°.
In old times the country was in the possession of Rajas. Their
dynasty lasted for 4,000 years. An account of them, and
a list of their names, are given in the Rāja-tarang, which, by
my father's order, was translated*
from the Sanskrit (Hindi
in text) into Persian. In the Hijri year 712 (1312-13) Kashmir
was illumined by the religion of Islam. Thirty-two
Muhammadan princes reigned over it for 282 years, until,
in 994 (1586), my father conquered it. From that date till
now, being a period of thirty-five years, the country has been
in the possession of the Crown. Kashmir, from the Pass of
Buliyasa*
to Qambarbar, is 56 Jahāngīrī koss long, and its
breadth is never more than 27 koss, or less than 10 koss.
Shaikh Abū-l-Faẓl has, in the Akbar-nāma, stated, by guess
and conjecture, that the length of Kashmir from the Kishan
Gangā to Qambarbar is 120 koss, and its breadth from 10 to
25 koss. I, out of prudence and caution, appointed a number
of trustworthy and intelligent men to measure the length
and breadth with ropes (anāb). The result was that what
the Shaikh wrote as 120 koss came out as 67. As it is agreed
that the boundary of a country is the place up to which
people speak the language of that country, it follows that
the boundary of Kashmir is Buliyāsa, which is 11 koss on
this side (i.e., east) of the Kishan Gangā. So, according to
the preceding figures, the length of Kashmir is 56 (67 – 11) koss.
The variations in breadth were found to be not more than
2 koss. The koss*
which is in use during my reign is that
prescribed by my father. That is, a koss is 5,000 yards, and
the yard is 2 shar‘ī yards, each of the latter (yards) being
24 digits*
(angush). Wherever the koss or gaz is mentioned,
the reference is to the above koss and the above gaz.
The name of the city is Srīnagar, and the Bihat river flows
through the midst of it. They call its fountain-head Vīr-nāg.*
It is 14 koss to the south. By my order they have made
a building and a garden at that source. There have
been built in the city four very strong stone and wooden
bridges, over which people come and go. They call a
bridge in the language of this country kadal. There is a
very lofty mosque in the city, one of the marks of Sulān
Sikandar,*
made in 795 (1393). After a time it was burnt,
but was rebuilt by Sulān Ḥusain. It had not been completed
when the mansion of his life fell down. In 909
(1503-04) Ibrāhīm Māqrī, Vizier of Sulān Ḥusain, finished it
handsomely. From that day till now it is 120 years since it
has been in existence. From the Miḥrāb to the eastern wall
it is 145 yards, and its breadth is 144 yards, containing four
(āq) alcoves. On all sides of the hall they have erected
beautiful cloisters and pillars. In short, no better memorial
of the rulers of Kashmir has been left than this. Mīr
Sayyid ‘Alī of Hamadan (may his grave be sanctified!) was
for some time in this city. There is a monastery*
to his
memory. Near the city there are two*
large lakes full of
water all the year round. Their flavour*
does not vary;
they are the means for coming and going of the people, and
for the conveyance of grain and firewood on boats. In the
city and parganas there are 5,700 boats, with 7,400*
boatmen.
The country of Kashmir has thirty-eight parganas. It is
divided into two provinces; the territory on the upper part of
the river they call Marrāj, and that on the lower Kāmrāj.
It is not the custom to use gold and silver for payment
of the revenue from land or in commerce, except for a
portion of the cesses (sā'ir-jihāt).*
They reckon the value
of things in kharwārs of rice, each kharwār being three
maunds and eight seers of the current weight. The Kash-
Kashmir is a garden* of eternal spring, or an iron fort to a palace of kings—a delightful flower-bed, and a heart-expanding heritage for dervishes. Its pleasant meads and enchanting cascades are beyond all description. There are running streams and fountains beyond count. Wherever the eye reaches, there are verdure and running water. The red rose, the violet, and the narcissus grow of themselves; in the fields, there are all kinds of flowers and all sorts of sweet-scented herbs more than can be calculated. In the soul-enchanting spring the hills and plains are filled with blossoms; the gates, the walls, the courts, the roofs, are lighted up by the torches of banquet-adorning tulips. What shall we say of these things or of the wide meadows (julgahā) and the fragrant trefoil?
“The garden-nymphs* were brilliant,
Their cheeks shone like lamps;
There were fragrant buds on their stems (or ‘under their rind’),
Like dark amulets on the arms of the beloved.
The wakeful, ode-rehearsing nightingale
Whetted the desires of wine-drinkers;
At each fountain the duck dipped his beak
Like golden scissors cutting silk;
There were flower-carpets and fresh rosebuds,
The wind fanned the lamps of the roses,
The violet braided her locks,
The buds tied a knot in the heart.”