590 



CASHMERE. 



Cashmere, house of Timur for the space of 160 years, after 

 ^ -V-*' which it was betrayed by the Mogul governor to 

 Ahmed Shah Duranny, who formed it into a pro- 

 vince of the Afghan empire. In this situation it is 

 commonly placed under the authority of an indivi- 

 dual deputy, commissioned by the sovereign, on the 

 personal character of which individual, of course, 

 a great deal will depend, as to the extent, at any 

 time, both of its freedom and its happiness. The 

 measure of either of these, at a late period, when the 

 country was visited by European travellers, appears 

 to have been far from being considerable. 



Revenue. The annual public revenue of Cashmere has differ- 

 ed at different periods, influenced no doubt by causes, 

 which during the same times influenced, in one way 

 or another, the general prosperity of the district, 

 and the welfare of its inhabitants. In the time of 

 Aureng zebe, only about L. 35,000 a-year were de- 

 rived from it. During Shah Ivan's reign, the re- 

 venue of this province was no more than L. 25,000 ; 

 and it was only L. 20,000 in the time of Mahomed 

 Shah. More recently, a revenue of between 20 and 

 30 lacks of rupees has been collected from it, of 

 which a tribute of seven lacks is remitted to the 

 treasury of the reigning prince. Unfortunately, in 

 the case of a country circumstanced as this is in re- 

 spect to government, the amount of the revenue ac- 

 tually obtained from it at any time, is no adequate cri- 

 terion of the measure, at the same time, of its pros- 

 perity. It appears that the great increase of revenue, 

 which in later periods has been drawn from Cash- 

 mere, has been forced from it only by means of the 

 most rigorous and oppressive extortion. 



The military force of this district consists of about 

 3000 horse and foot, chiefly Afghans : the natives of 

 the country are systematically excluded from it. 

 From some examples that have been noticed, it would 

 appear that these troops are very poorly, as well as 

 irregularly, found in pay, insomuch as, upon occa- 

 sions, to have been obliged to pick up, as they best 

 could, a scanty subsistence from the spontaneous 

 productions of the country. 



Language. The language of Cashmere is, by some writers, 

 considered to be peculiar, and of very ancient date : 

 others hold that it is derived from the Sanscrit. It 

 resembles in sound that of the Mahrattas, but with 

 more harshness ; on which account, probably, it is 

 that the inhabitants of this country have been accus- 

 tomed to compose their songs in the Persic language, 

 or have adopted those of the Persian poets. Not- 

 withstanding the rugged character of their own 

 speech, it is said that a taste for music is universal 

 amongst all classes of the people of this province. 



Religion. The Cashmerians are supposed to have a religion 



of their own, different from that of the Hindoos. 

 Abul Fazil says, that the most respectable people of 

 that country are the Reyshees, who, though they do 

 not suffer themselves to be fettered by traditions, are 

 doubtless true worshippers of God. It appeared to 

 some who had travelled in those parts, that the in- 

 habitants generally were extremely lax, in regard to 

 matters of a religiuus kind, being ready to adopt any 

 system, or none, as might best suit their particular 

 interests, or as might be recommended to them by 

 prevalent fashion. Yet, every where here, there oc- 



Military 

 force. 



cur the evidences of die force of superstition ; the Caslmiere, 

 places of worship dedicated to Mahadeo, to Bishen, s- 

 and to Brama, abounding throughout this sequestered 

 spot, and great respect being paid to miraculous 

 fountains, or other things or places esfemed holy. 



Numbers of hermits have been observed in this quar 

 ter, who occupy places nearly inaccessible, and are 

 highly venerated, some of them being supposed to have 

 the power of exciting the fury of the elements, or to 

 possess other supernatural or miraculous endowments. 



The population of Cashmere is stated to be, in Inhabit 

 proportion to its extent, very considerable. The auts. 

 plains abound with inhabitants, as also, where they 

 will admit of it, the declivities of the hills. The 

 Cashmerians are stout, well formed, and as the na- 

 tives o a country that lies so much within the range 

 of the greater heats of the sun, may be considered a 

 fair people. They have been praised, but apparently 

 without adequate ground, for the fineness of their 

 features, and for countenances ratherEuropean than of 

 Tartarian aspect. Certainly these advantages are more 

 subject to question, at least, than that which has been 

 attributed to them in respect to the colour of their 

 complexion. On the contrary, it would appear that 

 the features, even of their females, are ordinarily 

 broad, and that there prevails among them a coarse- 

 ness of figure. 



The dress of the people of Cashmere consists of a Dress, 

 large turban, a great woollen vest with wide sleeves, 

 (under which people of the higher class wear a pira- 

 hun, or shirt, and drawers,) and a sash, wrapped in 

 many folds round the middle. The women of the 

 higher class are never seen abroad, so that little can 

 be said relative to their dress ; but the external, 

 and often only garment worn by those of the inferior 

 orders, is of cotton, and shaped like a long loose 

 shirt. Their principal, or only ornaments an arti- 

 cle in which indeed they do not much indulge are 

 introduced in the manner of dressing their hair. This 

 people are generally gay and lively, and much ad- 

 dicted to pleasure, which inclination, though some- 

 what blunted, has not been wholly eradicated in them, 

 even under the rigours of the Afghan government. 



The prevailing character of the Cashmerians has Character, 

 been drawn by one who, at no very distant period, vi- 

 sited that country, in lineaments little honourable to 

 them. He never knew, he says, a national body of 

 men more impregnated with the principles of vice 

 than the natives of Cashmere. He represents them 

 as eager in the pursuit of wealth, ambitious in seek- 

 ing aggrandisement, indifferent as to the means by 

 which those objects of their desire may be attained ; 

 arrogant, on the one hand, and rapacious, and on 

 the other ingenious in devising and multiplying 

 modes of luxurious expence ; deceitful and treacher- 

 ous ; with the cruelty of cowards ; fickle in friend- 

 ship, and implacable in enmity. In short, it would 

 appear that the numerous train of despicable vices, 

 usually called forth and kept alive in a state of sla- 

 very, are here exhibited in frightful deformity ; and 

 a land that nature formed fora terrestrial paradise, is, 

 through the depravity of the inhabitants, converted 

 into a scene which, jnstead of any of the more grate- 

 ful sentiments of the human mind, is calculated only 

 to excite a heart-felt pity, or a most mortifying and 

 3 



