28 ON SOME EARLY GARDEN HISTORY 



Nur-Jahan Begam (better known as Nur-Mahal), 

 undertook no less than thirteen times, crossing 

 the snowy passes of the Pir Panjal on elephants 

 — a strange and dangerous undertaking. These 

 adventures, however, were for the Court 

 alone ; for most people a garden close to the 

 city walls took the place of hiU stations and 

 summer resorts. Every omrah (noble) and rich 

 man made one or more of these gardens, with 

 running water, fountains, and cool, airy pavilions 

 in which to take refuge from the stifling summer 

 heat of the great white city palaces. Running 

 water was the essential featiu-e of these gardens. 

 Even the city palace had its fountain and inner 

 court planted with shrubs and flowers for the 

 special use of the ladies of the zenana. Bemier, 

 writing from the Court of Aurungzeb at Delhi, 

 mentions that the garden-houses of the omrahs, 

 " though mostly situated on the banks of the 

 river and in the suburbs, are yet scattered in 

 every direction. In these hot countries a house 

 is considered beautiful if it be capacious, and 

 if the situation be airy and exposed on all sides 

 to the wind, especially the northern breezes. A 

 good house has its courtyards, gardens, trees, 

 basins of water, small jets d'eau in the haU or at 



