The Dichotomy of the Moon River

Bandarkoot near Kishtwar where the Marsudar meets the Chenab / Chandrabhaga

The Dichotomy of the Moon River

The Moon River as I like to call it or the Chandrabhaga or the Chenab, as its commonly known as, is truly a Himalayan River in all senses. This River and its tributaries run through some of the wildest and the ruggedest country in the Himalayas.Lahaul, Pangi and Kishtwar Valleys and their sub-Valleys are homes to this River. All these three Valleys have some of the craggiest Peaks in the Himalayas and the beauty is just mind blowing. Its the River of folktales and in the Punjab many love stories were written about Lovers being seperated by the Chenab. Who can forget the immortal lines from the classical Punjabi romance Sohni Mahiwal :

Sohni Chenab de kinare, Te Pukarey, Tere naam ve, aaja aaja aaja

Of course it ended in tragedy when both Sohni and Mahiwal were taken by the Chenab and the romance turned into a Tragedy for people to talk about.

Most are well aware that the Chandra and Bhaga River which rise around the Baralacha La Pass and then flow down into Lahaul and they finally merge. But the Chandrabhaga or the Chenab is the only major Himalayan River who’s name changes for apparently no reason. And also it has two starting points as well and there is debate whether the Chandra is a tributary of the Bhaga or the other way round. Its mostly an academic debate as they both rise close to each other and as by scientific definition the main River is the one which rises the farthest from the point it hits the Sea or another River that it merges into. And the Moon River finally becomes a part of the mighty Indus, after combining with the Sutlej as the Panjnad, as it makes its way to the Ocean.

Video of Driving along the Chandrabhaga Gorge between Killar in Pangi Valley, Chamba to Udaipur in the Lahaul Valley.

So why the 2 names ? The Moon River was referred to as the Askini in the Rig Veda. It meant the River with dark waters which holds true till today. The Waters of the River are rather murky as I couldnt help but notice as I travelled along the River from Kishtwar all the way till Tandi. The Gorge of the Moon River is amazingly spectacular. Its sparsely populated because of the verticality and its only now with the building of Roads can we humans even venture into this forbidden land of the Moon River. It was refferd to as the Chandrabhaga in the Mahabharata as well and the Greeks also called it Sandraphogus / Sandabaga / Cantabaga. Infact Alexander the Great established an Alexandria on the Indus at the point where the Panjnad (combination of the Chandarbhaga/ Chenab and Sutlej) met the Indus. The name Chenab is also a further development of the name with Persian cognates. Chen meaning Moon and Ab meaning water. The Moon River.

So where exactly does the River change its name ? On the maps, the regular ones officially once the River crosses into J&K from Himachal Pradesh which is at the point where the Sansari Nallah meets the River. The Sansari Nallah is considered the Border between the two states though some Maps of JK claim areas beyond the Sansari Nallah like Dharwas before Killar to be a part of J&K. The Sansari Nallah is a typical wild Himalayan River of the Region and this The photo below is taken exactly at the point where this Nallah meets the Moon River.

The Sansari Nallah as it meets the Chandrabhaga at the border between Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. This is where the Chandrabhaga becomes the Chenab.

The Sansari Nallah as it meets the Chandrabhaga at the border between Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. This is where the Chandrabhaga becomes the Chenab as per one account.

But there is more to it. Many purists consider the River to be still the Chandrabhaga as it enters the state of J&K. One of the main proponent of this theory is a Slovakian gentleman by the name of Altos Mlonk. He is an absolute Guru. He is the absolute master of Kishtwar and knows stuff beyond our imagination. As per Altos the point where the Chandrabhaga becomes the Chenab is at Bandarkoot near Kishtwar town where the turbulent Marsudar meets the Chandarbhaga. Infact the Marsudar carries more water than the main River itself when it merges into it.

The Marsudar rises at around 5175 mts and its begins life as the Gumbar and the Batkot Nallah which merge and form the Warwan River. This River has carved out the Warwan Valley which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful Valleys of the Himalayas. And the Warwan flows down and is joined by many other Rivulets in the Marwah and Dachan areas. The Marsudar flows throw some of the most unknown areas of the Himalayas which most wouldnt even know of. I trekked the Warwan in in 1989 and still remember the quaint River unlike the wild Marsudar that it becomes.

So I take it as such. And believe that the Chandrabhaga becomes the Chenab when the Marsudar joins it at Kishtwar. The place where these wild Rivers meet is like a pilgrimage spot for someone like me. Its just magical when you think about the places these Waters come from. The Moon River enchants forever.

The Pass of Shiva

The Pass of Shiva

Sometimes while going through historical documents you stumble upon information thats nothing short of fascinating. As I spend some time everyday browsing through historical Documents / Journals related to the Himalayas in general and the Western Himalayas I came upon a piece of information that I was also unaware of.

The mighty Zoji La which connects Kashmir with Ladakh above the Sind Valley was actually named after Lord Shiva. The name of the Pass used to be Shivji Pass or Sheoji Pass which was corrupted with the Passage of time and eventually Sheoji turned into Zoji. Now the thing that is fascinating about this is that this is the first time I am hearing of a Mountain Pass named after the most powerful God of the Hindu trinity. 

The Zoji La track as it was in 1913. Photography by Ralph Stewart.

This is what the 1890 Gazzetteer of Kashmir and Ladakh mentions about the Zoji Pass : Called Zoji La by the Ladakhis and Zoji Bal by the Kashmiris. The proper name is a corruption of Shivji or Sheoji, one of the three great Hindu deities. It leads over the Western Himalayas from the head of the Dras Valley to the Sind Valley in Kashmir. And is crossed on the Route from Srinagar to Leh between Baltal and Matayan.

It further mentions : The Pass has many names ; in the old Maps it is called Kantal, signifying the lofty hill, and under this name Jesuit missionary Desideri refers to it. Vigne calls it Palen-i-Kotal or Bal-tal (above-below) otherwise Shurji La, the hill of Shiva; the terminals “La” and “Bal” in the language of the Tibetans and Kashmiris, respectively, signify “Hill Pass”. 

And interestingly it throws up some more interesting stuff from that day and age and mentions two approaches to the Pass from Kashmir : It is closed by Snow during nearly half the year, and is entirely impassable, except to Post couriers during two months. Two Routes lead up to it from the Kashmir side 

1- Follows up the bed of the Sind River and passes over the blocks of Ice and Snowdrift which block the narrow Gorge through which it flows. This is the Winter Road and is only practicable for footmen.

2-Winds up the steep slope of the Hill rising above the Gorge of the Sind River to the North. It is a fair Road but is only used from July to December.

The top of the Pass is 2118 feet above Baltal. The descent on the Ladakh side is easy leading down to the Dras River and along its banks to Matayan crossing several tributary streams.

The Pass itself is the only section of the Road that closes to Dak services for more than a day or two at a time, in worst of Seasons. The Dak runners are sometimes unable to cross for two or three weeks the length of the impracticable section at such times is about 7 miles or so from Baltal to Gremen.

It should be noted that the British gave great importance to the Pass as they saw it as the first step on the way of setting up an all weather Trade Route between India and Turkestan and apparently the Pass of Shiva was the first of the mighty Passes that the Himalayas would throw at the Travelers. Maybe it because of the same reason that the Pass was held in reverence, I assume once upon a time and named after Shiva. 

The Road climbing up from the Sind Valley as in the present day

In today’s day and time with all the Modern technology Engineers still struggle with the Pass though crossing it is no longer the ordeal it used to be once upon a time. But the approach is located in a fragile Mountain and shooting stones are still a clear and present danger. And landslides and avalanches still haunt the Pass. A lot of work keeps getting done but the Pass of Shiva doesn't stay quiet for long. Well, its Shiva’s Pass. What else would you expect !

The Minaret of Jam

The Minaret of Jam

Deep in the heart of the Koh-Baba Mountains which is one of the most westerly extension of the Hindu Kush Range, at an elevation of around 1900 m above sea level and at the confluence of the Hari Raud (Herat) and the Jam Rud Rivers lies a magnificent Monument. This Monument is a free standing Minaret and is the second highest free standing Minaret in the World. Second only to our very own Qutab Minar. But the Minaret in the desolate Hindu Kush sub Range of koh e Baba is the one which inspired the Qutab Minar and the Qutab Minar because of the same reason has a striking resemblance to the Original. The Original Minaret and Qutab Minar both now enjoy a UNESCO World Heritage Status. Just that Qutab Minar is much more famous and well known and gets more visitors per day than the Original Minaret has in years, most due to the situation in Afghanistan as well as the isolated Location of the Minaret. And it was probably its isolated location is the reason that the Minaret survives to this day. And it's called the Minaret of Jam.

The monument which stands at 65 m is not really much lower than the Qutab Minar which stands at 72 m and as per UNESCO the Qutab Minar was directly inspired by the Minaret of Jam. And it was built at a time when the Ghorid Empire was at its glory and this Minaret was built as a commemorative Monument to celebrate the victories of the Ghorids especially the ones across the Indus into India. Some say it was built to commemorate their victories over the Ghaznavids in Lahore while other scholars attribute it to the commemoration of their victory over Prithviraj Chauhan.

And apparently it was built close to the Ghorid Empire’s capital at that time Firozkoh of which little remains today and the Minaret is the only reminder of the glory of the Capital that must have been. But today it stands in isolation away from any civilization in a rugged rocky Valley where the two Rivers meet. The Tower represents the height of advancement of art and architecture under the Ghorids which would soon be laid to waste by the “calamity” as it was called descended upon the Region from the Steppes of Northern Central Asia. Yes you guessed it right. The Mongols under the Great Genghis Khan who probably never came across this Minaret and thats its good luck. The City of Firozkoh was completely laid to waste by Tolui, the youngest son of the Great Khan. Tolui himself was the ancestor of the Ilkhanids and he was the father of Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty.

Coming to think of it I think there was no way the Mongols could have missed this Tower if it really was in the Golden City of Firozkoh so why didnt they really laid it to waste like they did to the City. Maybe even these Wild Horsemen of the Steppes looked at this Monument in awe and admired it in all its glory. I have this vision in my mind of Tolui Khan, the son of the Master of the Universe, the Great Khan himself, getting off his Horse while gazing at the Tower and telling his men to just leave it alone. It was just too beautiful to destroy and maybe this is something the Mongols agreed with. Of course later invaders and conquerors would have left this Tower alone as just like the Qutab Minar it has inscriptions from the Holy Koran inscribed on it and hence no Muslim would bring any harm to it.

But of course the Tower is under threat from the passage of time and erosion. The Tower seems to be tilting and being close to the Rivers means that the constant ups and downs in the River’s course causes even more instability in the Tower’s base. And as recently as last year the Security forces guarding the Tower came under attack by the Taliban who set on fire a nearby Forest. Things sadly in Afghanistan are today not much different from the 13th Century.

The UNESCO describes the monument as such “The 65m-tall Minaret of Jam is a graceful, soaring structure, dating back to the 12th century. Covered in elaborate brickwork with a blue tile inscription at the top, it is noteworthy for the quality of its architecture and decoration, which represent the culmination of an architectural and artistic tradition in this region. Its impact is heightened by its dramatic setting, a deep river valley between towering mountains in the heart of the Ghur province.”

The criteria for it being chosen to be put in the elite UNESCO list are listed as the following “The innovative architecture and decoration of the Minaret of Jam played a significant role in the development of the arts and architecture of the Indian sub-continent and beyond. The Minaret of Jam and its associated archaeological remains constitute exceptional testimony to the power and quality of the Ghurid civilization that dominated its region in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Minaret of Jam is an outstanding example of Islamic architecture and ornamentation in this region and played a significant role in their further dissemination.

Leaving you with some pics of the Minaret of Jam from the Internet. Since a single pic doesnt do justice to its glory I am using multiple pics to highlight this hidden Gem of the Koh i Baba in the Hindu Kush. Maybe one day it gets the due attention as the Minaret it inspired gets.

All Pics from Wikipedia.

Of the Himalayan Mountains and Rivers

Of the Mountains and the Rivers

One of the most interesting thing about the Himalayas is how the Rivers interact with the Range and how the River Basins work. Since none of us is taught this in school in the Geography class the way one can study this fascinating aspect is to study Maps. Not the Maps of the new but the old Maps made by the Geological Surveys and the Royal Geographic Society Maps. The kind of detailing in these Maps is amazing when we keep in mind the fact that it was all done by boots on the Ground. No Aerial or Satellite Cartography.

And I finally found a Map which shows the River Basins / the Mountains / the Ridgelines / the Water Partings in a very simple and lucid fashion. Of course there are some explanations required for the un-initiated in the fine art of reading Maps. Not only does it show the Water Basins in the Himalayan context but it also shows the neighbouring River basins and how the Mountains affect the Course of the Rivers. You also need to understand that its this conflict between the Rivers and Mountains which has created the Valleys which has enabled Human communities to inhabit the Mountains.

In the Himalayan context the Three main Rivers which drain the Himalayas are the Indus in the West, the Ganges in the Middle and the Brahmaputra in the East. It is common knowledge that the Indus and the Brahmaputra which rise from almost the same vicinity of each other near the Mansarovar Lake in the Tibetan Plateau hem in the Great Himalayan Range from the opposite sides. The Indus forms the boundary on the West as it passes by the Nanga Parbat and the Brahmaputra forms the boundary on the East and it rounds off the Namcha Barwa in the East. The Indus and the Brahmaputra both never breach the Main Himalayan Ridgeline and run alongside but behind the Main Himalayan Ridgeline on the Tibetan Plateau. Both flow along what Geologists call the Indus Tsangpo Suture or divide in simpler terms. I would also like to mention one major River which actually cuts through the main Himalayan Ridge line and forms the Eastern boundary of the Western Himalayas. This would be the Satluj which coincidentally also originates around the same area as the Indus and the Brahmaputra (which is called Tsangpo in Tibet) and follows an independent course cutting through the Himalayas though it finally ends up in the Indus once it reaches the Great Plains of the Punjab.

Beyond the Basins of the Himalayan Rivers we have in the neighbourhood the Tibetan Basin though a part of the Tibetan Plateau is drained by these Himalayan Rivers themselves. Further North the main Ridge line of the Karakorams forms the Water Parting between the Himalayan Rivers (the Indus system) and the Tarim Basin. The Tarim Basin is itself separated from the Tibetan Basin by the Kunlun Mountains. To the West of the Tarim Basin separated by the Pamirs in the South and the Tian Shan in the North is the Central Asian basin of the Oxus and Jaxartes of the old. The names Oxus and Jaxartes were enough in the old times to induce Explorers to go into a frenzy so inaccessible these areas were. However nowadays the Oxus and Jaxartes are better known by their present names, the Amur Darya and the Syr Darya. On the southern Edge the Oxus and Jaxartes Basin is separated from the Himalayan River Basin by the Hindu Kush. Further down the sub Ranges of the Hindu Kush like the Sulaiman Mountains divides the Himalayan River Basin from the Helmand River Basin. This rounds off the Water Partings of the Indus in the Western Himalayas.

If you follow the Indus River in the Map you would see that after the point of origin the Main Waterparting of the Rivers runs behind the Main Himalayan Range rather than along the Main Ridge as classically should be the case. However at the point roughly at where it enters Ladakh from the Tibetan Plateau the River aligns itself with the Main Himalayan Range and continues the same course all the way to the Nanga Parbat where the Great Himalayan Range ends. The Water Parting however moves North towards the Karakorams and even across the Karakorams as seen in zone H. Close to the K2 however the Water Parting again moves along the main Himalayan Ridge line. But then after following the Main Ridge line of the Karakoram to West it again goes beyond the Karakorams as seen in zone C. It continues this trend until its behind the main Ridgeline of the Hindu Kush till at a point beyond the Tirich Mir it again aligns with the Main Ridge line to deviate again to form Zone B all the way to the Helmand Basin.

In pretty much the same way the Water Parting of the Tarim Basin also jumps beyond the Kun Lun, the Pamirs and the Tian Shans at places but it doesn't jump the main Ridge Line of the Karakorams as the reigning Peak of the K2 brings in a semblance of order and the Water Partings follow the K2 in the classical mode (I know this is complicated but once you co-relate with the Map and do some readings it will become more fascinating). Interestingly in the Hindu Kush its the highest Peak of the Hindu Kush the Tirich Mir which forces the Water Parting to run along the main Ridge line just like its supposed to be classically. However a point to be noted is that the Indus never concedes any of its “Mountains” the Western Himalayas or the Karakorams or the Hindu Kush to any River though itself it pushes its Basinal boundaries to well into the Kun Luns, the Pamirs and the Tian Shans though not quite making it to the main Ridge line.

The Indus after it enters Ladakh from Tibet on the Chnagthang

And of course as we all the Mountains are rising and the Rivers are just cutting the Gorges and the Valleys and this state of flux will continue over a period of time till the end of time. And because of this constant change the Water Partings are not as fixed or permanent as we would like to believe. They are also constantly changing and evolving in a Geological time frame. This also shows how the Rivers and the Basind connect these highest Mountains in the World in a closer relationship than we actually believe. The River and the Basins provide the linkages which connect the Himalayas with the Karakorams, the Hindu Kush, the Kun Lun, the Pamirs and the Tian Shans. I collectively like to use the term “Himalayas” when talking about all these Ranges and the Great Himalayan Range when I am referring to the Main Himalaya Range. The highest Range on the Planet.

May we one day get to behold the magnificent sights that these Mountains hold and their mighty Peaks. And may we one day get to drink water from all these Rivers. The transition zones between these Himalayas is probably even today one of the most least explored in the World and they continue to hold their Mysteries, occasionally revealing them to us mere Mortals.

The Exploration of the Siachen or Rose Glacier

The Siachen Map

The Exploration of the Siachen or Rose Glacier

The Siachen Glacier.  It must be the most talked about Glacier in the Himalayan Karakoram region. A Glacier that has got famous for reasons that are just Political and I would steer clear of that. But there was a time before Partition when it was just another wonder in the Wilderness of the Himalayan Karakoram Mountains. One of the largest Glaciers outside the Polar Regions and for the early Explorers it was hard to believe that such massive Glaciers could exist anywhere outside the Polar Regions.

Ms.Fanny Bullock (Pic Courtesy Wikipedia)

The credit for the initial Exploration and Mapping goes to a Lady Fanny Bullock and her husband William Hunter Workman. They were actually a rich couple who liked to Tour the World and once they happened to come to India for a Cycling Tour. It was then that they got introduced to the Himalayas and it proved to be a life-long affair. The couple made 8 trips thereafter climbing and exploring the Himalayan and the Karakoram Mountains. They made many notable explorations during these Trips and during one of these Trips Ms.Fanny Bullock also managed to climb the Pinnacle Peak during their explorations of the Nun Kun Massif. The Pinnacle Peak is a side Peak to these Twin Peaks and at 6930 m it was a world record for a Lady at that time. It should be mentioned that being rich, they could afford Italian Porters and Guides though they also took local support.

Ms.Fanny Bullock atop Pinnacle with a Poster calling for Woman to be allowed to Vote (Pic Courtesy Wikipedia)

However they seemed to have an issue with the local Porters and many of their Travelogues were full of complaints against the local Porters and their behavior. I assume that it was a Cultural thing more than anything else. Born is a rich aristocratic American family which then moved to Europe she was far removed from the hardships of the people in the Mountains and it seems that the Lady got on very well with the Mountains but never did get along with the people who inhabited the same Mountains. Many people also accused the couple of exaggerating their actual accomplishments and always longing to be in the limelight. And their Maps were far from accurate. But all said and done they explored some of the least and even never ventured into areas especially in the Karakorams and this included many forays onto the many large Glaciers that the Range held.

The Biafo Glacier (Pic Courtesy Wikipedia)

These Glaciers included the first attempt at the Biafo Glacier in 1899, an attempt they had to give up due to the Weather and the Crevasses so they moved onto exploring the Skara La Glacier instead. In 1902 they returned for the exploration of the Chogo Lungma Glacier. In 1907 they came to Kashmir and carried out the first exploration of the Nun Kun Massif. It was during this Exploration that at the age of 47, Fanny Bullock summited the Pinnacle Peak at 6930 m. Interestingly two years later a Lady competitor of hers claimed to have climbed a Peak in the Andes that stood at 7000m. But our Lady didn't believe her and actually paid an amount of USD 13000 to a Group of French Mountaineers to actually climb that Mountain in Andes and get the actual height. It turned out to be 6768 m. Fanny Bullock kept this Record to herself for a couple of decades.

The Hispar Glacier (Courtesy Feng Wei Photography)

In 1908 the Lady with husband in tow arrived once again to explore the Hispar Glacier and even traversed across it and went to the Biafo Glacier setting another Record for ladies. They explored a number of side Glaciers and Peaks. In 1911 - 12 they finally decided to go and explore the biggest Glacier of them all. The Rose Glacier or the Siachen Glacier as we know it now. And they explored the Glacier and its sides for the two month period they spent there. It was a commendable piece of Exploration and as per all accounts this Exploration was led by Fanny Bullock herself. This was considered to be there greatest accomplishment and it also happened to be the last time in the Himalayan Karakoram Region due to the outbreak of the First World War.

A Wild Rose locally called a Sia (Pic Courtesy Wikipedia)

In her Book written after this Expedition, Two Summers in the Ice-Wilds of Eastern Karakoram , Fanny Workman writes : “The object of placing my full name in connection with the [Siachen Glacier] expedition ... is not because I wish in any way to thrust myself forward, but solely that in the accomplishments of women, now and in the future, it should be known to them and stated in print that a woman was the initiator and special leader of this expedition. When, later, woman occupies her acknowledged position as an individual worker in all fields, as well as those of exploration, no such emphasis of her work will be needed; but that day has not fully arrived, and at present it behooves women, for the benefit of their sex, to put what they do, at least, on record.”

And sharing the Map that was made by, as it came to be known as, the Fanny Bullock Workman Expedition of 1912 of the Siachen or Rose Glacier ( I am sure most of you are aware of the fact that the wod “Sia” in the local language stands for Wild Rose”). A very interesting Map indeed though not exactly accurate but still a great feat of Exploration, Mountaineering and Cartography.

The Indira Col and Turkestan La (Courtesy Josh Jagran)

Of course this is a Map which I love as to me its a work of art which has been worked hard at. And I have marked some important Passes which were used to access this Glacier (not that many people accessed this Glacier but these Passes were the ones used). The first one is of course the famous Indira Col at 18911 ft (The Workman Map wrongly describes it as 20880 ft) which is marked as Indira Col or Pass in the Map. No it isnt named after Indira Gandhi. It was named probably by the makers of this Map themselves as they gave names to all the features they saw as un-named in the Maps of their time that they were carrying (These Maps are described on the Map itself). They gave some features English names and some they gave Hindi names. Like the Indira Col (Named after Lord Indira) and Mt.Lakhsmi (self-explanatory) and they called a Group of Peaks as the “Apasaras”. Also itr signifies that the Indira Col was never used by the locals and hence never given a name. Its just too tough for anyone but a trained person.

The Kondus Glacier (Pic Courtesy the Amercan Alpine Journal)

Then there is the Bilafond La (No.2) at also known as the Saltoro Pass at 17881 ft on the Saltoro Ridge (The Workman Map puts the height at 18370 ft) . The name apparently comes from the Balti word for “Butterfly” or the Pass of the Butterflies. This was apparently one of the Passes that were used on the Silk Route which connected Ladakh and Baltistan with Central Asia. And then there is the Turkestan La (No. 3) said to be 19209 ft as per the Workman Map. This was probably another Pass into Turkestan as the area beyond the Karakorams referred to as. Not very significant anymore.

Dogs somewhere on the Siachen Glacier (Courtesy Wikipedia)

And then there is the Sia La (No.4) (The word Sia again derived from the local word for the Wild Roses that grew in the area). It stand at 18337 ft (The Workman Map puts the height as 18705 ft) on the main Saltoro Ridge. Further down is the Gyong La Pass which is not marked in the Map.

And then the Map also shows numerous side Glaciers and big Glaciers in the neighbourhood of the main Siachen Glacier. Like from below or the West the Kondus / Kaberi Glacier, the Bilaphond and Lolophond Glaciers, the Sher-Pi-Gang Glacier and the Peak 36 Glacier. Above or on the East (left side) of the Siachen are the Urdok Glacier and the Tarim Shehr Glacier.

Jammu and Kashmir dispute Map by the UN.

Of course we are all well aware of the situation on the Glacier and I would like to point out that all the Passes mentioned above are well in control of the Indian Army and they control the access to the Glacier. So in actual Geographic terms India controls the Siachen Glacier. And all the area running North of the point NJ 9842. But thats about all I can say about that.

The Burmese Tamils of Moreh

The Burmese Tamils of Moreh

In my days at the Delhi University I had a large number of friends from the North East. A common taste in Heavy Metal music was the main reason for the same. And ofcourse I used to love the stories told about the North East by these guys. We also had another commonality that we came from lands from where Insurgency was rife and only someone who has grown up in an Insurgency can really understand how it feels. And of course last but not the least was our common love for the Mountains / Hills.

And from my friends amongst the Nagas, I had Angami, Ao, Konyak and Tangkhul and from Manipur I had Meties and the Kukis. This interrelation of the tribes was another thing fascinated me as well. An often our conversation would drift to the our respective worlds where I would speak of Kashmir and they would speak of the fascinating North East. I still remember I almost broke up with a Naga girlfriend who told me that Dzukou Valley was more beautiful than Kashmir. Of course I couldn't take it lying down. I asked her if it Snowed there ? She said yes it does Snow there. I said it doesn't Snow in Nagaland. She said I didn't know anything. And of course then the argument went overboard to the point that we didn't speak for many days. Not that it mattered but since that day the name Dzukou Valley was stuck in my mind and will surely visit one day as now I have seen many pics of this beautiful place.

Anyways coming to the point. While discussing the Insurgency and the various Insurgents Groups the most dangerous place which was always mentioned was the border town of Moreh in Manipur right on the border with Burma as it used to be. I heard tales of strong Insurgent-Smuggler-Drug Runners mafia which ran things over there and apparently the area was such that even the Security forces would stick to the regular areas. And of course there were deadly rivalries between the different Insurgent Groups due to their different Tribal loyalties. But the strangest fact was that most of the border trade was controlled by not someone from North East but originally  from South India. It was controlled by the Tamils who had settled here. And these were Burmese Tamils.

Of course I used to ask how come the Tamils ? And that too Burmese Tamils ? Did something called a Burmese Tamil even exist ? And how do they manage as “outsiders” in what was considered an environment very hostile to the outsiders. I could never get a satisfactory answer for the same and over a period of time I also lost interest in this particular subject. But lately as I get more into Research and History I tried to actually find out the History behind the Tamils of Moreh and how they came to settle in these lands far removed from their ancestral Tamil lands down South. And settle in lands which were considered too hostile for any outsider to even come for a visit.

So this is what I found out. In Burma Indians from various parts of India have come over the centuries for various trades and practices. Among them were Tamils many of whom were Chettiars who were into Money lending and trading. And over a period of time many Tamils came and settled here like they did in other places like British Malaya and Singapore. However in the 1930s started a wave of Nationalism initially targeted at the British but which soon turned into a agitation against all perceived outsiders and as a result many Indian started to leave Burma and go elsewhere. After the Burmese secured Independence the problem just got exaggerated as the Burmese Government refused to recognise the Indians living there since Generations as citizens. So another mass exodus started and this included a large number of Tamils who returned to Tamil Nadu.

Once back in Tamil Nadu many got used to life in their new Homeland but many were not at ease with the move and found life difficult. They decided that life in Burma was still better than life in Tamil Nadu and they decided to go back to Burma. Since going by Ship would entail many problems with documentation and such so they decided to try the overland Route via the North East. Many of you must be aware that the Indo Burmese border is quite a porous Border unlike our Borders with other countries and its relatively easy to cross it. So all the Tamils who wanted to go back to Burma landed up in Moreh which was the last Border town in Manipur before Burma. But once again the Burmese refused to admit them and recognise them as Burmese nationals.

The returning Tamils were however in no mood to go back to Tamil Nadu and decided to stay put in Moreh and keep trying their luck with the Burmese and maybe they liked the environs of Moreh. And I assume most of these Tamils could speak Burmese so they could live by the Border and take part in the trade from Burma. So they stayed put and became an important part of the trading community in the Border town and they relatively large numbers and nowhere to go status gave them some resilience against the Underground Outfits active in the Region. And hence they became a part of the border town of Moreh. Along with some Punjabi and Marwari businessmen who had also settled here in the past.

As of today the Tamil community is a vibrant one in Moreh with numbers in excess of 3000 and they have their own Temples and Schools in Moreh. They are still a very important part of the cross Border trade and continue to control most of it. And especially since the opening of official Border trade from Moreh, with Moreh recognised as an important Border trading town, in August 2018. The Town has itself has seen a power struggle between the Kuki and the Nagas over the “control” of the Town and as of now the Town is Kuki dominated. All throughout this struggle which at time included Members of various armed Underground Outfits the Tamils managed to somehow stay clear and still be dominant in the business in this Town but many of them still left the Town. The local Vayapar Mandal or Traders Association is made up almost exclusively of Tamils and the head of the Tamils is often referred to as the “King of Moreh”.

The Chakma Raja who gave away a Kingdom !

The Chakma Raja who gave away a Kingdom

In the highlands of Bangladesh called the Chittagong Hill tracts bordering Myanmar live a number of Tribes which are collectively referred to as the Jumma people by the majority Bangla population. The name derives from the the term Jhum cultivation which is also referred to as the slash and burn type of Cultivation wherein a tract of Jungle was cleared by slashing and burning and cultivation was then done there. t the time of Partition of India for some inconceivable reason these areas were ceded to “East Pakistan” though the population was mainly Tribal who practiced Theravada Buddhism.

The “Jumma People’ themselves are divided into various tribes all of whom have their own Religious practices though most have adopted Buddhism, there are still a few that are Hindu and Christian and even Muslim. Most of them still maintain some level of their indigenous animist beliefs as well. The main Tribes of the region are the Chakma, Arakanese (Rakhine), Marma, Tripuri, Tanchangya, Chak, Pankho, Mru, Bawm, Lushai, Khyang, Gurkha, indigenous Assamese, Keot (Kaibarta), Santal, and Khumi as per Wiki.

Among these people the most well known ones and the most dominant ones are the Chakmas. The Chakmas are Theravada Buddhists and many of them live across the Borders as well in India and Myanmar. In India they are found in almost all the states in the North East and even in West Bengal. The name Chakma is supposed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word “Shaktiman” as many Chakmas served in the Kingdoms of the Rakhine Kings and they wielded great power. The Chakmas themselves are divided into various Clans and reigning over all the clans is the powerful Chakma Raja.

Some of your must be aware that there was long running dispute between India and Bangladesh as a number of Chakmas had taken refuge in India citing discrimination and harassment by the Authorities in Bangladesh and this for long was a prickly issue with its roots going back to Independence. There still are Chakmas living in refugee Camps in certain areas of North East India.

At the time of Independence the Raja of Chakmas was Raja Nalinaksha Roy. Though the Chittagong Hill Tracts had a 98% non-Muslim population they were still assigned to Pakistan by the Boundary Commision. The Raja had come into power in 1935 and had Ruled for 12 years at the time of Independence. He acceded to East Pakistan as there little else he could do and was given Autonomy by the Pakistani Government to make him easier to win over. The Raja passed away in 1951 and after sometime as in Chakma tradition his eldest son Raja Tridev Roy was formally annointed as the 50th Chakma Raja in 1953.

Once the Mukti Bahini started its campaign in the 1960s the Chakma Raja decided that they will remain neutral as they didnt want to rub the Mukti Bahini or the Pakistani Army the wrong way. But Raja Tridev Roy became increasingly inclined towards the Pakistani Government. Infact Sheikh Mujibur Rehman offered him a seat to fight on behalf of the Awami League but Raja Sahib disagreed and instead stood up as an Independent and won the Seat though overall the Awami League got a landslide victory in East Pakistan. And soon after a series of Events the Liberation War, as the Bangladeshis called it started. But once again Raja Sahib sided with Pakistan as I think he assumed that the Pakistanis would hold ground. But things went rather the other way and Raja Sahib found himself in deep trouble. With his Allies close to defeat the Raja Sahib knew that life would be hard for him in an independent Bangladesh due to the stands he had taken. So he decided to abdicate.

Raja Tridev Roy abdicated in 1971 in favor of his eldest Son, the 12 year old Raja Devashish Roy. The Raja knew that even Abdication would not be enough as people would come to settle scores with him. Also he felt that the position of the Chakmas would become precarious in a new Bangladesh and their special rights and privileges would be taken away. He was in many ways right. The Raja had only one option now and he went over to West Pakistan or Pakistan as it came to be known thereon. He was welcomed very warmly on his arrival in Pakistan and conferred the status of a Federal Minister for life. But more was still to come.

The first task he undertook was to head the Pakistani Mission to UN which opposed the admission of Bangladesh to the United Nations. In answer to this the Bangladeshi delegation was led by the Chakma Rajamata Benita Roy who happened to be his Mother. I wonder what transpired between the Son and the Mother. Two Chakma Royalty Members, from the Hills of the North East, both devout Buddhists, headed important delegations from two countries which were overwhelmingly Muslim and with the largest Muslim populations besides Indonesia. It was indeed something straight out of a Thriller. Anyways Bangladesh became a Member of the United Nations and that was that.

However, Raja Sahib wasn't done yet and he joined the Bhutto Government. And when Bhutto became the Prime Minister of Pakistan he offered the Presidentship of Pakistan to Raja Tridev Roy. This was a great opportunity but it came with a rider. As per the new Constitution of Pakistan only a Muslim could become the President of Pakistan. And of course this wasn't acceptable to the erstwhile Raja Sahib of the Chakmas. So now after giving up the Kingship of the Chakmas, the Raja Sahib declined the Presidentship of Pakistan.

And then Gen. Zia came into power and Mr.Bhutto was hanged and all Bhutto loyalists came under the attack and none escaped the Generals wrath. Well all except the Raja Sahib. Bhutto knew better than to let any harm come to Raja Tridev Roy. Raja Sahib stayed active in Politics and there was little that Gen Zia could do to him but after a couple of years he decided he didnt want him to be around. So a new Role was found for the Raja Sahib and he was appointed as the Pakistani Ambassador to Argentina in 1981 and off he went to South America. And at the same time he was made the Ambassador to Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay. The Raja Sahib from what was considered the Himalayan foothills by many could now while his time in the Andes Mountains it seemed. And he stayed in South America for many years till the time Gen. Zia passed away.

After Gen Zias death Raja Sahib was brought back to the sub-continent at least from South America and appointed as the Ambassador to Sri Lanka. Being a Buddhist he made a good choice as an Ambassador to a Buddhist majority country. And finally in 1995 Raja Sahib returned to Pakistan after his Ambassadorial assignments abroad. He now turned his attention to working for the Buddhist Community in Pakistan and decided to devote more of his life to Religious pursuits and also became the head of the Pakistan Buddhist Society.

Raja Tridev Roy finally passed away in 2012 (less than 7 years back) due to cardiac arrest as his home in Islamabad. His House in E-7 had a Plaque on the outside and it said “Chakma House”. And he was largely alone when the end came. No one in Pakistan by that time had any recollection of the soft spoken King of the Chakmas who gave up his Kingdom and declined the Presidentship of Pakistan. No one really cared.

Do Google Raja Tridev Roy. Was a Handsome guy !

Pic from the Internet. Somewhere in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

Kintup and the Everest of Rivers

Kintup and the Everest of the Rivers

A lot has been written on the exploration of the Western Himalayas by various Explorers as it was a politically very active region in the 18th and 19th Centuries with various powers come into conflict to push their interests in these parts. In stark contrast very less has been written about the Eastern edge of the Himalayas and even fewer people have ventured into this enigmatic part of the Himalayas. The jungles which surrounded the Eastern Himalayas made them almost impossible to get to and the Weather didn't help as the Eastern Himalayas get 3 times the precipitation that the Western Himalayas do.

And was in the Eastern Himalayas that a great mystery evolved which took hundreds of years to finally decipher and figure it out. It was a great Geographical puzzle and it involved the main River that runs through North East India, the Brahmaputra. Its a huge River as we are aware of and early Explorers wanted to find more and one of the favourite Explorations of these Explorers was the charting of the Route of the River from its source right till where it met the Sea. There are two ways to achieve its objective. You either start from the point it originates or you start from the point it hits the Seas or the Plains. The problem with the Brahmaputra was that tracing it back to the source was almost impossible due to a number of factors. First was the simple fact that the forests in the Foot Hills were impenetrable. And more than that the Tribes and the Indigenous People living in these Hills were very hostile to any outsiders and stories of head hunting were common. And another third point was that at the Brahmaputra was composed of 4 main tributaries which entered India from the East. So which was the main and which one was a Tributary was another question.

And in the highlands of Tibet, which was mostly inaccessible to Western explorers and outsiders, was a great River called the Tsangpo or the Yarlung Tsangpo who’s point of origin was known to be the Mansarover Lake at the foot of the Holy Kailash Mountain but no one was sure of where the River disappeared once it went off the Tibetan Plateau. Westerners who had heard accounts of this great River were also intrigued as to where about this great River go and where did it discharge into the sea. You need to remember that this impenetrable Region into which the Yarlung Tsangpo disappeared was also called Pemako and nothing much was known about it to the outside World. And beyond Pemako draining off the Tibetan Plateau were not one but 5 Great Rivers of Asia who create deep Gorges as they cut through some of the Highest Mountains. The Brahmaputra, the Irrawaddy, the Salween, the Mekong and the Jinsha or the Great Yangtze all flow almost parallel to each other in an area less than a 100 km wide. This Region is a true wilderness and you need to experience it to know how impossible it is to access.

I had travelled to this Region in 2018 and saw the breathtaking sight of the Jinsha or the Yangtze raving and frothing its way through the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Of course Chinese engineering has meant that the area is now accessible and the Chinese Government opened up this area in 1990’s to the outside World. This area is now a World Heritage Area, called the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan World Heritage. And as mentioned besides these Three the other two Great Rivers also skirt around the Himalayas in the same region.

Coming back to where we started. This question puzzled western Explorers as well till someone put two and two together and said “Hey, maybe the Tsangpo is the Brahmaputra”. Now at that time this suggestion looked incredible as it was hard to believe that a River would loose all that elevation within a stretch of 150 kms. From the high Tibetan Plateau to the low Assam Valleys. But then it was the only plausible explanation and the two Rivers were connected. There was another school of thought which said that the Tsangpo was actually the Irrawaddy and that also looked like a possibility. Many papers were return and letters were exchanged on both the possibilities. The only way to get a definite answer was to send someone to Tibet and actually follow the course of the River and come up with conclusive evidence which would rest the matter for the future. Hence for many Explorers just like climbing the Everest was the ultimate prize, the same way exploring the Yarlung Tsangpo all the way to the Sea was called a feat equivalent of scaling the Everest, hence the term the Everest of Rivers.

Only there was a problem. Tibet was off limits and there was no chance of Tibetans letting in anyone from outside to Survey their Rivers. So the British decided on the next best option. The Pandits. The Legendary Pandits were Indian natives, mostly from the Mountains, who penetrated deep into Tibet under the guide of Pilgrims or Merchants or a Monks and surveyed the land for the British who ran the Missions from across the Himalayas. Many of us have heard of Nain Singh, Kishan Singh, Kalyan Singh and even Abdul Hamid and Hari Ram. And of course a large number of these Pandits just went into oblivion or disappeared in the Himalayan vastness their stories mostly untold. And then there was Kintup. Kintup the Tailor.

Kintup was a Tailor based in Gangtok in Sikkim and he was also an Explorer and could pass off very well as a Tibetan. The first time one of the Pandits, Nem Singh was sent to explore the course of the Yarlung Zangbo and Kintup went along as an assistant in 1878. Their Mission was to chart the Route all the way from the Tibetan Plateau to Assam. They partly succeeded but due to the inherent impenetrable ness of the Terrain there was still a gap of 160 kms which they couldn't explore. It is said that though Kintup wanted to push on but Nem Singh wasn't so keen on the same and both returned to India where their British bosses were not too pleased with Nem Singh’s decision to come back without exploring the complete course of the River.

In a couple of years an Expedition was put together again and Kintup was again a part of it along with a Chinese Lama who said he knew these parts. And just to be sure they came up with a ingenious Plan which didnt require Exploring the whole course but one that would still prove that the Yarlung Tsangpo was infact the Brahmaputra of Assam. The Plan involved floating down 500 logs with special carvings the Yarlung Tsangpo and stationing teams of people in lower Assam to watch out for these Logs and even if one log was picked up by the team it would mean that the mystery was solved. Sounded like quite a plan and so the Expedition was soon underway.

But as fate would have it the Chinese Lama turned out to be treacherous. And once they were in the Kham he revealed his secret as well as that of Kintup to the Tibetan Authorities and he was rewarded for the act while Kintup was thrown into the prison. But after a few months Kintup managed to escape and made his way to Monastery. His captors soon caught up with him but the Head Lama of the Monastery bought them off by giving them some money and now Kintup was in the employment of the Head Lama. He worked very diligently for the Lama and I assume he took a liking for his spirit and the Lama decided to give him his freedom. What Kintup did next speaks for the character of a man. Kintup decided to go to Lhasa and sent a message to his British boss from there narrating the misfortune that had befallen him during the Expedition but at the same time he said that he would carry out with his Mission and he would soon start sending the Logs down the Yarlung Zangbo.

And that is what he did. He collected 500 logs and carved them and floated them down the River at the rate of one log per day. But unfortunately there was no Team to look for them as his message had not reached India and it had been more than a year since he had left and had no communication with his Bosses. They had just given up on him. Another Explorer lost in the vastness of the Trans Himalayas. After having done that Kintup decided to again explore down the course of the River anyways. He spent a couple of Years exploring the the Region and came quite close to reaching all the way down to Assam but again the terrain and the hostile Tribes made it impossible and Kintup decided to return to India. And he was almost lost in oblivion until someone took interest in his Journals and these were finally published in 1889, many years after he had returned from a Journey that few could even imagine possible.

His Journal conjured up a magical World of Deep Gorges, Waterfalls and Impenetrable Jungle with hostile Tribes. A Region that the Tibetans used to call Pemako. It inspired many people to go Explore the Region but many people were also sceptical as there was no way to confirm all the information that he had got. He in particular mentioned a 150 feet high Waterfall with a Lake at its bottom. This is what was called the Hidden Falls. Kintup still accompanied the occasional forays into Tibet but it was finally only after 1905 when the British led by Col.Francis Younghusband defeated the Tibetan and the area was opened that the British realised that Kintup was right in all his observations. Though he wasnt literate but he had an excellent memory and was intelligent as well to minutely observe his surroundings. It took more than 15 years for observations to be validated and added to the Survey of India archives. The final validation of his extraordinary Journeys and Explorations was validated by a team of Explorers sent to run the Course of the River. They were also astounded to find out how accurate Kintup was. And yes he was still around in 1914. They found the Hidden  Waterfall as well though it wasn't as high as Kintup had mentioned.

Anyways the area was closed for further Explorations after the Chinese took Tibet and in wake of the Sino Indian conflict the whole area was off limits. And as I mentioned before the area was opened for foreigners only in the 1990s and two Expeditions one Japanese and one Western tried to Canoe/ Raft down the Yarlung Tsangpo but both lost a member each and couldnt complete the Mission. It was only in 2002-2003 that the first Expedition finally succeeded in navigating the Upper Brahmaputra. The highest Falls was visited and recorded again in 1998 when it was found out to be around 108 feet. And then it later dawned upon the Explorers that Kintup who always got his Maths right hadn't misjudged the height. He was talking about a seperate Waterfall which was made by a Tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo as it fell over a Cliff.

The person responsible for this was Richard Fisher who first established this as one of the Deepest Gorges of the World. Fisher further goes onto mention about the “Everest of Rivers”comparison “"I did not want this incredible canyon to become an Everest-style killing fields."  This canyon cannot be "knocked off" or conquered. Everest is a holy mountain as the Tsangpo is an equally important sacred canyon. Everest represents the male earth and the Tsangpo, the female hidden lands of this planet. It is a great blessing for all those who love the earth that, god willing, we have passed into a new era for the Tsangpo.  This living canyon has withstood an almost military western style assault. "Today this chasm remains as elusive, beautiful and fresh as the first day I saw it in 1992," Fisher said.

As for Kintup he died in 1914 only months after he was officially recognised for his contributions and given a princely sum of Rs.3000 for his endeavors.

PS : The Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge it still remains a impenetrable area and even if you Google for pics you would find only a few and far between giving you an idea of how remote this Region still is.

The Legendary Gurkha Bulbudder

The Legendary Gurkha Bulbudder

At a place called Nalapani near Dehradun stand these two Pillars as a memorial to the men who died fighting a Battle here more than 200 years back. One of the Pillars is dedicated to the British soldiers and one, strangely enough, is dedicated to their rivals in that battle, the Gurkhas. And out of the Gurkhas there was a dedication to one particular Gurkha. The Plaque says

“This is inscribed as a Tribute of Respect for our Gallant Adversary Bulbudder, Commander of the Fort and his brave Goorkas, who were afterwards while in the service of Ranjit Singh shot down in their Ranks to the last man by Afghan Artillery”.

So its a tribute to a Gurkha by the British, who died fighting for the Sikhs against the Afghans. Pretty intriguing but here is how it went.

At the beginning of the 19th Century there were three Powers who were engaged in a duel (not necessarily against each other) to gain supremacy over Northern India especially the Himalayas. These were the British, the Sikhs and the Gurkhas and it was but a matter of time before these powers ran into each other and taste the other’s sword.

The Gurkhas had in a series of Campaigns over the Himalayas subjugated Kumaon and Garhwal. From there on they swept into Sirmour and Bushahr as well and within a short period of time they had snatched the all important citadel, Kangra Fort from the powerful Katoch Hill Chief, Sansar Chand Katoch. Of course this put them on a course of collision with the Sikhs, and after a series of failed negotiations the Gurkhas were driven from the Fort by the Sikhs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Gurkhas now crossed back over the Satluj knowing that the Sikhs wouldn't cross it due to their Treaty obligations with the British.

And the the inevitable clash between the British and the Gurkhas came. And one of the heroes of the Anglo Gurkha War from the Gurkha side was a certain gentleman called Captain Kaji Bal Bhadra who the British would come to know as Bulbudder once the hostilities broke out between the two.

It was Captain Kaji Bal Bhadra Kunwar, a Nepalese Gurkha officer who took on the might of the British Army at the Fort of Nalapani near Dehradun during the Anglo Gurkha War in 1814. Bal Bhadra Kunwar and his Gurkha braves held the Fort for a long time till the British cut off the water supply. The was one of the first major engagement of the War.

There were a series of engagements as the British Army fought hard to dislodge the Gurkhas from their various strongholds in and around Dehradun. The Gurkha resistance was legendary to say the least.

A Nepali musical- Nalapanima (written by Bal Krishna Sama) - dramatizes the plight of a wounded Gorkha soldier in the Battle of Nalapani, fought between the forces of the British East India Company and Nepal( then ruled by the House of Gorkha). This true story has been chronicled by a passing Scottish traveller James Baillie Fraser “While the batteries were playing, a man was perceived on the breach, advancing and waving his hand. The guns ceased firing for a while, and the man came into the batteries: he proved to be a Ghoorkha, whose lower jaw had been shattered by a cannon shot, and who came thus frankly to solicit assistance from his enemy.”

The soldier was administered medical assistance and once he recovered, he desired to return to his fighting unit….. to combat the British once again!!! (Thanks Sidharth Pradhan for this anecdote)

After their water supply was cut off they resisted for 4 days but couldn't go on any longer. At the end of the 4 th day Captain Bal Bhadra came out with his Khukri and roared "You could not win the Fort by War but now I abandon it to you". After saying this along with the other Gurkha survivors they disappeared into the hills. Eventually the Treaty of Sagauli was signed when the British finally evicted the Gurkhas from Garhwal, Kumaon, Himachal and Sikkim.

Having witnessed the Gurkhas at war, the British wanted to recruit the Gurkhas in the British Indian Army. And of so did the good old Sher E Punjab who had also seen the Gurkhas in action against his own Sikhs at Kangra. A large group of Gurkhas went onto to join the Khalsa Army at Lahore. They were also referred to as the "Lahures" bank home in Nepal. And the commander of the Sarkar Khalsa Gurkha battalion was none other than Captain Bal Bhadra Kunwar. He was appointed a General and head of all the Gurkhali / Nepalese troops serving the Lahore Darbar.

The Gurkhas distinguished themselves in battle being praised several times by the Maharaja himself. The Gurkhas also played an important role in the conquering of Kashmir by General Hari Singh Nalwa and the eviction of the Afghans. General Bal Bhadra Kunwar as usual always led from the front and as such lost his life when when hit by Afghan artillery in an engagement near Naushera in 1823 where the Lahore Darbar was fighting the Afghans.

The Prime Minister of Nepal, Bhimsen Thapa sent a group of men to Lahore to take back the ashes of General Bal Bhadra Kunwar to Nepal. Bal Bhadra Kunwar was a nephew of his. He was only 34 years old. The Rana Dynasty of Nepal descended from his family.

Afterwards in recognition of his great bravery the British erected this plaque at Nalapani alongside another memorial for Gen. Gillespie and his men who were killed in the engagement with Captain Kaji Bal Bhadra Kunwar.

Pic from Gurkha Antiques and Sir Kukri. Nalapani, Dehradun.

Romancing the Mall

Romancing the Mall

For many of the younger lot the word “Mall”stands for the glitzy Structures which have all kinds of branded stores for all kinds of stuff and Multiplexes and Bowling Alleys and Go Karting and Beer Breweries and Pubs / Lounges / Night Clubs etc. but there was a time when it wasnt really so. The word Mall stood for something else.

When the British took over the sub-continent the thing that bothered them the most was very likely the Weather. The hot Weather of the Northern Plains of the sub-continent can indeed be very harsh for someone not accustomed to it (as I had learnt the hard way once upon a time ). But luckily for the British the tallest Mountain Range on the Planet happened to run right along the Northern Plains and it was in these Mountains that the British went looking for refuge from the searing heat of the Plains. Over a period of many years the British created a number of what they called “Hill Stations” stretching from Assam all the way to the Afghan territories.

These Hill Stations as they were in the beginning meant to be used by Soldiers for Rest and Recuperation slowly over a period of time came to resemble Villages in the English countryside with similar Cottages being built and given fancy English names. It was almost like a piece of the English countryside was transported over to the Himalayas. And then came up the Malls. They probably started with a few Shops which stocked the essentials in the beginning but over the passage of time as the British as well as the local population grew these local Shops started to take on a character of their own. Fancy eclectic Stores started to come up dealing in a wide variety of wares. As the Shops became stylish so did the people.

The Malls soon became places where the people especially the Europeans came dressed in their finery. Some of these Hill Stations and the Malls were off limits to the “Natives” and it was an all “White” affair. The Malls soon became places where you could socialise and meet other people especially of the opposite sex as Victorian sensibilities had to be kept in mind. Of course there were the Regal Balls, Pageants and the Parties but it was more often than not the Mall where things happened. It was also the place where Gossip spread and wild stories were told.

And of these Hill Stations the “Queen” of all the Hill Stations was of course, Shimla or Simla as it was called. And of course the British liked it so much that it became the Summer Capital of India. Of course it had a lot to do with the fact that Shimla was strategically located and within reach from Delhi, the Punjab, the Northern Provinces, Kashmir and even Tibet. And over time the City grew and became quite a fashionable and scandalous place for the English as well as the Indian Royalty. And of course it had the Mall. And the Malls had its stories. Stories of a place called the Scandal Point. Stories of the Gaiety Palace. Story about the Raja Patiala who was not allowed into Shimla and he then set up Chail. And ironically it was from his ancestors that the original land on which Shimla was built was taken. And endless other stories.

And of course then I had my own connection and feelings with the Malls. I grew up in the Vale of Kashmir and one of the most celebrated of “Hill” Stations called Srinagar. Though it isnt really a Hill Station if you know what I mean. We never had a Mall Road there like in other Hill Stations. We just had the Bund, which at one time was the fashionable part of Srinagar and the place where the foreigners used to throng to. You need to remember that even during the British Raj time there were restrictions on foreigners. For example they were not allowed to own land or build houses thats why no fancy British Cottages in Srinagar. There was infact a Handbook of Do’s and Dont’s issued to Europeans visiting Kashmir. But by the time we were growing up the Bund had lost its glory but we had the Boulevard and Polo View but they just didn't make the cut. The only place which I considered close to a Mall in Kashmir was the Pahalgam Market.

The Mall for me was and always would be associated with the Mall at Shimla. Though I have been to the Malls at Mussoorie or Nainital and other places but Shimla was always the one. I used to visit Shimla often while growing up as it fell on the way to our Apple Orchards further afield. We used to enjoy the Shopping and the Ice Creams and lots of other things to eat and enjoy. Well that was till we entered adolescence and there was a big shifting of our Goal Posts as to what our favourite activity would be on the Mall.

Yes you guessed it right. It was the Girls or the Ladies as I would now call them more appropriately and it seemed that out of all the places, it was the Shimla Mall on which you would see the prettiest Ladies that God seemed to have made. Going to the Mall always called for Hair Gel and some expensive foreign Eau D Cologne. And boy was the Mall an excitable places. Walking up and down the Mall seeing the pretty Lasses of Shimla. Assuming myself to be the Gentleman that I really wasnt I used to make sure that I didn't stare at any Lady as it was bad manners. It was more like sideways stolen glances and just an occasional eye contact. And mostly like proper Ladies they would look away. And so the game went on and on usually.

It was just another of these days. And it was the Shimla Mall again. And again we started playing the game. I still remember distinctly she was wearing a Red sweater as it was kinda nippy in April beginning. Same old stolen glances a couple of times and then the eye contact for a flash but this time she didn't look away. And I think I blushed and turned all Red. And thus it started. We spoke, numbers were exchanged and I even gave her a pic, which I ripped off my Admit Card for Class XII exams which had just gotten over. And she was from St.Bedes. Ah St.Bedes. Finally I had made it. I had a Girl in St.Bedes. It was probably one of the best feelings I have ever had. Ah Romancing the Mall was never gonna get better.

And thus the romance continues to this day though now I don't even remember the last time I was on the Shimla Mall. I have always crossed Shimla but never stopped and the only thing that calls me to Shimla is that feeling. The Mall. The Ladies. Maybe St.Bedes. It all seems a like a pleasant dream from a time long gone by. Those were the days as someone would say.

Those days of Romancing the Mall.

Oh yes. Ms.Red Sweater from St.Bedes. Didnt work out. Like it never does in such Romantic environs :)

The Muztagh

The Muztagh

People who read Books about old explorations in the Western Himalayas and Karakoram and the Hindu Kush come across a term quite often “Muztagh”. The first time I read this name, and though I was unaware of the meaning I knew it was a strong word. For a long time Muztagh was the name given to the almost impenetrable wall of Mountains which separate Kashmir from Central Asia. An of course with everything in Central Asia the word has Turkic origins.

Muztagh is made up of two words : Muz/ Buz which means Ice and Tagh/Dagh which means Mountain. So it means Ice Mountain which is similar to the word Himalayas which gets its from Sanskrit words Him meaning Snow and Alaya which means home. To the Ancients in India any Mountain which was permanently Snow covered was a Himalaya and in the same way the word Muztagh was the term used by the Turkic people to describe any Mountain that was permanently covered with Snow. Simple implication is that Snow covered Mountains always had a certain degree of reverential awe attached to them and it is no wonder that in may beliefs the Mountains were supposed to be the place the Gods resided.

The Karakoram was for the longest time referred to as Muztagh. The Karakorams because of their perpendicularity are the most impenetrable Mountain Ranges in the World and the people never went into them and there is simply no inhabitation. That's why it took Westerners to actually figure out that K2 was the second highest Mountain in the World. To the locals (as in the people living closest to the K2) it was simply a Muztagh out of many Muztaghs. And to them any Mountain in any direction was simply a Muztagh. They didn't really care if it was the Karakorams, the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush or the Pamirs. And this is unlike say in Nepal where the Everest was known as the Sagarmatha or “The Goddess of the Sky’ and the Tibetans called it the Chomolungma or the Holy Mother.

And as of today the term Muztagh is still in use for some Mighty Peaks in the Karakorams, in the Pamirs and even on the Northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau near Mongolia. And it was also the name of a very famous Pass which connected Baltistan with Central Asia made famous by Francis Younghusband who came down from Central Asia into Baltistan via the Mustagh Pass. Infact Younghusband identified two Passes as the Muztagh pass. One was the Old Muztagh Pass and the other was the New Muztagh Pass. Both Passes were well over 5000 m and were on the watershed between the Tarim Basin to the North and the Indus Basin to the South. The Muztagh Pass was the shortest Route between Skardu and Yarkand and by extension the shortest Route between Kashmir / Punjab bypassing Ladakh and into Central Asia and was a part of the Silk Route in those days. The Pass had gradually been abandoned as it became treacherous to cross due to Glacial movements.

By Jialiang Gao www.peace-on-earth.org - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2626699

And now coming to the Mighty mountains that carry the Muztagh name. The mightiest is of them all and one of my favourite Mountains is the Muztagh Ata. Not only is it a “Muztagh” but its an “Ata”. Ata is the Turkic word for Father/ Ancestor. So Muztagh Ata means the Ice Mountain Father. At 7509 m it is one of the highest Peaks in Central Asia and though regarded as a part of the Kun Lun Range by some it is considered a part of the “Eastern Pamirs” by most. Whatever Range its classified in it is a majestic Mountain and said to be one of the few 7000+ m Peaks which is considered easier to climb than most other Peaks of that classification. And as per one scholar the Rig Veda also mentions a Mountain called Mujavant from where the best Soma came from and he is certain that the Mountain in question is none other than the Muztagh Ata. Interesting to say the least.

The Muztagh Tower : By Kogo (talk · contribs) - Own work by the original uploader, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35803

Now we come to another interesting Mountain called the Muztagh Tower which is in the Baltoro Range of the Karakorams. This Tower shaped Mountain was first immortalized on film by none other than Vittoria Sella who took a picture of this impressive Peak. At 7276 m it just great justice to its status as a Muztagh. Infact the pic of the Muztagh Tower was used in some Book where it was titled simply as the “Last Citadel” and it is almost one. The “Last Citadel” was climbed in 1956 when Sella’s pic set off a race between two separate teams of Mountaineers.

And the most isolated Muztagh. The “Great” Muztagh or the Ulugh Muztagh. The word Ulugh in Turkic stands for “Great”. This is an extremely remote Group of Mountains at the North of the Tibetan Plateau and its lies on the Northern front of the Kun Lun Mountains. For a long time the elevation of this Mountain was said to be 7700m plus but in 1985 using modern equipment the height was measured to be 6973 m but didnt do anything to take from the Ulugh part. It still is unclimbed and it is said that many Expeditions have even failed to reach the base of the Mountain due to its remoteness and due to the fact that driving to the Mountain involves going through terrain of between 4000 m to 5000 m. And it is a beautiful Mountain. Doing great justice to the Muztagh part as well.

The Ulugh Muztagh

And lastly even today the Karakorams are sometimes referred to as the Karakoram Muztagh or even Muztagh. Infact Eric Shipton mentions that once upon a time there were certain Scholars who wanted the Karakorams to be re-named as the Muztagh. But that didnt really happen but even today the sub Ranges of the Karakoram carry the Muztagh title. Some of these Muztagh sub Ranges of the Karakorams is as under

Baltoro Muztagh
Batura Muztagh
Hispar Muztagh
Panmah Muztagh
Rimo Muztagh
Sasser Muztagh
Siachen Muztagh

And leaving you with a pic of the Sasser Muztagh (also known as Saser Kangri as Kangri is the Tibetan word for a Mountain) as seen from the Khardung La. At 7672 m it does great justice to its title as a Muztagh. And once you are done with with your selfies at the superlative sign boards at the top take a look North. And when you spot the Saser Muztagh just bow down. A little. You just saw a Muztagh.

Pic from August 2018. The Saser Muztagh/ Kangri, Khardung La, Ladakh



The Kashmir Mammoths : A Tragic Comedy Almost

The Kashmir Mammoths : A Tragic Comedy Almost.

The Woolly Mammoth, the giant of the North which roamed the expanses of Central and Northern Asia among-st other places. And it was also the ancestor of both the Asian and the African Elephants but became extinct after the ending of the Ice Age from what we know.

Many remains of the prehistoric Mammoths have been found all over the world, most notably in Siberia where the remains buried in the permafrost have emerged as fresh as probably the day the mammoth died. And all thanks to the frozen Ground and the low temperatures. In-fact the remains are so fresh that DNA samples have been taken and some scientists are trying to clone and resurrect the Mammoth. I am sure many of you must have seen the “Raising The Mammoth” series on Discovery or was it on National Geographic. Not very sure.

And now the story of not one, but remains of two Woolly Mammoths found in the Himalayas from where else but Kashmir. The thing is that Kashmir is so beautiful that even a couple of Mammoths decided to move in and make it their home. Now this was unprecedented and apparently the second Mammoth found was said to be the biggest Mammoth remains ever found. The Skull was 5 feet by 4 feet. A broken Tusk almost 3 feet along was also found. Experts later calculated the size of the Tusks to be a staggering 12 feet. Yes 12 feet. That's like One and half Stories. This was really some find. But in Kashmir even such finds can get embroiled in comical situations.

The first Mammoth was found in 1931 by an American called Dr. De Terra who was a researcher with the Carnegie foundation in the United States. He was working for the Yale University and visited Kashmir twice while on the trail of the remains of prehistoric man in Kashmir. He found some remains of prehistoric times but his most exciting find was the remains of a Mammoth at the same general location where the second Mammoth remains would be found 70 years hence. But the good scientist on his return took all the Mammoth remains with him to the good old United States of America. The Mammoth remains were then put on display at the Yale University in New Haven. And it was then that this news reached the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. Of course he was infuriated at his people to let go of such a significant prehistoric find. So letters were sent by the Maharaja to the Yale University asking for the return of the Mammoth remains as they were taken without any Official consent. Under pressure the University and more importantly Dr. De Terra relented and the Mammoth remains were sent back to Kashmir. The Doctor maintained he had got the necessary permissions to take the remains but had relented to return them as he wanted to go to Kashmir again.

So the first Mammoth returned to its beautiful Motherland, Mouj Kashir (Mother Kashmir). And now it was put on display at the new Palace of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. And the Tusks of the Mammoth worked well as Coat Hangers. To be honest who can think of a more impressive Coat Hanger than prehistoric Mammoth Tusks. But soon enough better sense prevailed and in around 1935 the Mammoth remains were shifted to the Sri Pratap Singh Museum in Srinagar. And its there where it rests to this day and were damaged a little in the Floods. As a result they are not on display for Public and is in the Archives.

Coming to the second, bigger, Mammoth which was discovered in 2001 by a Group of students on a field trip around the Karewa in Pampore. The find was a great one and got top publicity in the National Newspapers as well. There was great euphoria among the Scholars and the Students for obvious reasons. And samples were sent to to forensic labs for carbon dating and other stuff. All was nice and dandy. But good things rarely last especially in Kashmir. One fine day in 2007 a Scholar went to the site and discovered to his horror that the Mammoth remains had disappeared from the Site. Not even a trace was left behind. It was obviously a professional job.

Well the Mammoth was soon found in the corridors of the Geology Department of Jammu University. The comedy transpired in this way, one of the Scholars co-opted for studying the remains on behalf of Kashmir University had actually come from Jammu. And on his return to Jammu he decided to take all the remains with him to Jammu University. Come on not again. It was like Deja Vu. Were the Mammoth God's not happy with Kashmir ?

And soon of course a war of words ensued between both Universities. With accusations flying in both directions. And while all this was going on Jammu University announced that it no longer had the Mammoth remains. What do mean you don't have the Mammoth remains, they were asked. Well we have given the mammoth remains to the Wadia Museum of Natural History in the Jammu University itself. So technically they were in the Jammu University but were installed in the Museum and hence Museum property. Kashmir University people were of course furious as Kashmiri Mammoth belongs to Kashmir. And RTIs were filled and Cases were filed. I think. Or I would assume that being the only resort to get the Mammoth back.

Now the funniest part of the whole Mammoth story. In response to the RTI’s, Jammu University came back with a reply which made many Experts fall off their Chairs. What Mammoth ? They said. They were just remains of an Elephant, what’s all this talk of Mammoths ? Claiming that the Mammoth remains were actually that of an Elephant would of ofcourse lessen the severity of the consequences that it would entail. Even the head of Geology and the boss at the Wadia Museum of Natural History “clarified” that there is no “Mammoth” on display at the Museum. This was in 2018. “Mammoth Lies” say the Scholars from Kashmir University.

Anyways.

At least we got one back from the United States of America.

I am an eyewitness. I even took pics on a Visit to the Museum when the officials at the Museum were kind enough to let me see and photograph the Mammoth remains. For the record I am Posting a couple of pics for the record. We already lost one. We don't want to loose another one.

“And that's all i have a say about that” as a line goes in one of my favorite Movies.

Pics from October 2017. Sri Partap Singh Museum, Srinagar, Kashmir

The Map Shawl of Kashmir

The Legendary Map Shawl of Kashmir

This has to be one of the most the amazing piece of Art on Fabric ever created. The master piece of Kashmiri kani work on a Pashmina Shawl.

The amazing and exquisite Map Shawl of Srinagar. This Shawl took 30 years in the making. There are 3 or 4 such specimens in the world. And these were made in the late 1800’s.

One was reportedly presented to Queen Victoria by Maharaja Ranbir Singh and is presently at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. One more is with a Museum in Australia. One is with a private collector and this piece is at the Shri Pratap Singh Museum in Srinagar though it’s not on display as it needs some refurbishing after the Floods.

These are the photos of the specimen at the Victoria and Albert Museum and all the pics are from their. This was presented to them by Mrs.Estelle Fuller in 1970 and this specimen as per the Museum was made in 1870.

Have spilt up the Shawl in Grids for better and in depth views of intricate Work done on these Shawls. The attention to details are just mind blowing.

1. Safa Kadal Bridge on the Right Top corner.

2. The Shergarhi Palace,built by the Afghans, which was the residence of the Rulers of Jammu and Kashmir until 1920.

3. The Bulbul Shah Mosque between Ali Kadal and Naw Kadal

4. Shankaracharya Temple on the extreme top right.

5. The Harwan Area.

6. The Nishat Garden

7. The Parade Ground next to the Shergarhi Palace

8. The Main City Neighbourhoods

9.

10.

11.

12.

13. The Dal Lake in front of the Nishat Bagh

14. Shikaras on the Dal Lake in front of the Shalimar Bagh. The figure riding in the Boat with a halo around his head is supposedly Maharajah Ranbir Singh.

15. The Hari Parbat Fort area.

16. The backwaters of the Nigeen Lake and the Dal Lake

17. The Jama Masjid.

18. The Shalimar Garden

19. Bagh e Dilawar Khan

20.

21. The Shanakaracharya Temple at the top right

22.

23. The Shah Hamadan Mosque, the Patthar Masjid and the Budshah Tomb.

24. The Shergarhi Palace and the Parade Grounds.

The Elusive Kashmir Sapphires

The Elusive Kashmir Sapphires

It was a cold November day of 2015 in Geneva when Ronny Totah got the phone call. It was about a Sapphire coming up for auction. And not any ordinary Sapphire, it was the finest Sapphire known to exist, the elusive Kashmir Sapphire. The bidding for this Sapphire would open at just 12 million Dollars and this was an invitation to Ronny Totah to attend a viewing of the Sapphire in New York before the bidding. The description and details sounded hauntingly familiar.

The Kashmir Sapphire Bracelet that was stolen from the Four Seasons in Milan in 1996

If someone knew the value of a Kashmir Sapphire and as someone who could afford it, Ronny Totah, the partner in the Jewellery House, Horovitz and Totah was the man. But the phone call got Ronny thinking about an incident that took place 20 years ago from that date. Horovitz and Torah had an exclusive Kashmir Sapphire set in a Cartier bracelet which was supposed to be put up in an auction exclusively of Cartier pieces. And a few days before the Auction some of the pieces were put up on display at the exclusive Four Seasons Hotel in Milan. It was the November of 1996. On the fateful day there were 50 people in the Exhibition Hall and the unthinkable happened. The Cartier bracelet with the Kashmir Sapphire disappeared. Seemingly into thin air it seemed. At that time.  

A Pic of the Sapphire Mine by LaTouche

So where did these exclusive Kashmir Sapphires come from ? Like with all famous precious stones there are several versions to this story. A popular version goes like this. A Group of Lahouli traders turned at a Jewelers shop in Shimla and what caught the Jewelers eye were the brilliant Blue Sapphires they had to offer. And of course the Lahouli traders were averse to stating the exact origin of the Stones for obvious reasons. On being further pressed for information they conceded that they got the stones from the Mountains on the border with Zanskar. And apparently they didn't know the exact location as they in turn had got the Stones from a Shikari who had lost his flint. And he wanted to light his smoke. So he looked around for a quartz or a hard stone and found a blue stone which served his purpose rather well. He decided to carry it and later on gave it to one of the Lahouli traders. Even Shikari saab wasn't too sure where he found the Stones.

A Pic of the Apparatus used for Mining by LaTouche

But the news of the Blue Sapphires spread in Shimla and soon a few more stones turned and sooner rather than later the news wafted across and reached the the ears of the Maharajah in who’s realm these Stones originated. And he got his men working. Soon it was heard that the Stones had their origin in Padar, a Valley along the Chenab which bordered Himachal on one side and Zanskar on the other side. But initially it was mistaken as Padam instead of Padar so guys turned up in Padam in Zanskar looking for the whereabouts of the source of these priceless stones. But finally Padar was identified as the source and a body of Maharaja’s soldiers were dispatched to secure the Mine for the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir or the “Maharaja of Kashmir” as was more commonly known and hence the Sapphires got a name. The Kashmir Sapphires.

An unknown Trekker sitting in front of one of the Mine Shafts in the 80’s.

It was in 1882 when the Mine was secured and samples sent to the Indian Museum, where the experts were also astonished at the quality of these Sapphires. They were by far the best Sapphires that were ever seen. This was Music to the ears of the Maharaja and soon large scale mining of the Kashmir Sapphire started and it was soon on the wishlist of all the Maharajas and the Mem Saabs in the summer capital of British India, Simla. But exactly 5 years down the line after reaping great benefits the Mines seem to run out of Sapphires and the operation became unprofitable.

Gulabgarh, the main Village in Padar and the last Roadhead.

The Maharaja was alarmed and he invited experts from the Geological Survey of India to visit the Mines and give their expert advice. Tom D Latouche, the Deputy Superintendent of the Geological Survey of India led the team. And they managed to reach the Mines but not without some difficulty as the are to this day doesn't have Roads or Electricity and a 5 day walk apparently from the nearest Road head. He noted that the deposits in the Main Mine were almost exhausted and there was Mining activity a 100 meters below the main on the Valley floor. However the Sapphires from this location were inferior in quality to the Sapphires at the main Mine. However they did a study over a couple of months and made a detailed Report to the Maharaja. But it did nothing revive the Mining operations as the profitability was down as it seems the place had run out of Sapphires. Simple.

Typical topography of the area where the Sapphire Mines are located

Mining operations were shut down completely in 1889 till 1905 though Poachers would sometimes hit upon the Mines. In 1906 the Mines were leased out to a private Company  who mined for 2 years without much success. And so the story carried on with a new Company / Individual taking the lease every few years and then walking out as it was just too costly because of the inhospitable terrain and overall remoteness. After Independence JK Minerals took the Mines and again a number of classified Surveys and Mappings were done of the area. But nothing much came out of it. Every few years the Government of Jammu and Kashmir comes out with a new Scheme to lease out the Mines but nothing really happens knowing the dysfunctionality of my State.

Sumcham, the last Village on the trail that leads to the Hagshu La and into Zanskar

In the meanwhile the Mines are Guarded by the Police and are strictly off limits for everyone. Well almost everyone if you know what I mean. No one is simply allowed in the area and though you will find the location on the Internet I have purposely left out the exact location and details of the Mines. People who need to know already know it. Anyways its off limits so nothing much can be done even if you know the place. I will let it rest at that.

Hence the value of Kashmir Sapphires has only gone up and few are seen outside of Museums and Private collections. They are simply not found anymore.

Kashmir Sapphires in ready as well as raw form.

Ah and coming back to Ronny. After going through more details Ronny was convinced this is the same Kashmir Sapphire which was stolen in Milan. Though reduced in Caratage (thieves normally do that and alter the shape of the Stone for obvious reasons) the characteristics mentioned in the certificate were exactly like his Stone. The Stone was withdrawn from the Auction but Ronny didnt stop there. Though he got insurance amount of around 1.8 Million dollars in 1996 after the Theft but he needed the culprits to be caught. As we speak now Ronny is fighting out in the Courts with present owners to get viewing of the Kashmir Sapphire and have it verified by independent experts. More on that when something happens.

Coming back to the Kashmir Sapphires and this is what a Gemologist says about them  “The Sapphires of Kashmir form an exclusive class of their own. In the Jewel trade it is customary to attach the appellation 'Kashmir' to any fine Sapphire regardless of its geographical origin. This is an indication of the outstanding qualities of Kashmir Sapphires. The colour of these Sapphires resembles the beautiful hue of the peacock's neck. Even a small concentration of that fine colour illuminates the entire structure of the Gem.”

The Elusive Kashmir Sapphires

The Last Queen of Kashmir

The Last Queen of Kashmir

And back to Kashmir to tell you the story of an interesting time in the history of Kashmir. A story of the last Queen of Kashmir. A story of the first Muslim King of Kashmir who came from Ladakh. A story of Shah Mir. And a story of a Tragedy.

It was the 14th Century and the Lohara Dynasty was in power in the Kashmir Valley and as was usual with the Loharas there was intense infighting amongst the Loharas and with the local Chieftains known as the Damaras. And the Loharas had already repulsed a number of attacks by the Ghanivids but however Kashmir being a protected natural Fortress was a big advantage and the Invaders concentrated more on the easier conquests in the plains of North India.

Besides there were invasions from the Central Asian side by the Mongols and Turks who use to come in and occasionally raid the country. The later Loharas were weak incompetent Rulers and it was just a matter if time before they would fall. It was imminent and at the same time they relied more on outsiders in the matters of importance given the distrust between them. There were two notable outsiders there at that time who’s name would go down in history.

One was the Buddhist Ladakhi Prince Rinchen, who after failing in an attempt to take over the Kingdom of Ladakh had crossed over the Mountains into Kashmir and found employment with the King. The King Suhadeva who was in power made the Ladakhi Prince, who’s full name was Lhachan Gualbu Rinchana, a Minister in his administration. But he wasnt the only prominent outsider who King Suhadeva made apart of his administration.

The other one was Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir, a Muslim who had come to Kashmir from the region Swat which once was a part of the Gandharan Kingdom just like Kashmir and a great center of Buddhist learning. His exact origin is not known but most probably a Swati of Tajik origin (a Gebbari) and his exact reason of leaving his homeland unknown. Whatever the reason was it didn't matter and he was also appointed as a Minister by King Suhadeva.

And then like in every story the Villains turned up. This was a Mongol and Turkic Army under the Command of Dulacha which decided to march into and plunder Kashmir. The Pagan Mongol Commander was about give a lesson in Central Asian Warfare to the Kashmiris. And it hit them like only the Mongols could hit in those times. The King Suhadeva tried to bribe the Mongols into going back but this only increased the burden on the population and he became even more unpopular. He had no option but to flee and he did that and ran away to Kishtwar. The only person in the Kingdom who showed some semblance of resistance was Suhadeva’s General Ramchandra. And in doing so he also became the King. And in the meanwhile the general populace went into hiding and this included the wily Prince Rinchen with his band also went into hiding in what was known as Lars.

And finally the Mongols decided to leave and the country was utterly devastated. Ramachandra had managed to survived the onslaught but soon they had a problem of outlaws coming in from neighbouring regions coming in like Vultures to pick off whatever was left after the Mongol invasion. Ramachandra decided to put Rinchen in charge of whatever was left of the Army to drive out these brigands. This he did but in the process he managed to get a hold over the Army and knew they were at his beck and call. So what does the Prince, who always wanted to be the King do ? He marches back and kills Ramachandra and takes the throne of Kashmir. And he also did one more thing. He married Kota, the beautiful daughter of Ramachandra.

Now to get popular support of the local population who were largely Hindu he decided to convert to Hinduism so as to get maximum support but the powerful Brahmins straight away rejected this for reasons best known to them. And then, Shah Mir who was now a Minister suggested that he could convert to Islam as by this time there was a strong minority of Muslims in Kashmir. The exact story of why Prince Rinchen converted to Islam has many versions so just leave it to that. And soon Kashmir had a its first Muslim King, the first Sultan, Sultan Sadruddin Shah or Hazrat Sadruddin Shah or Hazrat Rinchan Shah as he is also called.

He soon had a son with the Kota Rani, Haidar Khan who was under the tutelage of Shah Mir who was his most trusted Minster. But the state was still under constant threat from Rebels and Brigands and it was on a campaign that Prince Rinchan, as he was originally known was assassinated which again plunged the Kingdom into crisis. And this was the opportunity that Udyanadeva, brother of the last Lohara King Suhadeva came into the picture and usurped the Throne. And not only did he usurp the throne but he also married Rinchan’s Kota Rani. King Udyanadeva was destined the last Hindu King of Kashmir of Medieval times.

But Udyanadeva provide to be a inept Ruler and the real power was held And as his ill-luck would have it another Mongol Turkic Army turned up at the gates and this time it was headed by Allacha, again a Mongol Pagan bent upon giving a dose of Mongol warcraft to the Hindu, Muslims and Buddhists alike. Just like his brother Suhadeva, Udyanadeva fled but to Tibet. And just like her father, Ramachandra, the Kota Queen decided to stand her ground. And she gave strong resistance to the Mongols and took the fight to them and managed to defeat Achalla and the Mongols but at great costs. But she had won and the Mongols left.

And Kashmir had probably its first reigning Queen, Kota Rani and unfortunately she would also be the last.

Shah Mir had played second fiddle for the longest time. It was already 1339 He had served under the different Kings and now with the Queen and her power weakened he decided to make his play. Shah Mir played well and managed to take the reigns of power from the Queen. But that wasnt all, he wanted to marry the Kota Rani as well.

What happened next is well known but how exactly it transpired is not known. And I am one for dramatic endings. It is said that the Queen agreed to marry Shah Mir, who established himself as the first Sultan of what would come to be known as the Shah Miri Dynasty. And the day they got married and Shah Mir came to her, Queen Kota cut her stomach with a dagger and offered her intestines to Shah Mir as a wedding gift. And thus ended Queen Kota.

The Last Queen of Kashmir.

PS: This is my version of Events. And it is an attempt at explaining simply a very complicated time in the History of Kashmir. A time which mostly doesnt figure in public discourse anymore.

To know more about the Queen do read The Last Queen of Kashmir by Rakesh Kaul. Harper Collins. Available on Amazon.

The Remanent of an Army

The Remanent of an Army

In John Keay’s epic "When Men and Mountains Meet: The Explorers of the Western Himalayas 1820-1875" there is mentioned a certain meeting between Raja Gulab Singh (The future Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu and Kashmir) and the British Governor of Punjab who’s name I cannot recall. It was sometime in 1842. And it was in Shimla. It was in the times of the Great Game.

After the traditional exchange of greetings between the two men, who didn't seem to be too fond of each other, they sat down. Raja Gulab Singh started the conversation. He said he had bad news coming from the side of Afghanistan. It seemed that the Sun had been eclipsed. The Great British Army of the Indus had been annihilated and only one person out of over 20,000 had made it back to safety into British territory. The Britisher looked up at the Raja of the Dogras, and without twitching an eyelid said that Raja Sahib I too have bad news for you. These come from the Trans Himalayan region of Tibet. Your General Zorawar Singh and his Army on its way to conquer Lhasa had been all killed in an engagement with a joint Chinese-Tibetan force and a few remnants of the Dogra Army had managed to make their way to the British Garrison in Almora. It seemed that the Moon too had been eclipsed, Raja Sahib.

Raja Gulab Singh had often retorted to the British that his (Sikh Kingdom) was a Moon in front of the Sun that the British Empire was. But for the time being both seemed eclipsed.

Whether both men were already aware of the happenings on either side of the Himalayas as they sat that day in Shimla is anyone’s guess. Both were tough Military men, being Generals in the most powerful Armies on the sub-continent were not me who would let go of their emotions. The Great Army of the Indus, of the powerful British had been all but massacred by the Afghans and on the other side the powerful Dogras led by General Zorawar Singh had met a similar fate at the hand of the Tibetans. It was a great set back to both parties and revenge was already on the cards.

It is often said that the achievements of General Zorawar Singh were overlooked by historians of that time as they were focused on the events in Afghanistan as the First Anglo Afghan battle was underway and even after winning the initial Battles and in control of Kabul they could not hold the Afghans under control for long. Kabul proved too much for the British to handle And in the beginning of January 1942 they decided to evacuate Kabul and crossover the Hindu Kush into friendly territory across the Khyber. The whole British enterprise into Afghanistan through Sikh territory was the fear of the Afghan Rulers getting an alliance with the Russians who were seen as actively trying to undermine British interest in Afghanistan like they had done in Persia.

The only surviving member of the Army of the Indus, was the assistant Surgeon William Brydon who was immortalised in this classical Painting by Elizabeth Butler called the “Remnant of an Army” as he trudged on his tired horse with the Fort of Jalalabad in sight. It is said that the Horse died as soon as he was put into a stable. Dr.Brydon also survived by sheer good fortune although a part of skull was sheared off by an Afghan sword but he had stuffed a Magazine in his hat to keep his head warm in the freezing snowbound Passes of the Hindu Kush. The Magazine took the brunt of that Afghan sword swipe and hence the Doctor survived. The only survivor of the Army of the Indus.

The painting is dated January 13, 1942.

PS: There were other survivors but they emerged later as they were rescued by successive punitive Missions by the British.



The Temples of the Indus : Kafirkot

The Temples of the Indus : Kafirkot

Bilot is a non descript little Village in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is situated along the Indus where the lowest spurs of the Hindu Kush meet the Salt Range. There is nothing really special about the place except for something that lies on a Hill overlooking the Village. The locals call the place Kafir Kot. There are actually two ruins called Kafirkot at a distance of around 50 kms from each other but similar locations. One is called the Bilot Kafirkot and the other Tilot Kafirkot. Both the Temple Complexes are surrounded by ruins of Fortifications of what once would have been an impressive Fort watching over the Indus.

The temples of Bilot (and Tilot as well), among a chain of temples that stretch from Nandna on the eastern extremity of the Salt Range right though the hills to the Indus, are collectively known as the Hindu Shahi temples. There are supposed to be 8 Temples Complexes built by the Hindu Shahi Rulers till the time the Dynasty fell in the 11th Century.

The Hindu Shahi were a group of Rulers who’s Kingdom was located in the Gandhara and Upper Punjab areas and bordered the powerful Kashmir Kingdom in the North East to Afghanistan in the West and went down to the Punjab with the Indus running through the heart of their Kingdom. They were related to the Kabul Shahis, who were Buddhist once upon a time but had become Hindus and split into the Hindu Shahis and the Turki Shahis or the Patola Shahis. The Turki Shahis or the Patola Shahis in power in Dardistan / Gilgit Baltistan and they were staunch Buddhists.  

The exact origin of the Shahi clans is still a topic of discussion. The Title Shahi was derived from the Kushan Shao which was converted into Shah / Shahi later. Al Beruni writes that they descended from a Tibetan prince while other people stated and evidence speaks that they were descended from the later Kushans or the Hepthalites. Some also mention they were Turkic in origin and they came down from Central Asia. Yet others say that they actually descended from the Kamboja clans that were strong in this Region.

That being said the Temple complexes especially the ones are quite big and prominent and ringed by fortifications. It is a point noting that in the Ghaznavid invasions and later invasions from the West these Temples somehow managed to survive. Even more strangely there is hardly any mention of this Temple Complex at Kafir Kot, which at one time would have held quite a prominence in the Kingdom in any historical records of the period.

Also interestingly all these Temples of the Indus, as they are also called, show a distinct and strong Kashmiri confluence and a mix of Gandharan influence as well. It should be remembered that Kashmir itself was once a part of the Gandharan Kingdom under the Kushans. Hence there were relations between the Hindu Shahis and the Dynasties of Kashmir. Kalhana in his Rajtarangani also mentions the Hindu Shahi Rajas. They were also related to the Kashmir Kingdom by matrimonial alliances. Infact Queen Didda, the last Queen of Kashmir was said to be the daughter of of King of the Hindu Shahi Dynasty. The Kashmiri influence is strongest in the entrance and main squarish Pillars of the Temples. However the Gandharan influence is seen in the tops as they are rounder instead of the pyramidical tops that the Temples in Kashmir had. I imagine in simple terms in Kashmir a pyramidal roof enabled the heavy Snow to slide off easily and since these Temples of the Indus are in the lower foothills they needn't worry about snow like else-where in the plains of Northern India.

The Gazetteer of Mianwali 1915 describes the Kafirkot Temples complex as such : “The Kafirkot ruins consist of two forts, situated on the skirts of the district on small hills attached to the lower spurs of the Khasor Range, and overlooking the Indus River. One lies a few miles south of Kundal and the other near Bilot. These forts are of great antiquity and interest. Their main features are an outer defensive wall, consisting of rough blocks of stone, some of great size, and various groups of buildings resembling small Hindu temples and more or less carved. These are built of a curiously honey-combed drab-coloured stone not to be found in the adjacent hills, which is said to have been brought by river all the way from Khushalgarh. The area of the forts is considerable and they could have held a fairly large garrison. The only legends attached to them relate that they were occupied by the last of the Hindu Rajas, Til and Bil; but all traces of rulers and ruled are now lost.”

Another interesting fact point out by Sir Salman Rashid, a Travel historian and a Member of the Royal Geographic Society notes “Interestingly John Wood, the 19th century explorer, who journeyed up the Indus on his way to discover the source of the Oxus River, paused to explore another Kafir Kot. Called Kafir Kot Tilot it lies atop a low hill smack on the Indus about 30 kilometres north of Bilot. Like Bilot it has an encircling rampart but flaunts only three temples besides a ruined double-storeyed house, all apparently contemporaneous with Bilot. Tilot also finds mention is the works of Alexander Burnes and the mysterious Charles Masson, both Wood’s contemporaries. But strangely enough all three fail even to hear of this far grander Kafir Kot at Bilot. “

An aura of mystery still hangs around these Temples, their origin and people who built them and how they have survived the ravages of History and time as its clear that the condition that the Temples are in today is due to the passage of time and not due to wilful destruction by an iconoclastic invader.

And the name Kafirkot sums it up. Even the locals contend that these Temples were built by a people who are long gone. A People lost in History. Only the Temples of the Indus give us a hint of what these people were like and where they went. They still stand in the majestic opulence like they have for hundreds of years.

Pics credit : Sir Salman Rashid / Wikipedia / Other Internet Sources as mentioned. I would have loved to use my own pics.

This Article is the first in the Series of articles on the Temples of the Indus, there being 8 such reported sites which exist in different conditions.

Chitral Expedition

Chitral Expedition

Chitral is a town located at al elevation of around 1800 m in the Hindu Kush Mountains and its the district HQ of Chitral district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan.

Because of its strategic location it was witness to many events in the Great Game as it played out between the British Empire and the Tsarist Russia. With the formation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1846 and the subsequent conquest of Gilgit / Hunza the Chitral region also came under the influence of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir in 1876 with the blessings of the British. However once they leased out Gilgit from the Maharaja to keep on eye on the Russians and thus the Gilgit Agency was formed. Chitral was taken out of the Maharaja’s realm of influence and made a part of what came to be called the NWFP.

However there was an incident in Chitral which tested the resolve of the British to hold on to Chitral. Chitral had a semi-independent Ruler called the Mehtar who was subservient to the British. In 1892 the Ruler of Chitral, Aman ul Mulk expired and he had ruled since 1857. His death was followed by a brutal war of succession between his sons. And the British watched this and so did their Garrison of 400 men who were housed inside the Chitral Fort by the Chitral River. The old Ruler was succeeded by a son but his brother (the departed Mehtar’s) also appeared on the scene from exile in Kabul. And so did another son who was under British protection. And if that wasn't enough an Afghan tribal leader with his men also turned up. Without getting into details let me say it was a mess and the British Garrison which had 5 British Officers commanding the 14th Sikh and Kashmiri Infantrymen from the Maharaja’s Army were under siege.

Meanwhile the British decided to send some relief columns to the aid of the defenders of the Fort. The troops were gathered in Gilgit and they consisted of 400 Sikh Pioneers mostly Road Builders, some 50 Kashmiri Sappers and a troop of irregular Hunzais numbering around 800 men. All tough Mountain men. They needed to be tough as it was March and between Chitral and Gilgit lay the formidable Shandur Pass crossing which in Winter was never really thought of as a possibility. This is the same Shandur Pass where nowadays the Shandur Polo Match is held between the Chitralis and the Gilgitis. At 3700 m it lay where the Karakorams met the Hindu Kush. Col James Kelly didn't really have an option and this was the option he had.

And they set off on March 23rd. By March 30 they had crossed 10,000 ft and well into the snowline and the snow was deep. But they had the element of surprise and the Chitralis on the other side of the Pass had no inkling that a whole body of troop could cross the Pass in late Winter. It's said that after crossing the Snowline the porters saw what was in store for them as the snow around Shandur was waist deep. And they decided to drop their loads and go back. But the Soldiers didn't really agree with them and you can't really win an argument with Men who carry guns. They got back to their duty and Sledges were used to transport the heavy Guns over the Pass. Once they were over the Pass did the Chitralis realise that they had uninvited Guests coming over to the aid of the besieged Garrison in the Chitral Fort.

In the meanwhile a huge British Force of 15000 was assembled in Peshawar and set off. Joining them unofficially was our old friend, Lt Col Francis Edward Younghusband. This force set off a week after Kelly’s force under General Law. The serious British reaction to this incident was due to the fear of the Russians taking advantage and Ivan and Cossacks coming to the party. They also faced the formidable Malakand Pass and the eventually the Lowari Pass. The Malakand Pass defended by Umar Khan’s 12,000 Afghan fighters which they overcame as the Afghans dispersed. And they crossed the Lowari on the same day that Kelly’s force entered Chitral and the Fort. And it is said that Younghusband ran in front of the detachment and was the first from this force to enter Chitral. And apparently they had finished the last bottle of Brandy the night before. Hangover makes you do crazy things.

Anyways at the end of the day the British got the Fort and the control of Chitral. Many of the Troops got the Chitral Relief Medal. And i should mention that my fellow team Member Rijul Gill’s grandfather was also awarded a Chitral Relief Medal which he still has in his possession.

As for Chitral once they re-established control in 1895 the British installed Shuja-ul -Mulk, a 12 year old son of the late Mehtar as the Mehtar and he ruled for a period 41 years till 1936 and peace returned for good to Chitral.

And I should mention that Chitral is beautiful country. And its the home of the Kalash. It used to be called Peristan as it was said that fairies lived there. If I was a Fairy I would Chitral as home. Its just beautiful.

Pic of the Chitral Fort by the Chitral River. Phot credit Syed Imran Scach.

Dalhousie's Colonel

Col. Jagatram was a Doctor in the British Indian Army. Though originally a Dogra from Billawar near Jammu he was bought up in Mandalay in what was then Burma. He completed both his primary and secondary education in Mandalay and got his Medicine degree from Rangoon and went onto join the British Indian Army as a Doctor.

Colonel Saab served in the Second World War as well as the 1948 War and in the 1950's was stationed in Shillong. As it so happened a certain Lady Lawrence, who had a large Estate in Dalhousie, right below the Sacred Heart Convent, was looking at selling off her Estate as her husband had passe away and she wanted to go back to England. Colonel Saab was fond of the mountains and Dalhousie was close to his native place of Billawar. They struck a deal and Colonel Saab bought the whole Lawrence Estate.

Along with the Estate came two beautiful Cottages, one at the op of the Estaste and other one on the bottom of the Estate as it straddled a hill. The one on top was called Wisbeck and the lower one was called Beckules. From the upper Cottage one got a grandview of the plains of Punjab on one side and the Pir Panjals on the other side.

Having bought the Estate the Cottages were renamed as Parijat and Tapovan. Colonel Saab after retirement intended to grow Apples and Strawberries and Almonds on the Estate. But since he was still serving the Cottages were let out to the first wave of Tibetan refugees who came into India. Parijat, the cottage on top became the residence of one of the top Tibetan Lamas and his whole entourage took up residence in the Cottages.

After his retirement in the early 1970's Colonel Saab started working on his dream project of growing Apples in Dalhousie. But Dalhousie because of its location gets a lot of hail storms and hail destroys Apples. The Apple crop was always spotted as hail leaves its spots on Apples and they are no longer marketable. Even the Strawberries and the Almond didn't do very well. Anyways Colonel Saab did his best getting saplings all the way from Shimla in the winters and planting them before the snows came in.

A lot of time has passed since but the Cottages are both there but a lot of surrounding land has been sold off by the Colonel Saab's family and many Hotels have now come up in what used to be called the Col. Jagatram Estate.

And I happen to be married to a Grand Daughter of Colonel Sahib

The Forgotten Kashmiri

The Forgotten Kashmiri

I had previously written about the amazing Munshi Aziz Bhatt Museum in Kargil and the amazing story behind the same. I had mentioned the number of priceless items they have on display and each and every piece has a unique story waiting to be told.

One of the most enchanting piece for me personally was certain carpet made in Eastern Turkistan of the old, Central Asia and inscribed with a name and with figures of Eight Tigers around it. It was made in Bokhara in the early part of the 1800s. A very Indian name. Mohan Lal.

Another name lost in history. Of course at the first glance and the first look I was too lost in the stuff at the Museum but later on the name came into my mind. It couldn't possibly be Mohan Lal Zutshi of Alexander “Bokhara” Burnes Munshi. Or was it. And it turns out it was the same Kashmiri who at the tender age of 19 went with Alexander Burnes on a trip to Bukhara across the Hindu Kush as his official Persian translator. And the same Mohan Lal who due to his good office with the Afghans managed to survive the annihilation of the Army of the Indus as well the killing of Alexander Burnes in Kabul.

And from what Ive read about him he had the looks and the attitude which made him a darling of the Courts of Eastern Potentates as well as the British. And a ladies man as well it seems. And of course he had this habit of making Notes on the Woman of all the lands that he visited. He had a keen eye for the ladies. A true Romantic one would imagine.

Mohan Lal as an explorer/ traveler of Indian origin would and right should rank alongwith Pandit Nain Singh but sadly Mohan Lal’s achievements have all been glossed over. His great Journal that he maintained never got published and he died unhappy and a broken man disowned by his own people as well as by his masters, the British.

I am posting the Preface of the Book written on him “The Life and Work of Mohan Lal Kashmiri 1822 - 1877 “ by Hari Ramg Gupta written in 1943 which I am currently reading :

"Mohan Lal was a great traveller, brilliant diplomat, reputed author, the first Kashmiri to learn English and probably the first Indian to educate his daughter in England. He commenced his travels at the young age of eighteen, and journeyed through the Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, Afghanistan Turkistan, Khorasan, Iran, Baluchistan, Sind and Northern India; and later on visited Egypt, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium and Germany. Thus in Asia alone his travels extended from Calcutta to Qoclian and from Bokhara to Poona.

Through all his wanderings he won the approbation of all his companions for "displaying everywhere a rare union of zeal, tact and fidelity. “ Wherever he went, a warm welcome awaited him by high and low, and rich and poor. Dr. Gerard, one of his companions, wrote about him from Kabul ‘‘Shah Kamran of Herat was delighted with his accomplished Persian and unobtrusive address. At Kandahar he was much respected by Sirdar Raheem Dil Khan, who praised his acquisitions, and regretted that his sons could not partake of them. Here he is a favourite with the rulers. In truth, I know not of an exception in our long journey, to the uniform civility he has commanded.”

Mirza Abbas, the Prince Royal of Iran, created him at the age of twenty a Knight of the Persian Order of the Lion and Sun. Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk, the King of Afghanistan, granted him an Order of the Durrani Empire. Maharaja Ranjit Singh presented him with Rs. 500 and a robe of honour consisting of seven pieces. The Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Akbar Shah, conferred upon him a khilat “with some jewels on a turban which his majesty tied with his own hands.”

Such honours were paid to him not only by the Oriental potentates ; but he was “well received in England and other parts of Europe by the very first people, kings and queens not excepted.” Queen Victoria invited him to a royal ball. Prince Albert called him for an interview at the Buckingham Palace. In Germany, Frederick William IV, the King of Prussia, and the Queen, entertained him at a dinner. The King also presented him with a portrait of himself, bearing an inscription in his own hand.

In diplomacy he was unsurpassed. Kaye calls him a ‘‘charmer” 1 of men. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru speaks of him as one, who in a free India “would have risen to the topmost rungs of the political ladder.” His achievements during the first Afghan War, when he was only twenty-six years old, were most remarkable. His charm, his tact, his patience, his lucid intelligence, his incredible grasp of detail, and his clear understanding of the Afghan character, combined to give him an equipment, which was not found to that degree even in those officers who were in charge of the diplomatic affairs in that country ; and who frequently depended upon him for advice in most delicate matters.

He was an author of no mean repute. On his return from Central Asia in 1834, he “published a Journal of his tour, which considered as the work of an Asiatic in a foreign tongue, may be reckoned a most creditable production.” Twelve years later this work was again printed with an additional account of his journey across Sind and Afghanistan and his visit to Europe. At the same time he published his Life of Dost Mohammed Khan, the Amir of Kabul, in two volumes. On reading his article on the Greek antiquities in Afghanistan, James Tod wrote that "this most intelligent Hindu ought to be made an honorary member of every Asiatic Society.”

About his style of English, the Editor of the Calcutta Englishman remarks "He expresses himself with perfect clearness and intelligibility in English, though not with very idiomatic correctness.” His eccentric phraseology, however, is distasteful. He spoke “English with good accent and much idiomatic propriety,” and "with much fluency and readiness.”

Mohan Lai was obliged to retire at the young age of thirty- two on a pension of £ 1,000 per annum. There is no doubt that if he, had been allowed to continue in the British service, he would have won much greater renown.”

Now coming back to the Museum I am trying to figure out that a Rug which was made as a Gift/ or in honour of Mohan Lal ended up in the Kargil Sarai. And the significance of the Eight Tigers.

Well thats another story for another day.

Pic from the Munshi Aziz Bhat Musuem, Kargil.