The Preface, and from Lahore to Jammu

The Preface, and from Lahore to Jammu

Preface

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

After the praise of the incomparable Creator and the praise of the blessed Prophet, let it be clear and plain to the sound judgement of those who love to see foreign lands and travel through countries and cities, that the writer, the worthless Pandit Kanhaiya Lal, son of Pandit Thakur Das Sahib of Delhi, who was first teacher at the government school, went in 1840 from Delhi to Akbarabad [TN: Agra] in search of employment, and from there, after six years, in 1846, as chance would have it, entered the office of the Agent Sahib Bahadur at Lahore and went to Lahore. There, in 1847, a gentleman of standing, whose honoured name was Mr Winterbottom [TN: so the name appears to read, ونٹر بٹم], and whose noble age by that year had reached about fifty-three, and who from the age of discretion had had no pursuit dearer to him than seeing countries and cities, arrived at Lahore from England and stayed at the house of Colonel Lawrence Bahadur, Agent and Resident of the Punjab, and, declaring his intention of touring the country of Kashmir, asked for a well-informed and capable man. The purpose of this request was that the said gentleman did not know Hindustani and the other languages, and in a foreign country one cannot travel unless someone who knows the language and customs of the land goes along; and even supposing one could travel, one would not enjoy it.

In short, at the request of the said gentleman, the Colonel Sahib Bahadur ordered the writer to send with the gentleman someone who knew English, Punjabi and the other languages. The writer searched far and wide, but no such person could be found, for the government's rule in the Punjab had begun only a short while before, and so there were very few who knew English. At last the Colonel Sahib ordered the writer, "Go with the said gentleman yourself, so that he may tour the country of Kashmir well and meet Maharaja Gulab Singh Bahadur, ruler of Kashmir, in proper fashion."

As ordered, the writer set out in the gentleman's train and kept writing a short account of each stage in the form of a diary. After returning, when he looked over this diary again, it came to his mind that if this account were printed it would not be without interest for those who love to see foreign lands, and that those who have not the means for long and distant journeys would, by reading it, learn about the places described below. But at that time no opportunity came to hand for this heartfelt wish to be fulfilled, and so its printing was put off. Now that the times have given a little leisure, the intention has been taken up again. It is hoped that these few pages, which have been named *Sair-e-Kashmir* (A Tour of Kashmir), will please everyone, high and low.

The Diary

On 17 April 1847, one watch of the night having passed, I set out from Lahore with the said gentleman, riding on an elephant. On the way, at Nangal, two horsemen joined us as orderlies, besides the horsemen from Lahore. Travelling through the night, on the 18th, one watch after daybreak, we halted at the fort of Naudah Singh, which lies twenty *kos* from Lahore in the direction of Jammu. This place is not fit for a halt; there was only one grocer's shop in it and about sixty dwelling houses. Sardar Jawahar Singh Bastani was the *ilaqadar* (holder of the district) there. In the afternoon a man named Ratta Chaudhri came to visit with two or three others. The people there seemed very contented.

On the 19th, in the morning, we set out onward. After covering four *kos* we reached Gujranwala [TN: so the source; a place of this name on the road to Sialkot]. There is a fort there built by Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa; we saw it; it is not very strong. It is laid out like a garden, but its enclosing wall is of brick and adorned with towers. After seeing the fort we set out from there too, and two *kos* further on halted at Luianwala. That place is much better than the first. It has twelve shops and more than a hundred houses. The *ilaqadar* there is Diwan Ganpat Rai Magazinia, and Sham Singh is in attendance as his agent.

On the 20th we set out in the morning and arrived at Jamgi, which is thirteen *kos* away. This is a very large and good place. There are about eight hundred houses and more than a hundred and fifty shops. The place is very busy and belongs to the district of Wazirabad. Ram Chand, son of Varma, is the *ilaqadar* there, Guru Das and Sukha Nand are his managers, and the whole district looks very green and flourishing. On every side the crops are green, and the farmers too seem busy at their work and content. Sugar cane also grows well there.

On the 21st we set out in the morning and reached Sialkot, eight *kos* away. We saw that it is a very fine and ancient city. It is said that Raja Shalivahan founded it, and that this Raja ruled three hundred years before the birth of Jesus. There is a very strong fort in it. Inside the fort there are no dwelling houses; only the enclosing wall, extremely solid and of stone, and very strong towers, many of them, are still standing. The city is well populated. Everything is to be had, and grain of every kind is seen in plenty in the bazaars. Diwan Tek Chand is the *ilaqadar* there, and Gurditta Mal and Ganda Mal are his agents. Bandu Khan, headman of the city, and most of the landholders came to visit us. A cantonment of the Lahore state has now been fixed here, and Colonel Richhpal Singh is stationed there in command of a regiment of Sardar Tej Singh's and six guns. The climate of this city is very pleasant and clear, and the inhabitants are handsome and good-natured.

On the 22nd we marched in the morning and arrived at Budhial Brahmanan, which is eleven *kos* from Sialkot. This place is in the territory of the Maharaja of Jammu and is a large village. It is built on high ground; about a hundred and fifty houses, of mud and of brick, and fifty shops stand in it. There is also a fort, not very strong, but inhabited. On the way, from Sialkot to Suchetgarh, which is seven *kos*, no sign of cultivation was to be seen anywhere, but from Suchetgarh to Budhial there is cultivation, and Jammu's rule begins one *kos* beyond Suchetgarh. And in this territory the crops too looked better than in the Sialkot district. Arjan Singh, the Maharaja Sahib's agent, came to visit, and Chaudhri Bishan with two or three landholders also came to the camp. At that time clouds had appeared in the sky and a strong wind was blowing. A storm of dust was flying from earth to sky.

On the 23rd we set out in the morning for Jammu, and after covering seven *kos* arrived on the bank of the river Tawi, crossed the river, and entered the Jammu thicket. That thicket is very famous and well known, as if it were the strong fortress of Jammu. We went one *kos* through this thicket and reached the gate of Jammu known as the Gumat Gate. We saw that the gate is not very strong, but it is on a height, and the whole town of Jammu lies on a height. Commandant Sukha Singh, with another of the Maharaja Sahib's companions and some horsemen, was there to receive the Sahib Bahadur and joined us. Going in through the gate we saw no sign of habitation at all, only a road had been made, and by this road our companions took us to Mr Broome's house [TN: name uncertain, بروم], and there we lodged. After a little while Wazir Zorawar, Diwan Jwala Sahai, Diwan Karam Chand and one or two companions came and met the Sahib. For a long time there were formal exchanges, and the rites of courtesy and presentation of gifts went on. Here the writer's work was this: what Diwan Jwala Sahai said on behalf of the Maharaja Sahib the writer explained to the Sahib in English, and what the Sahib Bahadur answered in English he told Diwan Jwala Sahai in Hindustani. After this exchange, the matter in hand was raised: the Sahib asked which road there was from here to go to Kashmir. In answer Diwan Jwala Sahai said that the Banihal road was also good, but there would still be much snow on it and that road was not fit to travel; so perforce the Sahib chose the Rajauri road, and all these gentlemen took their leave. After that the rites of hospitality and so on went on. In the afternoon the writer went with the Sahib Bahadur on an elephant to see the town of Jammu. We saw that there was nothing worth seeing: the shops very low, disorderly and dull; the town like a hill town, the lanes and streets filthy and narrow, the buildings of stone and wood; but the palaces and other buildings of the Maharaja Sahib were very lofty, well proportioned and elaborate. In short, on coming back the Sahib dismissed the horsemen and foot soldiers of the Lahore state who had come with us, and from here took Jammu sepoys with us.

On the 24th we stayed in Jammu, and in the morning went to see the fort of Bahu. This fort is built on a hill on the bank of the river Tawi; it is very strong and made for war. In it there are one large gun, seventeen small guns and five mortars. Its height must be about a mile. There is one road for going up, and on all sides are dense thickets and forest. Even a man on foot finds it hard to pass, and the fort is thoroughly secured by towers and walls. After seeing the sights we came back to our lodging, and in the afternoon Diwan Jwala Sahai came to fetch the Sahib Bahadur, had him mounted, and took the writer along too. Tikka Sahib, that is Ranbir Singh Sahib Bahadur, heir apparent of Maharaja Gulab Singh Bahadur, with Mian Jawahar Singh, eldest son of Raja Dhian Singh Bahadur, came as far as the gate to receive us, and took us into a wide and spacious building and seated us.

After words of welcome and formality, the talk came round to this: that the Sahib had travelled a great deal through countries and cities. In answer the Sahib said that besides other countries he had seen Lanka too, and had also toured the southern part of China. Hearing this the Tikka Sahib was greatly astonished: no one lives in Lanka but demons; how did the Sahib manage there? The Sahib laughed heartily at this and said that that was in the time of Raja Ramchandra, not now. And about China the Tikka Sahib said that the Maharaja Sahib too had sent an army to the north of China, and the first time it was defeated, but the second time it won. Indeed they had even brought back some Chinese clothing from there, and the Tikka Sahib sent for that clothing and showed it to the Sahib, and said, "About three hundred of our soldiers are still prisoners in China, and we wish the English gentlemen would give some help so that those men might come back to their homes." The Sahib said, "The Maharaja Sahib is a great friend of the British Government; it would be no wonder if the Government made some move in the matter." In short, talk of this kind went on for an hour, and the writer did the work of a tongue, as it were, for the Tikka Sahib on one side and for the Sahib on the other.

After an hour we took our leave as usual, and the writer and the Sahib Bahadur came to our lodging. Mian Jawahar Singh was also present at this meeting, but there was no occasion to talk with him. Here a short account and the family tree of Maharaja Gulab Singh Bahadur are entered below for the information of readers of these pages.

The Family Tree of Maharaja Gulab Singh Bahadur [TN: in the printed book a family tree drawn as a flowering plant in a vase stands here; it is an illustration, its names are not legible in the available copy, and it is not reproduced]

A Short Account of the Rise of Maharaja Gulab Singh Bahadur

A long time ago the Raghubansi Rajas came from the east and entered Jammu, and by degrees overcame all the petty states there were here and brought the whole region under their rule, and the rule of these Raghubansis went very well down to Raja Ranjit Dev. After that, in the time of his grandson Raja Chet Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh brought the whole territory of Jammu under his power by the sword and took possession of it himself. After that Gulab Singh, Dhian Singh and Suchet Singh entered the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and by degrees gained the Maharaja's favour. Meanwhile a man named Dido, who was of Gulab Singh's family, took to highway robbery and brigandage, and grew so strong that Maharaja Ranjit Singh's rule was disturbed, and he could not be dealt with by any means. In despair the Maharaja said, "Alas, there is no one in our state and among our servants to deal with him." One of the chiefs submitted, "Gulab Singh is of his own family, and is brave and shrewd besides. If it is ordered, let him be sent." This was accepted, and that same day Maharaja Ranjit Singh put the mark of rajaship on Gulab Singh's forehead and appointed him Raja of Jammu. He submitted, "I am the younger brother, and while the elder brother lives the younger cannot be entitled to rule. And now that the Maharaja has made me a Raja, I wish that my elder brother too should be honoured with the same title." The Maharaja Sahib accepted this request of his and granted Dhian Singh too the title of Raja. Raja Gulab Singh went to Jammu and by sound plans and perfect arrangements captured the said Dido. After that, by degrees, it came to this: Raja Dhian Singh became chief minister of the Lahore government, and every man of their family became a Raja. After the Punjab war the British Government made Raja Gulab Singh a Maharaja, and the country of Kashmir and the rest was granted to him, generation after generation, in return for seventy-five lakh rupees which remained owing from the Lahore government on account of the costs of the war, and that is all.

Now I turn again to my diary.