The Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu (as it
was then called) was constituted between 1820 and 1858
and was "somewhat artificial in composition and it did
not develop a fully coherent identity, partly as a
result of its disparate origins and partly as a result
of the autocratic rule which it experienced on the
fringes of Empire." It combined disparate regions,
religions, and ethnicities: to the east, Ladakh was
ethnically and culturally Tibetan and its inhabitants
practised Buddhism; to the south, Jammu had a mixed
population of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs; in the heavily
populated central Kashmir valley, the population was
overwhelmingly
Sunni Muslim,
however, there was also a small but influential Hindu
minority, the Kashmiri
brahmins or
pandits; to the
northeast, sparsely populated
Baltistan had a
population ethnically related to Ladakh, but which
practised
Shi'a
Islam; to the north, also sparsely populated,
Gilgit Agency, was an
area of diverse, mostly Shi'a groups; and, to the
west,
Punch was Muslim, but
of different ethnicity than the Kashmir valley.[9]
After the
Indian Rebellion of 1857,
in which Kashmir sided with the British, and the
subsequent assumption of
direct rule by Great
Britain, the
princely state of
Kashmir came under the
paramountcy of the
British Crown.
Houseboats and Shikaras
Srinagar, Kashmir
Dal Lake with the houseboats which are so famous for this area
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The Houseboat Tradition |
| In the19th century the boat-dwelling community in Srinagar startet
building luxury versions of their own homes to cater to visitors. The
houseboats carry names like "H.B. Duke Well", "Silver Stereet", "New
Pala Palace" which clearly refers to the English settlers. The
settlers were
not able to buy land in Srinagar and developed therefor the
houseboat tradition further. This has during time developed into a well organized houseboat hotel business, where you can rent a room or a whole boat. Many Indian tourists stay here in the summer, as the climate is plesant and the surroudings offer many possiblities for interesting seightseeing. Foreign tourists are few because of the political situation. The hospitality is very high though and the Kasmiris take great pride in making their guests feel at home. |
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The name "Kashmir" means "desiccated land" (from the Sanskrit: Ka = water and shimeera = desiccate). According to Hindu mythology, Sage Kashyapa drained a lake to produce the land now known as Kashmir. In the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir written by Kalhana in the 12th century, it is stated that the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake. This was drained by the great rishi or sage, Kashyapa, son of Marichi, son of Brahma, by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula). When Kashmir had been drained, Kashyapa asked Brahmans to settle there. This is still the local tradition, and in the existing physical condition of the country, we may see some ground for the story which has taken this form. The name of Kashyapa is by history and tradition connected with the draining of the lake, and the chief town or collection of dwellings in the valley was called Kashyapa-pura name which has been plausibly identified with the Kao-1r6.nupos of Hecataeus (apud Stephen of Byzantium) and Kaspatyros of Herodotus (3.102, 4.44). Kashmir is the country meant also by Ptolemy's Kao-ir,~pta. |
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A little history |
| In the middle of the 18th century the
British Government of India sold the valley of Kashmir to Raja Gulab
Singh of Jammu, for 3/4 million Pounds. The Raja combined the regions in
the hilly area and established The Princely State of Jammu, Kashmir and
Ladakh under British vassalage.
The English were not allowed to buy land in Kashmir and The British made over to Gulab Singh for (Rupees)
75
lakhs all the hilly or mountainous
country situated to the east of
Indus and west of
Ravi" (i.e. the
Vale of Kashmir). Soon after Gulab
Singh's death in 1857, his son,
Ranbir Singh, added the emirates of
Hunza,
Gilgit and
Nagar to the kingdom. |
Dal Lake in autumn colours with houseboats side by side,
seen from the Shankaracharya Hill,
"Takht-i-Sulaiman" or the "Throne of Solomon"
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Shikaras, "The Gondols of Srinagar" |
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| Shikaras, the Kashmiri canoes, is nessessary means for transportation, as
the river Jhelum (or Vitasta) runs through the city and lakes covers large
parts of Srinagar and it's surroundings. Vendors offering all kinds of
goods, are on the lake all day long. As a tourist it can be difficult to
go
anywhere without being followed by several boats. You may work out an agreement with your host to protect you
from the vendors, so you can enjoy your stay. The Shikaras used for boatrides are highly decorated with cusions, curtains and offer a very comfortable ride on the beautiful lakes. It is a fairly well known fact, that Jewish tribes has settled in this area long before the birth of Christ. Kashmir was considered the real "Paradise on Earth", "The Promised Land" - "The Land of Milck and Honey". Some of the boatmen, the Hanjis, who are living in Shikaras, Doongas and houseboats on these lakes, even claim they are descendants of the Jewish patriarch, Noa. |
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Rooms for rent ... |
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| Each houseboat has 4,5,6 rooms, a joined dining and living room, where you can spend time with the host family or other guests. |
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The House Boat Owners Association |
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The houseboat business is very well organized. The owners pick you up in the airport, at tourist offices or other places. Each boat owner gets their customers after a carefully worked out plan, to ensure that every houseboat owner gets a share of the incoming tourists. |
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Sunset over Dal Lake with Shankaracharya Temple Hill in the background
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Litterature: |
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