St. Landry democrat., 1879-10-25
Vale Of Cashmere.
TIE BEAUTIFUL REGION THAT IS NOW
BEING pEsOLATED By FAMINE.
Hartford C'nurant.1

TIE BEAUTIFUL REGION THAT IS NOW
BEING DEsOLATED By FAMINE.
Hartford Courant.l.
If there was a paradise Oh earth be-
lieved in by the poets it was the Vale
of Cashmere. Here was the abode of a
handsome, industrious and happy race,
whose skill and refinement was attestcd
by the marvellous product of its looms.
In the most luxurious Oriental haren
and in the bondoir OF the Western
beauty, the possession OF the finest
shawl Of Cashmere was a distinction OF
wealth and favor as high as could be
paid Dwelling high up i'll the shelter
ing gigantic Himalayas, in II valley
itself over 5000 feet above the sea level,
the people of Cashmere enjoyed Il for
tunate climate and possessed q soil OF
most uncqualed fertility. Fruits grew
in abundance, and their cultivation was
/ so early q science there that We are
| said to have obtained our knowledge Of
grating and budding from the l'copIc
OF Cashmere.
The once heantitui and happy region
| is now tho scene Of WretchednCSS. Du-
! ring this year 4 grlcvnus famine has
! stricken the land. The untrrqueut
! travellers there report the most heart
rendinS scenes, and the sight of Il desc
! late land. Great tracts Of land are un-
| cultivated, villages are in decay. >iar-
walton walks abroad; thousands have
! died, man. have ma1r their way ont Of
the valleys, through the high pasxcs
| into Afghanistal, in wretcheu plight,
and those who remain exhibit every
sign of wrctchednos>.
The cause Of this famine and decay il
| believed to be simply cruel, oppressive
and bad government, and to this fact
the attention OF the English people j.
now being urgently called. For the
English government, if not exactly res
ponsihlf, for the sad state Of affairs; is
the titular guardian of Cashmere, and
has the power OF eyactinS Justice and
decent government there. Indeed,
England sold Cashmere 10 the np1rrS-
sors, and received her pay in cash. The
story is briefly this:
At tho treaty signed NJ Lahore III lS!G,
which concluded the first Sikh WHr,
Lord IEartlinSe, in lien OF Il money in
tlcmnity, obtained - large resSion OF
territory, included in whlcl, was tho
province OF Cashmere. There WAS 1T
that time soldier of fnltnne nAlned
Gholab Siugh, who had Iaised himself
to the principally of ,)Hmmoo, and in Il
short time annexed important: adiacrn,
territory. BY III treaty Subsequent tH
the one inst named, it WAS arranged
that Gholab should purchase, back a
portion OF the territory cedcd to the
English, to be held by him and his heirs
; as au independent possession. In this
way he became owner and ruler OF
Cashmere, under the English protection
He paid for this in cash eight hundred
thousand pounds, and assumed certain
obligations to help the English in war
and to take DO other Europeans into hi,
service. The English would protect
from his external enemies, and he palG
annually in token of allegiance, "on.
horse, twelve perfect shawl goats oil
approved bread six male and six fc,
male,) and three pairs Of Cashmere
! shavls." He had a good bargain II,
ruled over 1905 900 people, had an army
: of $4,000 men, and a revenue of t 900,
, 900. In 1897 Gholab died, aud his son
Runbeer. rdled as Makaralah in hi:
stead. Since then the relations between
, Cashmere and India have been of the
, ordinary kind, and a considerable trade
, has sprung ny, which has lately taller
away owing to the disturbed condition
: of Eastern Turkestan and the suffering
, in Cashmere.
, 1t now appears by the reports of Brit
| ish officers and travellers that the famine
, and suffering in Cashmere are due al
most wholly to the lapacity, corruption
! and cruelty of the Mahara, ian. He an,
, his rapacous tax collectors have liter
| ally sucked the life out Of the fair land
, As long ago as 1912 the degradation o
the people had become almost absolut.
under these cruel task masters. Til
= was attested by the half deserted vii
lagos, the neglected laH}s, and thu
) groups of listless men and blear-ev et
: children clustered before the villag'
: shawl loom, toiling out their spiritles
{ lives for the gain of the Rajah. 1t is NJ
, object for the wretched tllers Of tn
: soil to raise anything, for they are des
r poiled to all their crops Ivy the cxtor
= donate tribute collectors. The SANE
{ thing happened here that happened OF
. the Upper Nile; The extortion was $,
. excessive that it did not pay TO rails,
; crops-the poor people were not allowed
, to retain enough Of their own crops {,
| sustain life.
This is the state Of affairs III one o
| the fairest Of the Indian provinces, il
, the land OF sentiment and song. Th'
| poor, half-starved remnants OF tn
t people cry for English rule. just nov
, the finances of India are IN no condition
] to buy back Cashmere, but the interest
t of humanity will not permit Tic Eng
lish people to be indifferent to thu
[ misery of this once prosperous land
> The responsibilities of England ar'
widening year by year i'll the East.
Local ADVEETIslSG.-Ihe virtue o
, advertising is Of more consequence, il
1xc,,ornl ohm, Il i, oftIlI nrcI Ii IL