The weekly clarion., 1879-10-22
The Vale of Cashmere.
THE HOME OF BLEAR-EYED CHILDREN AND
CASHMERE SIIAWIs.

CASHMERE SliA " Il.
Hartford Courantl
If there was a paradise on earth, be
lieved in by the poets, it was the val
of Cashmere. Here was the abode 0
q handsome, industrious and happ
race. whose skill and refinement wa
attested BY the marvellous product of it
looms. In the most luxurious orienta
harem and the boudoir of the western
beauty, the possession Of the finest shaw
/ Of Cashmere was distinction OF wealtl
and favor a. high as could be paid
| Dwelling high up in the sheltering u
gantic Himalays, in a valley itself Over
| 5000 feet above the sea level, the peo
pie Of Cashmere enjoyed a fortunate
climate and possessed a soil of almost
unequalled fertility. Fruits grew in
abundance, and their cultivation was 50
early a science that we are said to have
obtained our knowledge Of grating and
budding from the people of Cashmere.
This once beautiful and happy region
is now the scene Of wretchedness. Du-
ring this year a grievous famine had
stricken the land. The infrequent
travels there report the most heart
rending scenes and the sight of desc
late land. Great tracts Of land are un-
cultivated, villages are in decay; many
have made their way out of the valleys
through the high passes into Afghanis-
tan, in a wretched plight, and those who
remain exhibit every sign of wretch
edness
The cause of this famine and decay Is
believed to be simply cruel, oppressive
and bad government, and to this fact
the attention of the English people is
now being urgently called. For the
English Government, if. not exactly re-
sponsible for the sad state of affairs, is
a titular guardian of Cashmere, and has
the power of exacting justice and decent
government there. Indeed, England
sold Cashmere to the oppressors, and
received her pay in cash. The story is
briefly this;
At the treaty signed at Lahore in 1876
which concluded the first Sikh war,
Lord Hardinge, in lieu of money in
demnity, offered large cession of ter
ritory, included in which was the prov
ince of Cashmere. There was at that
time soldier of fortune, named Gho-
lab Singh, who had raised himself to the
principality of Jumboo, and in short
time annexed important adjacent ter
ritory. BY treaty subsequent to the one
Just named it was arranged that GhO-
lab should purchase back portion of
the territory ceded to the English, to
be held by him and his heirs as an in
dependent possession. In this way he
became owner and ruler Of Cashmere,
under the English protection. He paid
for this in cash eS00, 900, and assumed
certain obligations to help tha- English
in war and to take no other Europeans
into his service. The English would
protect him from his external enemies,
and he paid annually in token Of his
cone horse, twelve perfect
shawl goats of approved breed, six males
and six females, and three pairs Of
Cashmere shawls." He had Il good
bargain. He ruled over 300, 900 peo-
pie, had an army Of q 900 men and a
revenue Of 81, 100000. In 1887 Gho-
lab died and his son Runbeer ruled as
in his stead. Since then the
between Cashmere and India
have been of the ordinary kind, and
trade has sprung up, which
has lately fallen away owing TO the dis
turbed condition of Eastern Turkenstan
and the suffering in Cashmere.
1t now appears, by the reports of Brit
ish officers and travellers, that the fam
inc and suffering in Cashmere are due al |
most wholly to the rapacity, corruption
and cruelty Of the maharaiah. He and |
his rapacious tax collectors have literal |
ly sucked the life out of the fair land. |
As long ago as 1872 the degradation of
the people had become almost absolute
under these cruel tax masters. This |
was attested by the half-deserted villages, |
the neglected lands, and the groups of
Iistless men and blear-eyed children clus-
tered before the village shawl-loom, toll
ing out their spiritless lives for the gain |
af the rajah. 1t is no object for the wretch
I'd tillers of the soil to raise anything,
for they are despoiled of all their crops
BY the extOrtionate tribute collectors.
The same thing happened here that hap
pened on the Upper Nile; the eXtortion
was so excessive that it did not pay to
raise crops the people were not allowed
to retain enough of their own crops to
sustain life.
This is the state of affairs of one of the
airest of the Indian provinces, in the
and of sentiment and song. The poor,
1alfstarved remnants of the people cry
or English rule. just now the fnan
,es of India are in no condition to buy
pack Cashmere, but the interest of hu-
nanity will not permit the English peo-
Die to be Indifferent to the misery of
his once prosperous land. The respon-
ibilities of England are widening year
~ year in the East.