Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-30
THE CITY OF LAHORE
Stirring, Modern Capital Of
the Punjab.
DUSTRIAL CENTER
SEAT OF UNIVERSITY AND IN
poRrANT SCHOOLS.
Where Kipling Spent Much Of His
Boyhood and His Father
Worked.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS,
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.


Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
LAHORE. India. March 4, 1904
The PunJab is a province of northern
India directly south Of Cashmere, east of
Afghanistan and west of Thfbet. 1t is one
of the most enterprising, progressive and
prosperous provinces, and being situated in
the temperate zone the character of the
Inhabitants partakes of the climate. There
is great difference between people who
live In the tropics and those who live in
the temperate. zone. morally, physically and
intellectually. This rule applies to all the
world. and nowhere more than in India.
Pun5ab means five rivers" and is formed
of the Hindu words 'punj alb" The coun-
try is watered by the Sutlej. the Beas, the
Rabl the Chenab and the Jhelum rivers,
1ve great streams. which flow into the
indus. and thence to the Arabian sea.
Speaking generally. the Punjab is vast
plain of alluvial formal ton. and the east
ern half of it Is very fertile. The western
part requires irrigation. the rainfall being
only few inches year. but there is al
ways plenty Of water for irrigation in the
rivers. They are fed by the melting SHOWS
IN the Himalayas.
The Capital of the Puniab.
The city of Lahore, the CAPITAL of the
PunJab. is stirring modern town, a rail-
way center. with extensive workshops EN-
pioying several thousand men, and early in
the nineteenth century, under the admins
tratfon of Ranjit Singh. one of the great
est of the maharajas, it acquired great cor,-
nierclai Importance, but the buildings be
erected are cheap and tawdry beside the
EXQUISITE architectural monuments of Ak
nan,,, ouan Iehan and other moguls The
oh
cent census of 1901 is 2O33O 339 and the
10 o, annneoans are in the majority having
"o1o.o9s of the inhabitants The sikhs are
a1a Important class and number 1917
III, Ahere are only 2,200,OOO sikhs in all
Iiola. and those who do not live in tlis
~, vince are serving as soldiers elsewhere
cr ~ e az on OF Lahore is ZOE, COO an in
Wen VI 20, 1o,Vo during the last ten years.
LII you come into a Moha
ouuntry you always find tiles. Somehow ~
.rl they are associated with Isi.n
me me Moors were the best tilemakers that
Woronoo eo, ana gave that art to Spain. In
e oeco To-Day the best modern tiles arc
e eound. as l told you in recent letter fror,
SPAIN, Inc tiles of Constantinople. Damas
Gus. SMYRNA, Jerusalem and other cities of
to ans anu M .ne ottoman empire are superior
~, ~ any tnat you can find outside OF Mo-
rocco and throughout Bokhara. Turkestan
AisnanIstan and the other MosIen, coum
tceS OF fdr ASIA ASA tilemakng has been prac-
uNsu 10, ages In their invasion of India
the Afghans and Tartars brought u n,,ar
mere. and, although the art did not remain
permanently so far beyond the border a.
PeInl, you find 1t here. in the rest of the
the ma jority. "ie III
Lahore Is an ancient city and has many
interesting old buildings. The citv ~ttsaif
msS upon the ruins of several predecessors
Whfch were destroyed by Invaders d,,r.ng
the last twelve or fifteen centuries. There
arr some nne Old mosques and an ancient
palace or two. but compared with other
lhdian capitals 1t lacks interest
The Most Attractive Building.
The most beautiful and attractive of all
It's buildings is the tomb Of Anar Kali
(which means pomegranate blossom), a
lady OF the Emperor Akbar's harem. who
became the sweetheart OF Selim. his son
She was buried alive by order of the jeaI-
Gus father and husband for committing an
unparoonaDie onense. and when Selim be-
came the Emperor Jehangir he erected this
wonderful tomb to her memory It is of
white marble, and the carvings and mosaic
Work are very fine. In striking contrast
i MID II is vulgar fantastic temple covered
inside and out with convex mirrors In
the center OF the rotunda, upon a raised
PLATFORM. Is carved a lotus flower and
around 1t are eleven similar platforms Of
upon these platforms the body Of RaniIt
Singh, the greatest of the Maharajas. was
burned in 1889. and his eleven wives were
ouFHeQ dHVe upon the platforms around
him.
The Emperor Jehanjir IL buried in a mag.
nificent mausoleum in the center of a walled
garden On the bank of the river four or
1--WE miles from Lahore. but his tomb does
not compare In beauty or splendor with
those at Agra and Delhi There is a gar
den called 1.-The Abode of Love-" about six
miles out Of town. where everybody drives
in the afternoon. 1t was laid out by the
Mogul Shah Jehan in 1887 for a recreation
ground for himself and his sultanas when
he visited this part Of the empire and in
cfudes about eighty acres of flowers and
foliage plants.
But modern Lahore is much more inter-
esting than the ancient city. The European
street IS three miles long, shaded with
splendid trees. and on either side of it are
the public Offices, churches. schools hotels
clubs and the residences Of rich people,
which are nearly all commodious bunga-
lows surrounded by groves and gardens.
The native city 10 a busy bazaar. densely
packed with gayly dressed types Of all the
races of Asia, and Is full of dust. filth and
smells. But the people are interesting and
the colors are gay. 1t is sometimes almost
impossible to pass through the crowds that
fill the native streets. and whoever enters
them must expect to be jostled sometimes
by ugly-lOOking persons.
The fort Is the center Of activity. The an
cient citadel has been adapted to modern
uses and conveniences at the expense of its
former splendor. The palaces and mosques,
the baths and halls of audience of the mo-
guls have been converted into barracks,
arsenals and store rooms. and their deco
The only object of interest that has been
left is an armory, containing a fine colIec-
ton of ancient Indian weapons
But. although the city has lost its me-