Evening star., 1920-04-02
K|PL|NG SETTING
NEWSBACKGROUND
SimIa Hills and Puniab Coun-
try Scenes of Native
Riots.

"The Simla hills of Kipling fame
and the interesting Punjab country
again are brought to public attention
by newspaper reports of native riots
aroused by the rumored destruction
of the golden temple of Amritsar, a
principal city of this province" says
a bulletin from the National Geo
graphic Society.
"'Punjab' is a Persian word mean
ing five waters, and refers to an
area in India. about the size OF ore
Eon, between the Jhelam and the
Sutlej drained by three intermediate
streams. These rivers empty into the
Indus. which forms the western
boundary of the state.
Situated at the northwest gateway
of India. the Punjab has for ages
been the Belgium of most of the mill
tary expeditions from the west and
the trail of many migrations For
this reason its peoples-Mohamm
dams, Sikhs, Hindu Jats, Kashmlrls
and Rajputs. all belonging TO the
tall. fair 1ndo- -Aryan stock-are not
so sluggish in temperament and ways
of living as those in other parts OF
the country. and many of them mani,
fest martial spirit upon smaII
provocation. England counted the"
among her most valued soldiers on
TIC WtSttih AipHNs
1000 Feet Above Sea Level.
"The vast plain of the Punjab is
about 1000 feet above the sea lever,
and ON the north runs into the abode
of snow the Himalaya mountains
At the southwestern end of the water
shed stands Simla, and from IL tne
mountains drop rapidly 10 the Ioot-
hills and then to the plaln, akko,
the deodar-clad hill of klpling
stories. is Immediately within view
towering a thousand feet above Simia.
Here in this town. 1000 1eet aDose
the level of the sea. In carry Ap.L'
when the heat of the great funJao
the Europeans in India have gain
cred, and around the summer nome
OF the yiceroy of India the social NE
revolves Within a twenty-nVe-mlle
radius from Simla is the Choir, upon
whose peak, 10000 feet high. snow
cap is worn until well into May. Far
ther to the west the higher peaks
range from $4,000 to $4,000 feet.
THE heat-parched plain OF the
Punjab is cool in winter, win an
occasional frost at night The Gays
are bright and clear. and the cilma.e
reminds one of that of Los Angeles.
When the monsoons come IN June
IT also has a rainfall in the hortn;
which is adequate to produce goou
crops without irrigation. Farther
desert except in the river Valleys
This dearth of plant life is not
fault of the land itself. which is ex-
tremely rich, but there is lack OF
an adequate water supply. 1t now
supports only scanty jungle Vege-
tation. where camels are sometimes
grazed. The government is irrigating
much of the territory. and the PunJap
possesses a larger well irrigated area
than any other province. Its wheat
fields are among the best in the
British empire. and within recent
wears the province has been planting
about 5000 acres in tea for the TIP
plers' of Britain and America.
Under Punjab JurisdietfOn.
Before the days of the transfer
of the capital of India to Delhi.
Delhi and the surrounding district
also were under the Jurisdiction of
the Punjab government. instead of
the immediate authority of the, gov
ernment OF India. Now the principal
cities are Lahore. the capital of the
province. aboutzthe size of Indianapo-
lis: Muitan and Amritsar.
"Amritsar is the religious capital
of the Sikhs and its golden temple
is their greatest shrine. Built in the
middle of a large square tank, it can
only be reached by a causeway- The
whole of the structure except the
bottom ten feet rs placed with gilt
copper.