CASHMERE, or KASHMIR. a princi pality in the northwest of Hindustan, subject to a Maharajah belonging to the Sikh race, but under British protection and supervision. It is an irregularly shaped mountainous region, noted for its gorgeous scenery and the healthfulness of its climate. It is composed of various prov inces or districts, of which Cashmere proper is the most famous and interesting. It is situ ated in the southwestern portion of the state, and largely consists of an elevated valley inter sected by the Jhelum. Besides Cashmere proper, the state embraces the territory of Jamoo, Balti or Iskardo, and Ladakh and Gilghit. The whole principality thus formed is estimated to cover about 84,432 square miles, and its population in 1911 was 3,158,126. It extends from about lat. to N. and from about long. 73° to 80° E. Srinagar is the capi tal. The territory of Jamoo, which forms the most populous portion of the principality, lies to the north of the Punjab, between the spurs of the Himalaya Mountains leading up to Cash mere and enclosed by the upper courses of the Chenab and Ravee. Its chief town is of the same name. Balti, also called Little Tibet, is an elevated region on the upper Indus, to the north of Kashmir proper, lying to the south west of the Karakorum Mountains, and having for its capital Iskardo or Skardo. Ladakh, also called Middle Tibet, lies to the southeast of Balti, between the Himalaya and Karakorum Mountains, and is also traversed by the Indus. Its passes form some of the most important media of communication for central Asia. Its capital is Leh on the Indus. Gilghit is a district on the northwest of Balti. Sheep are largely kept by the inhabitants; and the main crops grown are maize, cotton, saffron, tobacco, hops, wheat, barley and beans. Butter is one of the
exports. Within recent years great activity has been shown in improving means of communica tion, but in many parts of the country wheeled traffic is unknown, and there are only a few miles of railway. Educationally it is the most backward part of India, with 98 per cent of illiterates. An independent monarchy until 1586, it was thereafter successively ruled by Moguls, Afghans and Sikhs, and was placed under British protection in 1846. The present Maharajah, Sir Pertab Singh, is a distinguished soldier, and fought in Flanders with the British army in the Great European War.
The language of the people is called Kash miri and is descended from the Middle Indian vernaculars, and is thus ultimately related to the Sanskrit, although many Arabic and Per sian words have been adopted into it. The lan guage has no written literature of native origin, but portions of the Bible have been translated into the vernacular. The script in which it is written is generally Persian; but the older Sharada alphabet, derived from the Devanagari, is sometimes used. Kashmiri folk literature is rich in tales and proverbs, many of which have been published in Knowles' (Dictionary of Kashmiri Proverbs and Sayings' (London 1885); and (Folk-Tales from Kashmir' (ib. IN:). Ethnological and anthropological infor mation of value will be found in the following works: Duke, (Kashmir Handbook' (Leipzig 1903) ; Pirie, (New York 1909); Bruce, 'Kashmir' (ib. 1911) ; Grierson, 'Manual of the Kashmiri Language, comprising Gram mar, Phrase-Book, and Vocabularies' (2 vols., Oxford 1911); Neve, Arthur, 'Thirty Years in Kashmir' (London 1913).