Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial series Punjab

· 1908 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1178 PUNJAB

2pressed his religion by force on the people, and in the pro-

3vince of Kashmir proper 94 per cent. of the total are now

4Muhammadans. Baltistin is also inhabited chiefly by

5Muhammadans, but the proportion is much less in Jammu,

6and beyond the Kashmir State Islim has few followers.

7Hinduism becomes an important religion in Jammu, and is

8predominant in the southern portions of the Himalayas within ©

9the Punjab and the United Provinces. It is the religion of

10the ruling dynasty in Nepal, where, however, Buddhism is

11of almost equal strength, East of Nepal Hindus are few.

12Where Hinduism prevails, the language in common use,

13known as Pahari, presents a strong likeness to the languages

14of Rijputina, thus confirming the traditions of the higher

15classes that their ancestors migrated from the plains of India,

16In Nepal the languages spoken are more varied, and Newari,

17the ancient state language, is akin to Tibetan. The Mongolian

18element in the population is strongly marked in the east, but

19towards the west has been pushed back into the higher portion

20of the ranges. In Kumaun are found a few shy people living

21in the recesses of the jungles, and having little intercourse with

22their more civilized neighbours. ‘Tribes which appear to be

23akin to these are found in Nepal, but little is known about

24them. North of Assam the people are of Tibeto-Burman

25origin, and are styled, passing from west to east, the Akds,

26Daflas, Miris, and Abors, the last name signifying ‘unknown

27savages.’ Colonel Dalton has described these people in his

28Lithnolagy of Bengal.

29Agricul- From the commercial point of view the agricultural products

30"re. __ of the Himalayas, with few exceptions, are of little importance,

31The chief food-grains cultivated are, in the outer ranges, rice,

32wheat, barley, marvd,andamaranth. In the hot, moist valleys,

33chillies, turmeric, and ginger are grown, At higher levels

34potatoes have become an important crop in Kumaun; and, as

35already mentioned, in Kula and Kumaun European fruits ~

36have been successfully naturalized, including apples, pears,

37cherries, and strawberries. Two crops are obtained in the

38lower hills; but cultivation is attended by enormous difficulties,

39owing to the necessity of terracing and clearing land of stones,

40while irrigation is only practicable by long channels winding

41along the hill-sides from the nearest suitable stream or spring.

42‘As the snowy ranges are approached wheat and buckwheat,

43grown during the summer months, are the principal crops, and

44only one harvest in the year can be obtained. Tea gardens

45were successfully established in Kumaun during the first half