My best thanks are due to His Highness the Maharaja Pratab Singh, G.C.S.I., and his brother Raja Sir Amar Singh, K.C.S.J., for the help and encouragement which they have always extended to me. They and the Revenue Adviser to the State, Rai Bahadur Pandit Surijkoul, CLE., have, by their knowledge of the country and by their insight into oriental character, been able to protect me from falling into errors arising from ignorance and haste.
By the interest which they have shown in the Settlement and by their personal kindness and sympathy they have made my work easy and pleasant, and I can never sufficiently acknowledge my gratitude nor bear fitting testimony to the fact that the Dogra rulers of Kashmir mean well and kindly by their subjects.
My warmest thanks are also due to Colonel Parry Nisbet, C.I.E., Colonel Prideaux. and Colonel Barr, who have held the office of Resident Chap. I. in Kashmir while the Settlement was in progress. They never failed to help me by advice, and the interest which they have taken in a work which is somewhat monotonous and technical has assisted my operations in many ways.
I have further to acknowledge the friendly assistance of Dr. W. King, Director of the Geological Survey of India, for perusing and revising the chapter on Geology. In the chapter on the Flora of Kashmir Dr. Aitchison, C.I.E., F.R.S., London and Edinburgh, has helped me in the kindest manner, while Mr. Duthie, Director of the Botanical Survey of Northern India, has contributed a list of plants which will form an admirable basis for further investigation. In the chapter on Fauna all that is valuable regarding mammals is due to Colonel A. Ward, while the splendid list of Birds has been compiled at a moment’s notice with great labour by Colonel Unwin. The chapter on Political History has been revised by the Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Stein.
For the illustrations I am indebted to Major Hepburn, Captain Allan, Captain Godfrey, and to Alam Chand, the State photographer. Many friends have read through my chapters on Social Life, Tribes and Castes, and Agriculture, and have helped me with their advice. Written as this report has been without books of reference, and at odd hours snatched from other more urgent work, it will appear clumsy and disjointed.
I have probably left out much which would have been useful and interesting, but I have done my best to bring information regarding Kashmir up to date. When English words are printed in italics their Kashmiri equivalents will be found in the glossary