The Valley of Kashmír

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. My Object in alluding to this procedure is to add further testimony to the fact that the Kashmiri peasants are not dishonest. If they had been the hopeless liars they are reputed to be, I could never have disposed of the many suits which have arisen. A Kashmiri will rarely lie when he is confronted in his village by his fellow Villagers he will invariably lie when he enters the murky atmosphere Of the Law Courts. Perhaps this summary procedure would have been impossible if I had not in 1889 induced the State to withhold from the Kashmiris the power to alienate their land by sale or mortgage. If hereafter, when population increases and communications are improved, the State should unfortunately see fit to give the fatal gift of alienation to their Musalman tenants, I trust that some portion of the holding (which should be_two acres Of irrigated and four acres Of dry land) will be rendered absolutely inalienable. I hope too that the suggestion that pleaders should be allowed to intervene in suits connected with land will never be made again, or that if it is made that it will meet with the wise veto which was accorded to it in 1892. If litigation is fostered in Kashmir prosperity in the villages will be checked.

My Object in alluding to this procedure is to add further testimony to the fact that the Kashmiri peasants are not dishonest. If they had been the hopeless liars they are reputed to be, I could never have disposed of the many suits which have arisen. A Kashmiri will rarely lie when he is confronted in his village by his fellow Villagers he will invariably lie when he enters the murky atmosphere Of the Law Courts. Perhaps this summary procedure would have been impossible if I had not in 1889 induced the State to withhold from the Kashmiris the power to alienate their land by sale or mortgage. If hereafter, when population increases and communications are improved, the State should unfortunately see fit to give the fatal gift of alienation to their Musalman tenants, I trust that some portion of the holding (which should be_two acres Of irrigated and four acres Of dry land) will be rendered absolutely inalienable. I hope too that the suggestion that pleaders should be allowed to intervene in suits connected with land will never be made again, or that if it is made that it will meet with the wise veto which was accorded to it in 1892. If litigation is fostered in Kashmir prosperity in the villages will be checked.