From ‘Where Three Empires Meet: A Narrative of Recent Travel in Kashmir, Western Tibet, Gilgit, and the Adjoining Countries’ (1893) by E. F. Knight.
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| Srinagar. Who knew Walter Roper Lawrence, the British Settlement Commissioner who came to Kashmir in 1889 was known as ‘Bandobast walla’! |
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| Ladaki Buddhists. The Naib Wazir of Ladak. Kashmiri Pundits. |
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| The Old Fort. Skardu. |
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| Samaya near Nagar Bank in Hunza |
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| Encampment of Spedding’s Pathans (the private army of civil engineer Charles Spedding) |
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| Nilt Nullah from near Maiun |
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| Nanga Parbat |
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| famous Buddha near Mulbee |
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| Mask of the Dalai Lama descending the temple steps, Hemis, |
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| Leh |
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| Leh Bazaar |
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| Kanjut Valley near Kyber |
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| Kafirs. (From Kafiristan. The so called ‘cannibals’. In one incident given in this book, this group of ‘Kafirs’ comes across as people who were capable of taking that title and play joke upon other people based on their dietary notoriety. |
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| Hunza Envoy |
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| Hunza Raja’s Band |
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| Hunza Castle and Town |
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| Raft of inflated Skins, Kapalu |
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| The Devil Dance, Hemis. |
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| Hamis Monastery. |
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| The Mystery Play, Hemis |
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| Baltis. From what I have heard these folks were never treated humanely in Srinagar. |
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| Chorbat Pass |
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| Monastery at Razgo |
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This is a long shot! I am the great grandson of Charles Spedding (as in "Spedding's Pathan picture in this blog". Do you know anything about the roads he built in Kasmir or his work there?!
With thanks
Philip Spedding
Hi Philip
it's a nice surprise to hear from great grandson of Charles Spedding! I don't have much specific information on Spedding's work in Kashmir…but I will try to dig something up.
Spedding & Co were involved in building the Jhelum Valley Cart road, connecting Rawalpindi railhead to Baramulla via Kohala. The work on that patch competed in around 1890. E. F. Knight the writer of 'Where Three Empires Meet: A Narrative of Recent Travel in Kashmir, Western Tibet, Gilgit, and the Adjoining Countries' (1893) was a cousin of Charles Spedding.
Nice to know Charles Spedding had family. There is Zero information available about him on the internet. Can you fill some details please.
Sandhya Jain
India