The Valley of Kashmir (1895)

Mentioned in The Alternatives list of ten top books on Kashmir, The Valley of Kashmir (1895) is a travel book by the English writer Sir Walter Roper Lawrence. The author served in the Indian Civil Service in British India during which he was appointed as a first Settlement Commissioner of Kashmir.

The book creates a vivid picture of secluded place that Kashmir of that time was, and in many ways is essential to understanding the people and culture of this land. The research is not only copious, but without bias and laden with discussion and consultation with geologists, linguistic and historical researchers of the period.

The Valley of Kashmir is the summary of Lawrence's visit to Kashmir, which he did while traveling to almost every corner of the Valley and developed a close affinity with the people who figure prominently in his work. It describes the history, polity, geography, culture in brief and the hardships faced by the Kashmiri people during those times. The book is recognized as the masterpiece of the history of Kashmir Valley. It depicted the true image of the people of Kashmir before the world, which was never done before. The book was first published in 1895 by Asian Educational Services.