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Show 1 munication must have been exceedingly slow and difficult in the extreme permaking was no doubt practiced in Kashmir as carly as the middl fiftecmh century, though at least one historian has set a later date for it inception in Kashmir-sometime during the reign of Akbar, Emperoro Hindustan from 1556 4. D. to 1605 A. D. Still another historian con(end that the craft of making paper was introduced into India by way of Nepa in the tenth century by the Moslems on or soon after the invasion b Mahmoud, Sultan of Ghazni, A[ghanman <97 12-1029? A. .) Mohammedan conqueror of India. To this day th making of paper in India is muc in the hands of the Mnhammcdzns, and whnlc the Hindus are the lar users of paper they have never engaged in its manufacture to the same exten as the Moslems, Perhaps thz: absence of Hindu papermakers is due to th caste system, as it would be out of the question for a man of this faith t handle rags or other waste material that had been used by all castes. A previously pointed out, the origin of papermaking in Kashmiris mostobscur and it will probably never be pms:blc to arrive at the precise date of the firs ‘making of paper in this lo Itis only natural that the. erd: of papermaking soon spread from Kash‘mir o other sections further south, and it s reasonable to believe that ga.u was on of the carliest places to receive the craft from Nowshera. Sailkot wa probably chosen as a favourable place for papermaking because of the rive Aik running through the city. In old Indian papermaking, as at present, a abundance of fairly clear water was essential. In Kashmir there was plent of water, clear rushing streams and rivers, and the early artisans were able t ake use of the power to operate their cumbersome stampers. In Sailkot while there were streams and rivers, they were sluggish and not so bountifu as those of mountainous Kashmir so that little water power was available Tt was nccessary, therefore, to devise a stamper that could be actuated b the power of man Whent visited the ancient city of Sailkot a fantastic story regarding th ‘Digital image © 2005 Marriott Library Un |