Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/451

* KASHGAR. 407 KASKASKIA. tlie new town is also defended by a citadel. With the exception of the Chinese quarter in the new town, dating from 1S3S, and more or less mod- ern in appearance, Kashgar is poorly built, and consists largely of mud huts. It contains a large number of native schools, and manufactures gold and silver articles, cotton and woolen goods, and carpets. The rivalry of Yarkand has had a detrimental effect on the commerce of Kashgar. The chief articles of commerce are textiles. The civil government of the region is in charge of a Chinese official, with the rank of Taotai, who resides in the old town. The General and his troops live in the new town. A Russian consulate is maintained here. The population, estimated at 60,000 to 70,000, is veiy heterogeneous. Kash- gar is a city of great antiquity, and is supposed to have been mentioned as early as B.C. 76. It was ruled -successively by its own princes, the Mongols, and the Chinese. During the Dungan revolt of the Chinese ilohammedans, Kashgar, following the example of the other cities of East Turkestan, rose against its Chinese rulers, and became in 1865 the capital of the State or- ganized by Yakub Beg. The town was regained by the Chinese in 1877. Consult: Younghusband. The Heart of a Continent (New York, 1896), and Lansdell. Chinese Central Asia (2 vols., New Y'ork, 1894). KASHIU, ka-she'oo. A province of Japan. See Kai.a. KASHMIR, kash-mer', or CASHMERE. A native State of India under British control, situ- ated in the extreme northwestern part of the Em- pire, and bounded on the north by East Turkes- tan, on the east by Tibet, on the south by the Punjab, and on the west bv the Punjab and Dardistan. British India (Map: India, C2). The State is crossed by the Western Himalaya and Karakoruiu ranges, running with their numerous lateral ranges on either side of the valley of the Upper Indus, which occupies the centre of the country. The valleys, which are celebrated in literature for their scenery, have a minimum ele- vation of 5000 feet, and the mountains tower to a great height, passing 28,000 feet in Mount Godwin- Austen. Tlie climate is dry, and in winter severe: but notwithstanding this and the high altitude, the soil, when irrigated, yields good crops of wheat and other cereals, while fruit is abun- dant; the mountain slopes afford good pasturage for cattle and goats. The Kashmir goat's wool is in great demand. The chief manufactures are shawls, saddlery, perfumes, and arms, and there is an extensive transit trade, as well as large exports of butter. The population of Kash- mir in 1900 was 2.543.952, consisting mainly of Kashniirians, with a number of ilongolians in the eastern districts. The capital is Srinagar (q.v.). Kashmir was an independent monarchy until 1586, when it was conquered by Akbar and an- nexed to the Mogul Empire. It was taken by the Afghans in 1752, and annexed bv the Sikhs in 1819. In 1846 the Sikh ilaharaja, Ghulab Singh, placed himself under British protection, in return for which he was confirmed in the pos- session of the coimtry. The Kashmirians (or Kashmiris) are by lan- guage of Aryan stock. Physically they are of the white race, although in some regions much mixed with Mongolian blood, especially in the outlying territories of Ladakh, Baltistan, etc., here the Baltis speak a Tibetan tongue and the Pakhpuluk a Turkish dialect. The Baltis, Ladakhis, etc., seem to be a smaller and less strongly developed race than the Kashmirians proper, who have a large admixture of Sikh blood. The inhabitants are largely Moham- medans. The Hindu religionists are about half as numerous, while the people of Ladakh are mainly Buddhists. Kashmir has exerted con- siderable cultural influence upon Tibet, and not a little physical influence also. Kashmiriau folk literature is rich in tales and proverbs, many of which have been published in Knowles, Dictionary of Kashmiri Proverbs and payings (London, 1S85), and Folk-Tales from Kashmir (ib., 1888). Ethnological and anthropological information of value will be found in the follow- ing works: Bellew, Kashmir and Kashyar (Lon- don, 1875) ; Wakefield, The Happy Valley: Sketches of Kashmir and the Kashmiris (ib., 1879) ; Hellwald, Centralasien (2d cd., Leipzig, 1880). An older work by Hiigel, Kaschmir und das Reieh der Siek (Stuttgart, 1840-48), con- tains much interesting information. KASHMIRI, kash-me're. The language of the Aryan population of Ka.shmir, in Xorthem India. It is descended from the Middle Indian vernaculars, and is thus ultimately related to the Sanskrit, although many Arabic and Per- sian words have been imported into it. The language has no written literature of native ori- gin : but portions of the Bible have been trans- lated into the vernacular. The script in which it is written is generally Persian; but the older Sharada alphabet, derived from the Devanagari, is sometimes used, especially by the Hindu Kash- miris. For further information, consult : Wade, Grammar of the Kashmiri Language (London, 1888) ; Elmslie, Kashmiri-English and English- Kashmiri Vocabulary (ib., 1872). KASIKtTMTJKS, kii'se-koo-mooks'. One of the Lesghian peoples of Central Daghestan, in the Eastern Caucasus. They are not to be con- founded with the Kumuks to the north of them, who are, linguistically at least, of Turkish stock. The Kasikumuks call themselves Lak ; the Avars term them Tumal. Their language has been studied by Von L'slar and Schiefner. An account of the Kasikumuks will be found in Erckcrt, Der Kaukasus und seine Viilker (Leipzig, 1887). KASKASKIA, k.as-kas'kl-a. An Algonquian tribe of the Illinois confederacy, fonnerly living upon the river of the same name in southern Illinois. Although of considerable importance at the first occupation of the country, they de- creased so rapidly that before the organization of the Territory they had been reduced to a mere handful. In 1832 the survivors, with the Peoria, removed to Kansas, where in 1854 both tribes- were confederated with the Wea and Piankishaw from Indiana. In 18C7 all four tribes removed to the Quapaw Agency, Indian Territory, where the whole body now numbers only about 170, probably not one of whom is of full blood. The name is said to signify a katydid. KASKASKIA. A river of Tllinnis. rising in the east-central part of the State (Map: Illinois, C 5). It flows southwest, and enters the Mis- sissippi at Chester. It is about 300 miles long, and navigable to Vandalia. 150 miles. KASKASKIA. A village in Randolph Coun- ty, 111., on the Mississippi River. Population,