April, 1606: The recently crowned Mughal Emperor Jahangir leaves the fort of Lahore, and after crossing a river, he reaches the foothills of the Himalayas. Clearly we are not the only ones to seek refuge in these mountains for a summer vacation — the Mughals did that too.
Along the way, Jahangir also remembers his father, Akbar, who had built a fort there and settled the Gujjars close to it. They were an ethnic nomadic, agricultural and pastoral community that continues to follow its traditions till today. From Gujjars, came the name of Gujarat (talking about the city of Gujarat, now in Pakistan).
The emperor was a keen observer. As we find in his writings (Jahangirnama), he had captured some vivid details of his experiences in the foothills of the Himalayas.
In the night a very strong wind blew, dark clouds obscured the sky, and it rained so heavily that even the oldest persons said they had never seen such floods. The storm ended with showers of hailstones, which were as large as hens' eggs, and the torrent of water, combined with the wind, broke the bridge. I crossed the river in a boat with the ladies of my harem...
Needless to say that the Mughal Emperor was having a good time. He continued his journey towards Kashmir and explored many springs, caves, forests and riverbeds along the way. It was the season of spring and new life was bubbling everywhere. Wherever he turned, he could see new flowers coming up. He specifically mentions the cultivation of saffron in Pampore (Kashmir valley).
Perhaps there is no other place in the world where saffron is produced so abundantly. In all other trees we see, they first get the branches, then leaves, and last of all the flower. But it is quite otherwise with this plant, for it blossoms when it is only about two inches above the ground. Its flower is of a bluish colour, having four leaves and four threads of orange colour. In the season when it is collected, the saffron has such a strong smell that people get headache from it, and even though I had taken a glass of wine, yet I myself was affected by it.
Yes, the valley had charmed the emperor. He indulged himself in drinking more wine (and with women of course) and continued to relish the pleasures of life — just as a typical Mughal would.
Kalampedia 