A Research Study of first ever Travelogue of Kashmir: ‘Sair e Kashmir’ by Pandit Kunihya Lal

Abstract

Travelogue is a prominent Genre of Urdu Literature. Its tradition began in the age of the British Raj in 19^th century. The first ever travelogue in Urdu is ‘Ajaebaat e Farang’ by Yousuf Khan Kambalposh which was published in 1847. In the same period a travelogue was written by Pandit Kunihya Lal who traveled the state of Kashmir with a British officer. It was published by Matba Nawal Kishor in 1861.  In this article, research study is undertaken to rediscover the facts about this travelogue. Moreover the historical placement and value of this rare manuscript is also discussed here.