Srinagar - Tulips and Silk from Kashmir

Not only do the waterways of Srinagar remind us of Amsterdam – there is another amazing similarity.  Tulips – these do not originally come from Holland as many people think, but spread to Europe from what is now Turkey.

In Turkish, Persian and Urdu, tulips are known as Lâle, and this name has been used in ancient Persian writings since the 9th century. But it was not only in Turkey or the Ottoman Empire that rulers were fascinated by tulips; they were also admired further east in Central Asia.

The Mughal Empire was a state that existed on the Indian subcontinent from 1526 to 1858. At the zenith of its power at the end of the 17th century, the Mughal Empire encompassed almost the entire Indian subcontinent and parts of Afghanistan. Between 100 and 150 million people lived on 3.2 million square kilometers – almost 30 percent of the world’s population at that time.

All the early Mughal Rulers showed a great interest in the floral and wildlife of their surroundings, especially in the areas of northern India they conquered. Often we owe detailed descriptions of Indian nature and environment to the memoirs of the rulers.

Many species of tulips and roses, daffodils and hyacinths, among others, grew in the gardens they donated. Gardens, so the idea goes, reflect paradise with their blossoms and waterways.

This is another reason why the Mughal rulers had numerous gardens laid out in all the important cities of their empire. With its natural diversity of flowers and herbs, Kashmir was a special focus of the Mughals’ garden architecture.

In his memoirs, the Mughal ruler Jahângîr wrote that Kashmir was an “all-season garden” that pleased the ruler’s eye and provided a retreat for the poor people.

Meadows and waterfalls were so beautiful that they could hardly be described. In the enchanting spring, mountains and plains are covered with different kinds of flowers – and gateways, walls, backyards and roofs are lit up by tulips.

Even today, tulips play a major role in Kashmir. In 2012, Asia’s largest tulip garden, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, was opened in Srinagar on the banks of Dal Lake.

On 12 hectares, tulips in numerous varieties and colors can be seen – including the black tulips that had fascinated the Mughal rulers more than 350 years before.