What adds to the weight of these photographs is their provenance. They were originally carried by the most widely read and trusted local newspaper of the time—a paper regarded as the voice of the people, read passionately by common Kashmiris and the intelligentsia alike. The photographer and reporter behind these images were darlings of Kashmiri society, not outsiders, not propagandists. This was Kashmir documenting itself.

(Kashmir Rechords Exclusive) Maharaja Hari Singh’s 1928 tour of Europe remains one of the most organised temporary transfers of power in Jammu and Kashmir’s princely history. Before leaving Jammu on May 14, 1928, the Maharaja issued a detailed 21 point  12-page administrative order, laying out how the State was to function during his absence. The document—part directive, part governance manual—revealed his meticulous approach to continuity...