Cashmere
Cashmere names 2 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below.
Cashmere a variety of light weight
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a variety of light weight, fine twilled, woolen dress goods. It is dyed in plain colors. It is soft and fine, and of pleasing appearance. A fine wool material made from the wool of the Cashmere goat was imported into England in 1820. The cashmere known at the present time is one of the many imitations of this cloth, which, in turn, was an imitation of the plain portions of the famous Cashmere shawls. The chief peculiarity in the weaving of cashmere is that it is made of a "single" warp. This means that the yarn forming the warp is composed of one fine, single thread instead of two or more threads twisted together as one. In order to stand the strain put upon it, this "single" thread of cashmere must be of the best raw material, tightly twisted. It is run through a solution called sizing, which adds strength, just as a string might be made stronger by dipping it in mucilage or varnish. Cashmere is made up usually "in the gray" or natural color. It is held in stock, and is dyed only to fill orders and in such colors as happen to be fashionable. A cheaper grade of cashmere is made with cotton warp, but it is less durable, and the colors are less permanent. A well made cashmere is one of the most serviceable dress materials ever manufactured. Its beauty lies in the evenness of the weave, and its soft draping qualities. It may be washed as easily as cotton.
Cashmere the northernmost principality of India
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
the northernmost principality of India. It lies directly west of the Himalaya Mountains, and includes the upper windings of the Indus River . The Vale of Cashmere, which gives its name to the province, is a beautiful valley celebrated in oriental literature, but better known in modern times as the home of the goat from whose wool, or hair, the famous Cashmere shawl is made. The whole principality has a population of 3,000,000. The Vale of Cashmere has an area of 4,000 square miles. It is surrounded by beautiful scenery and snow-capped peaks, whose splendor and sublimity are said to be beyond description. The valley is about 5,000 feet above the sea. It is well watered, and is blessed with an abundance, which, together with its natural beauty, makes it the "Paradise of India." Forests, fields and rice plantations, rich orchards and vineyards, mulberry trees raised for the production of silkworms, violets, roses and jasmines are abundant on every hand. About one-third of the inhabitants are Hindus; the rest are Mohammedans. The province is not, however, very prosperous. Its few manufactures, especially that of the Cashmere shawl, are declining. The towns are dirty and the inhabitants unprogressive. Some improvements, it is asserted, have been introduced by the British government. A railway has been extended into the province from the south. Improved methods of agriculture are also in process of introduction.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
The princely state Aiton's described in 1910 as "the northernmost principality of India" ceased to exist in 1947: its Hindu maharaja acceded to India as the mainly Muslim population was split by partition, and Kashmir has since been divided between India, Pakistan and China along a ceasefire line, fought over in wars in 1947-48, 1965 and 1999. In August 2019 India revoked the special autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and reorganised it into two federally run union territories; the population of the Indian-administered portion alone is now over 12 million, against the 3,000,000 Aiton's counted for the whole state. The "railway extended into the province from the south" then reached only Jammu; a line into the Kashmir Valley itself, carried over the Chenab on the world's highest railway arch bridge, was completed only in the 2020s. As for the cloth, Aiton's was right that the shawl trade was "declining" — most cashmere wool today comes from herds in China and Mongolia rather than the Vale.
Written for this edition, 2026.