• Karachi (pg. 71)
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport, and financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 21 million people as of April 2012. Wikipedia
Population: 21,200,000 (2012)
Area: 1,362 sq miles (3,527 km²)
Weather: 75°F (24°C), Wind N at 5 mph (8 km/h), 25% Humidity
• Raza Hyder (pg. 71)
• Iskander Harappa (pg. 77)
According to www.postcolonialweb.org, these two characters are based on actual political figures in Pakistan during the 1940’s. Here is the link:
http://www.postcolonialweb.org/pakistan/literature/rushdie/srpolitics2.html
• Zenana (pg. 72)
“‘[T]he place for women,’ from Persian word ‘zen,’ a woman and ‘ana,’ place; but this is not all it means and implies...”
(http://books.google.com/books?id=iuMCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA93#v=onepage&q&f=false).
• Kashmir (pg. 75)
“According to folk etymology, the name "Kashmir" means "desiccated land" (from the Sanskrit : Ka = water and shimeera = desiccate). In the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir written by Kalhana in the mid-12th century, it is stated that the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake.
According to Hindu mythology, the lake was drained by the great rishi or sage, Kashyapa, son of Marichi, son of Brahma, by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula.) When Kashmir had been drained, Kashyapa asked Brahmans to settle there. This is still the local tradition, and in the existing physical condition of the country, we may see some ground for the story, which has taken this form. The name of Kashyapa is by history and tradition connected with the draining of the lake, and the chief town or collection of dwellings in the valley was called Kashyapa-pura, which has been identified with Kaspapyros of Hecataeus (apud Stephanus of Byzantium) and Kaspatyros of Herodotus (3.102, 4.44).
Kashmir is also believed to be the country meant by Ptolemy's Kaspeiria.
Cashmere is an archaic spelling of Kashmir, and in some countries it is still spelled this way.
(http://kasheer.tk/site_111.xhtml).
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport, and financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 21 million people as of April 2012. Wikipedia
Population: 21,200,000 (2012)
Area: 1,362 sq miles (3,527 km²)
Weather: 75°F (24°C), Wind N at 5 mph (8 km/h), 25% Humidity
• Raza Hyder (pg. 71)
• Iskander Harappa (pg. 77)
According to www.postcolonialweb.org, these two characters are based on actual political figures in Pakistan during the 1940’s. Here is the link:
http://www.postcolonialweb.org/pakistan/literature/rushdie/srpolitics2.html
• Zenana (pg. 72)
“‘[T]he place for women,’ from Persian word ‘zen,’ a woman and ‘ana,’ place; but this is not all it means and implies...”
(http://books.google.com/books?id=iuMCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA93#v=onepage&q&f=false).
• Kashmir (pg. 75)
“According to folk etymology, the name "Kashmir" means "desiccated land" (from the Sanskrit : Ka = water and shimeera = desiccate). In the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir written by Kalhana in the mid-12th century, it is stated that the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake.
According to Hindu mythology, the lake was drained by the great rishi or sage, Kashyapa, son of Marichi, son of Brahma, by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula.) When Kashmir had been drained, Kashyapa asked Brahmans to settle there. This is still the local tradition, and in the existing physical condition of the country, we may see some ground for the story, which has taken this form. The name of Kashyapa is by history and tradition connected with the draining of the lake, and the chief town or collection of dwellings in the valley was called Kashyapa-pura, which has been identified with Kaspapyros of Hecataeus (apud Stephanus of Byzantium) and Kaspatyros of Herodotus (3.102, 4.44).
Kashmir is also believed to be the country meant by Ptolemy's Kaspeiria.
Cashmere is an archaic spelling of Kashmir, and in some countries it is still spelled this way.
(http://kasheer.tk/site_111.xhtml).
• “The hostilities on the Kashimiri frontier,” that Rushdie
speaks of on page 75, refer to the following
“[E]ven more important was the liberation of the country from the British Yoke in 1947, that ended all the traces of foreign domination, absolutism and autocracy in our country. It was on 26th Jan. 1957 that the Kashmir Constiuent Assembly ended the hereditary rule of the Hindu monarchy in the state exacly after one hundred and ten years of its establishment. The liberation of India, facilitated the establishment of responsible government in Jammu and Kashmir State, but the liberisation also brought the division of our country on religious and communal consideration. This division led to disatrous consequences plunging northern India into a sort of bloody civil war. The Pakistan Government invaded the state, and encouraged the Tribal people and other titanic hordes of medieval barbarism to carry loot, plunder, death and destruction into the hearths and homes of innocent Kashmiris in general and among Hindus in particular. Pakistan wanted to grab Kashmir, even though its ruler in the terms of Independance Act, had acceded toIndia, and signed the instrument of Accession as required under the said Act. The main burden of Pakistan invasion had to be borneby the Hindus of the districts of Muzzafarbad, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajuari, Mirpur, Bhimber, Kotli, Skardu, Gilgit and Ladhak. Thousands of people became the victims and lost their lives for no fault of theirs, and property worthcrores accumulated for decades was lost just within a weeks time. This was the result of the mighty Congress Party with its host of gallant leaders bowing disgracefully before fanaticism, ' Two Nation Theory ', and its author Mr. Jinah. The Congress leaders accepted the partition of India, but totally ignored or could not perhaps realise its disastrous consequences. In short, the Hindus here have paid the penaltyrather heavily. Kashmir was attacked in 1965 and 1971 by Pakistan. In spite of these historical vicissitudes the popular government has been trying its level best to mitigate the sufferingof the people, thanks to the generous financial assistance of the Central Government.”
http://kasheer.tk/site_111.xhtml
• Jawan (pg. 75)
Web definitions
(jawan) (India) a private soldier or male constable.
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• Houris (pg. 75)
Heavenly Maidens In Islam
Muslim men who die as martyrs (fighting in battle or other deaths) are promised 72 (or sometimes 73) beautiful, black-eyed perpetual virgins as wives in heaven. - And they have their regular wives on earth still tagging along too. This short page is simply a brief description of what the hadiths say about these heavenly virgins, called "houris."
http://www.muslimhope.com/HourisHeavenlyMaidensInIslam.htm
• Djinn (pg. 75)
A djinn is a spirit from Arabic mythology that can be either good or evil. The djinn are less powerful than angels, but can assume the shapes of humans, animals or whirlwinds.
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryae/g/djinnglos.html
“[E]ven more important was the liberation of the country from the British Yoke in 1947, that ended all the traces of foreign domination, absolutism and autocracy in our country. It was on 26th Jan. 1957 that the Kashmir Constiuent Assembly ended the hereditary rule of the Hindu monarchy in the state exacly after one hundred and ten years of its establishment. The liberation of India, facilitated the establishment of responsible government in Jammu and Kashmir State, but the liberisation also brought the division of our country on religious and communal consideration. This division led to disatrous consequences plunging northern India into a sort of bloody civil war. The Pakistan Government invaded the state, and encouraged the Tribal people and other titanic hordes of medieval barbarism to carry loot, plunder, death and destruction into the hearths and homes of innocent Kashmiris in general and among Hindus in particular. Pakistan wanted to grab Kashmir, even though its ruler in the terms of Independance Act, had acceded toIndia, and signed the instrument of Accession as required under the said Act. The main burden of Pakistan invasion had to be borneby the Hindus of the districts of Muzzafarbad, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajuari, Mirpur, Bhimber, Kotli, Skardu, Gilgit and Ladhak. Thousands of people became the victims and lost their lives for no fault of theirs, and property worthcrores accumulated for decades was lost just within a weeks time. This was the result of the mighty Congress Party with its host of gallant leaders bowing disgracefully before fanaticism, ' Two Nation Theory ', and its author Mr. Jinah. The Congress leaders accepted the partition of India, but totally ignored or could not perhaps realise its disastrous consequences. In short, the Hindus here have paid the penaltyrather heavily. Kashmir was attacked in 1965 and 1971 by Pakistan. In spite of these historical vicissitudes the popular government has been trying its level best to mitigate the sufferingof the people, thanks to the generous financial assistance of the Central Government.”
http://kasheer.tk/site_111.xhtml
• Jawan (pg. 75)
Web definitions
(jawan) (India) a private soldier or male constable.
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• Houris (pg. 75)
Heavenly Maidens In Islam
Muslim men who die as martyrs (fighting in battle or other deaths) are promised 72 (or sometimes 73) beautiful, black-eyed perpetual virgins as wives in heaven. - And they have their regular wives on earth still tagging along too. This short page is simply a brief description of what the hadiths say about these heavenly virgins, called "houris."
http://www.muslimhope.com/HourisHeavenlyMaidensInIslam.htm
• Djinn (pg. 75)
A djinn is a spirit from Arabic mythology that can be either good or evil. The djinn are less powerful than angels, but can assume the shapes of humans, animals or whirlwinds.
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryae/g/djinnglos.html
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