Baduwi (1905)
INDEX to Volume 1
Translated by M. Cheema (1998). The original book is in Urdu and consists of a compilation of reports from the area shaken by the 6 am 4 April 1905 Kangra earthquake. 20,000-25,000 fatalities are listed by State or by City (some double counting may have arisen - see text). Click on towns in the following table for details. The text describes (somewhat repetitively and unevenly) injuries and deaths, and damage to buildings, mountain sides, roads and phone lines. The last dozen entries apear to have been extracted from newspaper accounts. A second volume apparently exists with more details but we have not yet obtained a copy of this. Precursory gas emission is described at Jawalmucki Temple, and increased postseismic fluid flow is described near Sujanpur. Fort Kangra's survival for 900 years prior to 1905 is suggestive that the 1905 event may have been the largest earthquake since its construction. Ancient Hindu temples in Kangra may also have survived intact for this period of time.
| location | latitude | longitude | fatalities |
| Amritsar | 31.65 | 75 | 0 |
| Autar Siraj | 240 | ||
| Baijnath | 32.05 | 76.70 | |
| Bhadarwala | |||
| Chakrata | 30.717 | 77.9 | |
| Delhi | 28.9 | 77.22 | 0 |
| Dharmsala | 32.217 | 76.4 | 2800 |
| Gujranwala | 32.2 | 74.2 | 0 |
| Hamirpur | 31.683 | 76.583 | |
| Jummoo | 32.7 | 74.9 | 0 |
| Jawalmucki | 31.867 | 76.383 | |
| Jhelum | 32.8 | 73.8 | 0 |
| Kangra | 32.1 | 76.317 | 20000 |
| KoGadh | 32.083 | 76.867 | |
| Kotwali | 31.517 | 77.483 | 260 |
| Kuloo | 31.950 | 77.167 | |
| Lahore | 31 | 74.4 | 0 |
| Lucknow | 26.54 | 80.58 | 0 |
| Mandi | 31.7 | 77 | 750 |
| McCloudGunj | 80 | ||
| Nagrota | 32.117 | 76.433 | |
| Palampur | 32.117 | 76.600 | 3000 |
| Rahlu Fort | 28 | ||
| Sailkot | 32.4 | 74.6 | 0 |
| Simla | 30 | 77 | |
| Siraj | 180 | ||
| Suket | 31.533 | 76.967 | |
| Spaatoo | |||
| Srinigar | 34.18 | 74.82 | |
| Sujanpur | 32.833 | 76.550 | 50 |
| Sultanpur | 31.950 | 77.167 | 300 |
| Shahpur | 32.2 | 76.25 | |
| Murree | 0 | ||
| Koh | 30.7 | 77.3 | 0 |
"Earthquakes of India: in which the Events of the 4 Apr 1905 Earthquake in North India and all of India and other countries are described"
by Munshi Muhamad Abdul Quadir Sahib Ta'ib Baduwi, proprietor of the Army press of Mount Shimla, 1905, courtesy of Munshi Meeran Bukhsh, his printer, Translated from the original Urdu by Muneeb Cheema, CIRES, University of Colorado, June-Oct 1998
(Note from the translator: The book is written in passive form, and the author never uses the first person. If I don't maintain that in the translation, it is because it would be twice as long and harder to convert it into the passive form. The four opening sections are poetic and religious in nature and set the scene for the damage desriptions that follow);
Earthquakes of India In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most compassionate.
1. Praise of God: (This is a page of praising God and exalting his might and expressing fear of His wrath and so on. I think the important point to notice here is that the author of the manuscript seems to be well educated in writing Urdu, his writing style is very eloquent and also flowery and verbose, in the traditional Urdu style. The book also has quotes from the Quran as well as phrases in Arabic and Farsi, which demonstrate the author is educated and learned in Islamic, discipline. It is evident that the writer is really a compiler of reports from various people and sources. Some of these are paraphrased or his written version of spoken narration, others are just copies of letters and written reports. The style of narration varies and much of the information is repeated many times over].
2. The wonders of God's might: The Almighty God's wrath and glory is exhibited in very strange ways.... <Man is weak and powerless in front of him... > If all of mankind whispers something to keep a secret from God, they will achieve nothing but wasting time. Could anyone predict that in Hindustan's areas of Punjab's valley of Kangra on April 4, 1905, after 6 am, would be destroyed and devastated by earthquake. Certainly not. This could not even have been dreamed or imagined by anyone. They can say whatever they want to now, but God's power is revealed for reasons that are not understandable. The morning of April 4th: that morning was hell, and the evening was 'very difficult', it was such a tough evening that caused upheaval in the world and showed us such frightening scenes.... (The author uses more adjectives in a sentence then I would use in a month). ... (How it turned to God men who had previously never paid any attention to the Almighty.... More quotations from poetry, verses from Quran...)
3. Morning of April 4, 1905 in Valley of Kangra:What a beautiful morning, cool wind, bright, clear weather. Neither dust nor pollution. Mist and fog in the valley. (Description of the spring weather and the beauty of the valley's vegetation. the language is very poetic, very flowery and descriptive. (At this point in the book, the text contains intermittent couplets (i.e. two lines of poetry) set apart from the text by lines- see text) (The text switches smoothly from description of the valley and the weather to a vague, symbolic description of the earthquake... it is hard to detect the distinction between the two) What is the reason that everyone's heart is filled with trepidation? The birds are flying strangely as if sharing a secret amongst them, could they be aware of an impending disaster? Where are these voices coming from, which shake the hearts? Even the mountains are shaking, a strange sound, pandemonium brewing. The bells are ringing in the temples. Hindus are busy in worship. Oh, the volcano is spewing flames - this is very unusual and unexpected. This volcano's mouth had been closed for a long time. It is as if the Goddess (of the Volcano) was angry for a long time and now is again showing itself. At once it has become bright, a bright light has risen, flames are flying, rising so high, as if talking with the skies. See how it is flowing from the ground like water, the fire and lava. What is the matter, what is the mystery? God, have mercy. The ground is moving from under our feet. What is happening? Is an earthquake coming? What is this shaking? Watch how even the trees are being ripped up from the ground. Everything is shaking every which way. Even the mountains are moving. The houses are swaying/shaking. God, your might, and anger. The walls of houses are shivering. Residents are terrified. The Himalayas are vibrating. The earthquake has come to this land. Get out, Get out, run, run. See. That plot of land has sunk under water, that mountain has fallen, that cliff has moved... Oh, the whole city is destroyed. Nothing is saved. All the population is destroyed. All houses destroyed along with their residents.
4. The fall of calamity: When I think of the state of that place and the destruction, the heart cannot help but tremble and the hands shake, I don't know what to write and what to do. It was morning time, a few minutes past six. Most people were still sleeping.... Suddenly the walls of the houses started shaking/vibrating. The movement was growing by moment by moment, so much so that within seconds, the roofs of the buildings were shaking and moving with such intensity as a small boat shakes and tumbles in a stormy sea. Every vibration seemed like this would be the end for us. Tall buildings were leaning and shaking like the branches of a tree in the wind. Most of the population ran out of the houses, frightened by this horror.... (Religious overtones in...): whose time had come could not be saved by anyone, and those who were to be saved were unscathed. Thousands of men and women, young and old, everyone's face had sorrow, distress, desperation, and worry. In reality, it is hard to paint the picture of that scene. One should ask the ones who experienced it for unless one has experienced something like this for oneself, it is impossible to describe. Those who have never experienced it, may they never have to in the future. And may our eyes never see such a sight again.
5. The scene of destruction of Valley of Kangra
The earthquake came early morning. Beds started moving by themselves, walls were shaking. The roofs of the houses were cracking. In moments, the mountains and the ground and the houses and their occupants were shaking and moved up and down like a small boat caught in a sea storm. The walls and doors of the houses were a frightening sight. Strange sounds were heard from the creaking of the wood of the houses. No one was able to go out of the houses. They were shocked and had lost all their senses to guide them to save them from this predicament. On all sides, there was commotion and noise. Sounds of crying and screaming could be heard everywhere. The situation was such that those who were inside their houses could not come out and those who were outside were scared. They were not able to walk or sit or lie down. Their feet would not stick on the shivering ground. In this state of pandemonium, there was such a severe jolt that all the houses and their residents colliding against each other were destroyed and razed to the ground. Those magnificent buildings that were called "sky-high" were flat on the earth. Big houses, temples, worshipping places were all gone. In the blink of an eye, the earthquake changed everything. In only three minutes, all of the Kangra Valley was destroyed.
6. The earthquake affected Kangra's destruction.
The day of 4 April,1905 was very bad and cursed for the District of Kangra. This is a district of Jalandhar of the province of Punjab, India and is situated in a valley of the Himalayan Mountains. In the history of India, rather in the history of the world, it was a momentous event. The bad luck of this valley reached at its peak with this. The valley was already full of problems. Heavy rain and extreme cold were among them. Snow and hailstorms were terrible. On top of this, this earthquake happened the likes of which were never seen.
A description of the people of the valley: simple, pleasant. Majority uneducated, not very wise.... District Kangra is in a valley of the Himalayan Mountains. It is situated in the southeast corner of Hushiarpur. It is 130 miles from Lahore. This scenic place is very green and beautiful... Because the government was managing this place and also because of the army cantonment nearby, the roads were very good and maintained. There are many Hindu temples in this area which are visited by many people every year. A temple known as Temple of Maharani (Queen) was very famous. But alas, all the magnificence and glory of this valley was gone because of the earthquake. Common people were the most affected by this calamity. An accurate assessment of the actual damage is not known yet. But an estimate of 20,000 lives is made. The number of dead are thought to be much more than this. [This is typical of the confusing, repetitive and sometimes contradictory style. In one sentence, he seems to say 20,000 lives were killed. In the next, that the estimate of the dead is much more than this. I am just trying to translate it as close to literally as possible] Tens of millions of rupees (Indian currency) were lost, an exact account of which is still not known. The population of Kangra proper has been told to be around four or five thousand of which only 700 people are alive and present. And among these, many are injured and sick, affected by the earthquake. This shows that the death toll must have been very heavy. And nearly the whole city is destroyed. The city has1600 houses, which have all been razed. The ones that were saved were destroyed by the second earthquake. When this earthquake occurred, those who were alert and clever, quickly left their houses. But those who were sleeping had no time to leave. Within a few seconds all the buildings fell. Some outside were killed by the falling structures, others inside were buried under the debris. It was such a tragic state of affairs that even the alive seemed to be out of their senses and unaware of their own well-being, they had gone mad, in a way, with fear and wonder. Even though the alive and unhurt had managed to get out the dead bodies and the trapped living, but these people who were otherwise whole and healthy upon seeing the dead bodies of their loved ones and relatives and friends had become 'dead' themselves (figuratively). It would be one thing to be patient and hopeful and rescue ten twenty or fifty people buried (or trapped) under the wreckage, but when the count was in the hundreds and thousands, then how can a handful of people rescue all of them. Besides the people who were injured and needed care, there was the problem who were trapped alive underneath the debris. Alas, how they must have died miserably.
Hundreds of such incidents were seen but alas, nothing could be done for them. [The writer then mentions some important people of the town who were killed]: Munshi Ram Das, TehsilDar of Kangra along with his family. [Munshi is some sort of clerk, scribe, accountant for landlords. The ranks or positions of people mentioned is frequently feudal terms based on land... Tehsil is a subdivison of land. The geographical divisions are somewhat British and some indigenous. Provinces, then divisions, then districts, then Tehsil's, sort of the Equivalent of county. Tehsil Dar means the man in charge of the Tehsil]. The wife and two children of the deputy Commissioner Mr. Waring. And Mr. Lockston, former deputy commissioner of Gujranwala [a city in Punjab near Lahore], also died. And a few missionaries whose whereabouts could not be found, are also feared dead. Syed Nazir Hussain, deputy Tehsil Dar, who was handsome and very intelligent man died in this earthquake with his entire household. One person's wife and two children were buried under their house's wreckage and he had lost hope and was certain of their deaths, but 5 days later, when the debris was removed, all three were there alive and well. Similarly another family was buried for many hours before two children and the husband were rescued but the wife and three other children had died.
7. Accounts of the Earthquake by its victims
The tales of the victims are not such that you can hear them without the listener's heart being affected. The appearance of the dead was horrifying. There were many people whose heads had been crushed. And many others whose feet or hands were missing or broken. There were cries of mourning all over and the situation was such that no help could be brought to these sufferers. It was such a desperate and hopeless situation. A feeling of helplessness had spread over everyone. They had to no food to eat and when they felt hunger they would explore the ruins to see if they could fin anything to eat, but there was very little. Many died just because of this, unavailability of food and drink. And there was no place to sleep but in wherever one could find some space on the streets. There was a shortage of men in the district of Kangra. The ones who were present were injured and useless. All roads and paths had become unusable. There was no electricity, and no post/mail. But the higher government acted very quickly to provide the resources for rescue and rehabilitation. And the victims of the earthquake were helped in every way possible by the government.
Letter from Anayat Ali, describing his experiences: "I am replying to your earlier letter... I have lost 5 relatives: a brother, two nephews, mother and aunt. Some others are injured. All our belongings have been lost. I am staying in an open field where many others from my neighborhood are too. On April 4, at 6 am, the earthquake started. Although it was continuous for three minutes it was so intense that all the houses fell down. Very old buildings were razed.
Fort Kangra: Hundreds of bodies were buried under the houses. After 6 days, or even today, April 12, the dead bodies are still being taken out and they have not all been taken out yet. The damage was worst, comparatively, in the Bhoon area. Approximately a third of the people in Kangra have died. The men have been buried already in the city by order of the government. About 20 corpses in each ditch. The poor people were not fortunate enough to get a grave and coffin and proper burial. The atmosphere had gotten very unhealthy. For three days, people were burying their dead and starving without food. On the 8th, the government arrived. People started receiving rations of food. With government assistance, the bodies are being taken out. I don't know whether this city will ever be inhabited again. The fort and the Temple of Siri Behrisiri were the reasons people came to live here. Now these two have been destroyed along with everything else. The ground is torn up and ruptured such that there is little hope of restoring it. And if it rains hard this year, the whole city may flood."
Lala Mulk Raaj Ji Bhalla's first letter: Sir, I have arrived here. On the way here, all the villages from Shahpur to here have been destroyed. In every place, all the houses have fallen. And in such a way, that there is no place left in any house that can still be lived in. The walls fell and each brick separated from every other brick. And the beams of the roofs are also pulled apart. It is hard to pen down all I have seen. Just know that the destruction is complete. I have heard that near Dharmsala, the places of Kangra, Palampur, Jawalamukhi, Mandi, Suket, Baijnath, etc. have all been destroyed. Big and small houses, none have been saved. Some bodies have been burned by their relatives, the rest are being taken out by army soldiers, and some are still to be found. On the way, in some places, there is such a bad smell that I think human and animal bodies are rotting there. In terms of rescue, it is clear that more could have been done to save some of these lives. If we had left for here the first day we heard the news. We regret this. We can still help in getting the corpses out. It has been nearly completed by the army in Dharmsala and other big cities, and most villages, but in Kangra, Palampur etc, there is still more work to be done. There is also a need for clothing. I think some blankets would be useful. God forbid, if it rains, the crops may be destroyed, the dead bodies will rot away quicker, and the situation will get much worse for the living.
Lala Mulk Raaj Ji Bhalla's 2nd letter:Today, I arrived in Kangra... [ a lengthy description of people's accounts of losses. Conclusion: In many villages, there were voices heard crying for help from under the debris for 3 or 4 days If people had been determined and steadfast and worked together instead of giving up hope, many more lives could have been saved.] [the legibility of the photocopy gets worse]. A list of things needed: blankets; medical attention- doctors, medicines; repair of houses - the houses have been destroyed such that they can't be repaired. Whatever will be built will have to built from scratch. For now, people are living in temporary shelters.
Fort Kangra and its historical magnificence: The fort/castle was established a long time ago by a Hindu prince. Although its exact date of construction can not be established because the Hindus are not known for keeping accurate historical records, it was built during the time of the Hindu dominance over this area. And it certainly did exist when Mahmood of Ghazni conquered this region about a thousand years ago. [Mahmood of Ghazni (a city in Afghanistan) is the first of the Muslim conquerors who came from Afghanistan and Central Asia into the Indian subcontinent and established dynasties and empires here. It can be assumed that from his time in the early 11th century until the British came, the region in question has been ruled by Muslims (not that it's relevant)]. Before the 10th century, no record of this fort exists in history. [A lengthy description of the fort and city's history follows. I don't think it is relevant, besides the fact that the fort is at least 900 years old].
On 4th April, this fortress, which had survived all of nature's attacks for centuries, was destroyed by the earthquake so completely that there is no sign that it ever existed. Now all its ruins are spread over the Mountain of Kangra and make a horrifying scene. Fortunately, there were not too many people in it at the time. Seven men were killed within it. Kangra is 130 miles from Lahore and Dharmsala is 8 kilometers from here and 16 kilometers is the mountain of Jawala Mukhi, where the temple is well known among the Hindus because the mountain is volcanic. The destruction of all these will be described later.
The Maharani Temple and its destruction: The temple of the Maharani, also known as The 'Bhoon' of the Goddess is located at a little distance from the city. It is a very well known site among Hindus and is visited by thousands of Hindus from all over India. On 4th April, it was destroyed by the earthquake and uncountable number of people died because at the time many Hindu worshippers had come from all parts of India to visit the shrine.
Kangra: The scene of internal and external destruction of Fort Kangra and Bhoon Temple: The powerful force of earthquake did not just affect but the city but also damaged the roads and surrounding areas. The road that goes from Shahpur to the bridge of "Chumpi" is 5 miles long. And then from there, to the left is Dharmsala and to the right is Kangra and Palumpur. In this section of the road, the mountain had slipped at two or three places. But this was nothing compared to what came after. There were five stone bridges ... and on the west and east side of it, there was the Chumpi stream that was unharmed. One dam was on the south Kangra's road's depths, which was completely destroyed. The path left open on the road was very narrow, and only one man could walk across it at one time. This dam went from north to south and from the fractures/cracks it seems that the impact of the earthquake came in a vibrating/wave-like fashion. Ahead of there, the bridge(pedestrian bridge made of ropes and some wood) was completely destroyed. The stone of many of the bridges is completely ruined. In this place, a lot of repair is being done and has been done. People are building temporary houses and rebuilding old one. One of the army platoons camped a few miles from the Chumpi bridge and helped a lot in the people's efforts to get water from the river, because it had been blocked by the rocks and debris from the mountain.
Reports from surrounding villages: Dolatpur is three miles from Kangra in a flat plain. This place experienced severe damage.. In Rani Hall, the post office and police office fell, but no other damage was done, and another settlement two miles from Jawalamukhi, and on the southern direction from Sujanpur, the earthquake was not so severe., and Nandanoon, situated on the bank of a river, was not affected at all by the earthquake.
Sujanpur, in the morning, all of a sudden, a powerful earthquake dropped all the houses and places of residence to the ground. And places at a high elevation were not only leveled to the ground but buried underneath the surface. Those people who had some life left in them managed to escape out of the debris and were saved barely. The rest who were still sleeping in their houses died within a short time. The damage caused by the earthquake is hard to estimate. At the beginning of Sujanpur, the door (the door to the city), solid, made of stone, by Maharaja Ranjeet, fell completely. Approximately, 50 people died. Very tall trees and cliffs fell to the ground on the populace underneath. Whole villages were buried because of this. The water in the wells had risen three feet. The water was flowing in the streams and ponds with unusual speed, such that a lot of the surrounding land was soaked.
Hamirpur: On the morning of April 4, 1905, before dawn, in this area there was a severe earthquake which lasted for five minutes. The impact of the earthquake materialized from the east and disappeared moving west. Old men of a hundred years old say that an earthquake of this severity has never occurred in India. And most houses fell with the impact. After a half hour, another earthquake occurred. It was over after one vibration.
Bhadarwala, Kangra: A person from Bhadarwala has reported that the aftermaths of the earthquake are still present in the area. There was an earthquake just last night. All mountains have been destroyed. The people who are left are in a state of hopelessness about life. There are rumors spreading that the money collected for relief is not going to be available for the native population as it will be just enough for the European residents. This idea is preposterous as the relief money is for everyone affected by the earthquake, not just the Europeans.
Fort Rahlu, District of Kangra: Fort Rahlu is situated ten miles from Dharmsala on the road to Shahpur. This area was inherited by Rajor as his residence. The earthquake of April 4 has completely destroyed the fort and all its houses have also been razed. ... The family and visitors numbered about 30. Only two men were left alive. The rest died and were buried in the debris.
The destruction of Dharmsala (or Bhagsoo): Until 3 April, 1905, Dharmsala was unmatched in its scenic beauty and the spring climate. ... But on the accursed morning of 4 April, the beauty and prosperity of the place was destroyed in an instant. [the author proceeds to say, in flowery detail, without any specific or pertinent information how the decent, God-fearing residents of Dharmsala perished within moments]. ... The earthquake of Tuesday, 4th April, 1905 caused such amazing destruction in northern India, particularly the district of Kangra, the likes of which the world had not experienced in our memory.... [Religious commentaryomitted} The time of the earthquake was determined by the fact that the (a certain) electronic clock stopped at 6:50 and the shock of the quake could be felt until 7:10. That is, the earthquake lasted for 20 minutes. [the duration of earthquake shaking in Dharmsala]... [more religious commentary] When this earthquake came, most people were asleep in their beds. Thus, they were crushed by the walls and ceilings that fell on them. The houses were shaken with such force that they were torn off like houses made of paper and fell. Once the earthquake was over, the survivors outside starting digging through the debris and saved anyone that could be found. But there were only a few of these. Those saved from this probably amount to about 10 percent. That is, out of a population of three thousand, only two to three hundred lived, and many families were completely wiped out. And there was no one who did not have at least one family member or loved one who had died. [burial arrangements... cremations...]
After every two or three hours, one could feel mild vibrations from the earthquake. People expected another powerful quake at any time and many of the survivors quickly left Dharmsala for good to save their lives without any regard to salvage any of their property. ... There was destruction everywhere. All civil and military stations were destroyed. In Dharmsala, only the house of the "Captain Batman Champion" [batman is a military orderly. I don't know if this is supposed to be one person's rank or three] was saved. And the treasury room, which had been built very secure, was also saved. The new building for the court was completely destroyed.
The Gorkha soldiers camped at Dharmsala were also severely hurt. The seventh platoon of Gorkhas had just moved to Dharmsala just before this and lived in very safe, solid, securely built barracks. Of these, more than a hundred soldiers were killed. From the 1st Gorkha platoon, 2nd battalion, fifty men were killed, and in the depot of the 1st Gorkha platoon, twenty men were killed. Unfortunately, a list of the European officers killed has not yet been completed.
The wall of the jail cell in the Dharmsala cantonment fell and a few prisoners escaped. The surviving police in the town hunted them down and arrested thirteen, killing two others. Of the ordinary employees of the police station, only one inspector, a sergeant, and two constables had survived.
The story of the populace of the Civil Sation at Dharmsala: ... Those men who have survived in general agree on the fact that in the beginning a light earthquake was felt, and just along with it, a severe earthquake came from north to south. And then after that, an even bigger movement came from the opposite direction. A horrifying vibrating sound accompanied by a shaking of the earth. When the earthquake occurred, one result was that telegraph line into Dharmsala was broken. The pillars connecting the wires fell. The closest place which could get a telegraph was Norpur. Since Shahpur did not have any telegraph office, news of this reached Norpur. From there at 7 am on the 5th, this news reached Lahore. Arrangements were quickly made to repair the wire and a telegraph Office was established in Shahpur on the 6th. Then on the 8th the line was finally repaired for Dharmsala.
Events near Dharmsala:Travelling from Dharmsala (32.217,76.400) from Shahpur showed clearly the destruction of the houses and buildings in the valley. This is in addition to the damage in the mountains where the earthquake was felt first of all. When passing by the houses, all that could be seen was scattered bricks, piles of stones and miscellaneous debris. And most walls had fallen into the insides of the houses. And some had fallen to the outside. There did not seem to be any particular direction in which they fell. Where the houses were, piles of debris could be seen and in many places broken roofs made of stone could be seen fallen on the ground. The road had also been cracked at various spots. The mountains of rock had fallen, and at many places the ground had slipped such that the road had narrowed. But from Kotwali to Dharmsala, that is two miles, it was in good solid condition. But at one point a bridge had collapsed and all the bricks from it had fallen into the river.
Kotwali Bazaar was located on a very narrow hill, and the police station and jailhouse were at some elevation above the town. The houses here fell and in a few moments were completely razed and destroyed by the earthquake. It is narrated that at the initial movement of the earthquake, they jumped and started slipping downward and at the second vibration, they fell down completely. It is thought that because of the height of the mountain, the first quake that had come towards the city of Kangra was stopped by some powerful mountain in the way. Thus, the quake hit the mountain and started moving in another direction (turned away by the mountain). This dual earthquake idea is also supported by the fact that in Kangra, some of the houses look like as if they have fallen and then shifted from their place, and the earthquake's force was applied from two directions. But until the scientific experts have not examined the area, this idea can not be confirmed. If one observes the houses around Kotwali bazaar, it looks as though the houses have slipped (i.e. moved from their place) up to a few yards and then fallen. The first wave displaced the houses from their foundations and with the second the houses were destroyed into debris. The solid/better built stone jailhouse and police station were moved with such force as if they were powerless things made of paper. The stone walls fell inwards and shattered into small pieces and the roofs also fragmented. In these two places 40 men died, and in Kotwali Bazaar, 260 men died. And near the foot of the hill, the post office and some Of the houses of the Europeans also fell. But surprisingly, at the foot of the narrow hill, ten or twelve of the houses of the Indians were unharmed.
McCloud-Gunj, which is situated one thousand yards from Kotwali, the earthquake caused the treasury house, the district office, the office of the district police superintendent and the private houses of the Europeans to fall. 80 men died in McCloud-Gunj. Two walls of the temple there fell.
European Camps' Destruction and Major Clay and Gorkha soldiers' courageous help: The Camp in relation to the Civil Station is located at a higher elevation. The road to it goes through Kotwali. On most roads, cracks cannot be seen. Where there are cracks/crevices, they can barely be seen. The report of the mountain having slipped at various places is not true. The crevices are such that are sometimes formed after severe rainfall. At some points, the road has slipped from its place and at some places, the mountain's cliffs have also fallen. In Civil Station, Palampur, the mountain has not slipped much. Bazaar's houses have completely been destroyed. At the Lane, the earthquake as severe, but trees have not been uprooted and the solid pipes to carry water are safe. On the third mile of the road, however, a 60-yard high mountain has fallen making the road difficult to cross at that point.
The destruction of the factories of Palampur and Racha': The earthquakes of 4th April completely destroyed the beauty of this scenic area. It came like a violent storm and caused severe damage here. The picturesque gardens and buildings and houses became a pile of ruins. In the bazaar, a hundred men were buried and killed. In the Tehsil (district/division) of Palampur,3000 persons have been estimated dead because of the earthquake.
In India, the earthquake of Neenital was famous, which had taken place twenty five years ago. In that, part of one mountain had fallen which had caused a lot of damage to the Europeans. [Nanital Earthquake1880?] But this earthquake made everyone forget all previous earthquakes. The loss of life and property was endless and uncountable. For several days afterwards, almost daily, the sounds of earthquakes put cracks into the ground. At the distance of a few miles, there is a mountain, covered with snow, at which the earthquake occurs frequently. The people here suspect that it may be a volcanic mountain. For this reason, the experts in the study of the earth [geologists?] are studying it. The areas where the earthquake has hit most severely, the damage can not be estimated. This is the mountainous region north of the river Beas and Dholadhar. To its east is the Fort Rahlu and The Maqaam(Place) Baijnath, and in between it is the famous temple. This region (where the earthquake was most severe) also includes Dharmsala's civil station, which was the division's headquarter, and the cantonment and Tehsil and Fort Kangra, and near it Palampur, which was the main place of BaghatCha'.
Jawalamukhi, Nagrota, and around them the villages and the temples which were full of wealth have all been destroyed. In the eastern part, though, the damage was less. But northern Beas and the valley of Kulloo, where the source of the river Beas is, and in the middle of Sutlej, and also Riyaasat of Mandi (Riyaasat means state. In this case, the semiautonomous princely states within British-ruled India.) and Tehsil(district, or some other administrative subdivision) of Siraj, which is a subdivision of Kaloo have all been destroyed.
Mr. D W MacBean, manager of Kilaach, Nicodean dity (???) State, tells of the destruction of his gardens. On the 4th of April, a slight earthquake was felt, which he paid no attention. A few seconds later, a severe earthquake arrived and severe shaking of the earth started, which woke them up from bed. Its direction seemed to be from the east. By the time they got out of their house, they saw that all the houses had been destroyed. Only the cottage of the gardener was left. A stone factory there was also destroyed, killing all men in it. When you looked at the valley, the destruction was complete. The little houses, with their white walls had smashed with their roofs and all been leveled to the ground.
Jawalamukhi: The horrifying scene and historical background: Jawalamukhi is an ancient Hindu temple. For a long time, flames have come out of the mountain on which it is located. Thus the name of the temple and the mountain, Jawalamukhi, meaning Mouth of the Flame/Fire. It is visited by many Hindu worshippers every year. This temple is located 20 miles southeast of Kangra at the base of a very high mountain. Jawalamukhi is situated at 26° 52', 34"N, 76° 21' 59"E (A curious error of 5 degrees is given in the apparently precise grid reference. Actual latitude is 31.867N, 76.383E). At one time, it used to be a prosperous town, from looking at the ancient ruins. However, the year of its origin as a temple and place of residence cannot be estimated.
The description of the temple of JawalaMukhi: The temple is actually made in the Muslim style. On its outer walls, there is plaster and paint. Its internal walls and roof is painted golden. But because of the fire and smoke that erupt from within it, the golden paint can not be seen, it is all blackened. At this place, two streams come out of the mountain, one passes right through the temple and the other around it. Uneducated Hindus who do not understand geography and the nature of the earth think of this volcanic mountain as a goddess and its flames as blessings of the goddess. This is why it is visited by so many Hindus every year. There are many ponds and lakes around this area, many of which have hot water boiling out of them. It is thought that this area, the mountains, are a store of fire matter. Also, from these fiery mountains, great rivers with cold water, flow for thousands of miles.These include the River Sutlej and River Beas. Our concern in explaining this geography is to say that in reality, this whole valley in the Himalayas is full of 'fiery stuff', and there is a coal mine here, and the ponds are frequently hot because of it. Therefore, it is no surprise that this whole mountain range continues to be 'capable of erupting fire'(volcanic?). However, a small piece of Mount Jawala Mukhi is capable of fire from time to time. Jawalamukhi is a mountain in a valley at the base of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth.
Before the earthquake, the fire had not appeared at the temple for some time, So the Hindus feared that the goddess was angry or had stopped forever. So on 31st March, many goats were sacrificed for the goddess. The Hindu worshippers and pundits did not think about the possible reasons the mountain may have stopped, for this is a matter of science. Suddenly the fires erupted, the flames rose to much higher than their usual heights. Normally, the flames were a few inches high. But on the 4th of April, they rose not feet, but yards. For the moment, the worshippers were delighted. The flames rose to above 12 feet and started flowing out on the ground like water. Some men were injured by this matter. Suddenly, an earthquake appeared, whose direction seemed to be north to south. The first was a slight tremor but only a few seconds had passed when such a severe jolt hit that the earth and the mountain seemed to be shaking. The trees were in a strange state, as if some severe storm had shaken them. The earth was making strange sounds as if cannons were thundering underneath. At this time, the speed of the earthquake was very fast. One could not stay put on the ground either standing or sitting. Instantly, the earthquake came with force and all the land where there was population was lifted and dropped. All houses and magnificent buildings were razed. One part of the Jawalamukhi temple was destroyed, and many lives were lost in the rubble. But most of the real temple within was saved, even though all of it was severely shaken. The reason for this was that the mouth of the fire was inside the temple. When the lava moved within the earth, it cracked the ground, but the air from within kept blowing outside and the mouth of the fire was unharmed. It has been proven that at the time of the earthquake, unusual flames were coming out of the Jawala Mukhi, but it is not surprising that the temple's skeleton structure survived without much damage.[There follows a religious debate about the earthquake]
Kulloo or Sultanpur: about 50 km east of Kangra Kuloo was not saved by the earthquake of April 4, 1905. Here too, the earthquake caused the same devastation as Kangra. All houses were razed. But one positive note was that it had been past sunrise and most men were awake. At the coming of the quake, most left their houses quickly and watched the destruction from outside their houses in horror. In this destruction, three hundred men died. And all the houses that had been made solid out of stones were destroyed and Nothing but piles of rubble were left of them. At this place, the earthquake's impact was so severe that the direction the river Beas was shifted. The bridge of Jhoonay, which is on the river Chitayil was also damaged. Official government buildings were destroyed. The destruction of the roads and telegraph wires caused the stoppage of telegrams and mail. In Kuloo, the destruction of the bridge on Chita river [here it is called Chita, a paragraph above it was called Chitayil], and the falling of a cliff caused the creation of a one mile long, hundred feet deep lake/pond. This did not last for long but when the dam was removed, it caused some flooding in the surrounding areas. On 9th April, a second earthquake came which caused the remaining barely surviving houses to fall. On the 11th, a third quake came which also caused some damage in life and property. The 14th, 18th and 28th also earthquakes caused some damage. In short, from the 4th April to the end of April, almost a hundred quakes came to Kulloo and its surrounding regions.
Autar Siraj: In the vicinity of Autar Siraj, the loss due to earthquake is detailed in the official government report as 58 dead, 120 injured. 272 cattle killed. 439 houses destroyed. Besides this, many villages have been abandoned and are empty. Within Siraj, the report has not been prepared yet but it is estimated to be even greater. But surprisingly, the loss of lives is little. 8 of the 14 houses (kothian- solid, larger houses) were destroyed. 180 men killed, 48 injured. 400 cattle, 1100 goats and sheep. The 48 men listed injured are from two of the houses only, of the others the count of the injured is not known.
The earthquake victims of Riyaasat (State) Saikat : April 4th 1905, an earthquake appeared in the Kangra mountains and Saikat and Mandi. In Saikat, at 5:15 am, Tuesday, such a sudden tremor developed in the earth that big and firmly built buildings fell. The official two-story stable had many men at the top story and at the bottom level, many horses and cattle. This fell from top to bottom and trapped the men and animals inside. When the thousands of tons of dirt were lifted, the animals and men inside were unharmed. Even after April 4th, many less severe earthquakes occurred at not only Saikat, but in the mountainous places at Kangra, Bhagsoo, Kulloo, Mandi etc.
Riyaasat(State of) Mandi: A loud earthquake occurred at 6:15 in the morning which lasted for two and a half minutes. Instantaneously, the houses and buildings were razed. The earthquake so mercilessly and violently uprooted the land that the whole place became a collection of ruins. The loss of life and property was severe in Mandi. More than two hundred men died right there.
Between the Mandi and Palampur, for several days the post was discontinued. The river of Beas flowed near the population of Mandi, for this reason there was severe loss to Mandi. The letter of the Vizier of Riyaasat Mandi shows that the village itself is destroyed, killing 200. In the whole state, 750 men are said to be dead. In the two small states of Mandi and Saikat, the damage was not much compared to Kangra. A lot of money will be needed to compensate for the loss, many cattle have been killed, and houses will need to built anew.
Riyaasat (State of) Chumba: On April 4th, Riyaasat Chumba experienced a minor earthquake. Peace and quiet was maintained everywhere and no damage occurred. However, for a number of days after the severe rainfall of April 15 and 16, there were mild tremors which were a cause of fear. In the northern direction, the earthquake caused severe damage.
Rampur, city in district Shimla: At quarter to six, on April 4, a severe earthquake occurred causing panic to spread through the populace. The mountains were shaking and the ground was shaking so hard that everyone lost hope for their lives. One by one, the houses fell and the residents lost their lives getting buried underneath. Only part of the bazaar(marketplace) was left, otherwise all houses were demolished. Here too, the series of earthquakes continued for a few days. For two weeks, the people were in a state of fear and panic because occasionally, there was a tremor, which caused the fear to rise even more. In Rampur, although severe damage can be seen, but it is said that only four or five lives were lost. The destruction of the post office stopped the arrival of money orders and parcels and mail from outside.
Kot-Gadh, district Shimla: Tuesday, April 4, around 6 am, the severe earthquake hit. Most people were Still in bed, and were panicked by it. The houses moved like swings and one could not stand on the ground without support. Some houses broke/fell apart. But there was no loss of life. From here, the scene of destruction of the valley of Kulloo could be seen. From all sides, pieces of mountains were falling and the earth had cracked at many points. On that day, many tremors of the quake came and continued for a while.
Mount Shimla: A few minutes after 6, the earthquake came. The Muslims had just finished with their morning prayers. The Hindus were involved in worship at temples. Traders had started working at the market. Women, children, lazy men were still asleep. Suddenly, the earthquake gave a powerful jolt that shook high mountains which were touching the sky. And all places of residence, houses and buildings were shivering, and started shaking in a way never seen before. Instantly, in all of Shimla, pandemonium spread and everyone panicked. All the chimneys and fireplaces were cracked.
Spaattoo: 4th April, at 6:20 am, such a powerful earthquake occurred at Spaatoo cantonment that all the houses were shaken. The roofs and walls of most houses fell.
Koh (Mountain) Digshai Cantonment: A big earthquake occurred which was felt for 7 minutes. Its force shook the mountains and the creaking of the houses could be heard. Here, many of the houses sustained severe damage. Fortunately, no lives were lost. There was a second earthquake later but not as severe.
Mount Kasooli: This cantonment experienced a big earthquake but not much damage was done and no lives were lost. The temple's minaret fell. and the station hospital sustained considerable damage.
Soolen Cantonment, Riyaasat Baghaat:Here too, the earthquake came with much noise, but the cantonment's houses were saved by the impact. In the bazaar/market of the riyaasat, there was much panic and chaos.
Anbaala Camp: 6 am, severe earthquake was felt for 2 minutes. Every hour, mild tremors appeared. In the main market street, much damage was caused to the houses, and many lives were lost. On the 11th, 17th, 24th and 27th the sequence of earthquakes continued. The earthquake of April 27th was one jolt, moving from southwest to northeast, like the tremor that railcars may experience sometimes when they start to move. [The same brief description of earthquake at 6 am, for two to three minutes. Severe damage. Lives lost... is repeated for a few other towns]. City of Borria, City of Jaga Dahri, Mustafa-abad, division of Anbala, Suharunpur, Rorki.
Delhi: The ancient capital of India experienced a significant impact of the earthquake at 6:30. According to some reports, it occurred at 7. But fortunately, all the ancient buildings, (made in the era of the Mughal dynasty) were not destroyed and the city did not experience much damage.
Chakrata (30.717N,77.9E): At 6:15 am, this small mountainous area experienced continuous earthquakes. The first earthquake was very severe, it lasted approximately two or three minutes. For the rest of the day, the fourteen other earthquakes that came were not the same(in terms of severity). The first caused much damage and almost all the private bungalows(houses) had cracks appear in them, some more than others. Police station, dispensary, and slaughterhouse were destroyed. Every building in the bazaar/market developed cracks in them.
Riyaasat Naala Gadda: After the day of the earthquake, for three days the tremors could be felt. Houses were damaged but no loss of life is reported.
Hahun Sur Moor: 6:15 am. The earthquake was felt for a minute and a half.
Amritsar: The earthquake's most severe impact came a few minutes after 6. But after that, at 10 or 11, some substantially strong jolts were felt. Then milder tremors came until the night.
Murree: At 6:20 am. Only some bricks of some buildings fell and some of the stones moved.
Jhelum: The earthquake at quarter past 6 was very severe. For five continuous minutes the force could be felt. Some decrepit buildings developed cracks. The shaking of the trees back and forth was an amazing sight.
Gujranwala: At 6:05, a very severe earthquake shook every building in the city, even the sturdiest of them. Many houses all over the city were damaged. The first jolt was from west to east, the second from east to west. The first attack was the most powerful, lasting for two minutes. After this, three or four times, mild tremors were felt until 7 am. The earthquake put cracks into most buildings and many houses fell and approximately 60 or 70 houses were destroyed. Although the loss in money and property was severe, no lives were lost.
Rawalpindi: 6:10 am, the impact remained for 95 seconds, the direction was northwest to southeast. No great damage was caused.
Lucknow: 6:30 am, two jolts were felt from the earthquake. Lamps shattered and silverware/dishes collided with each other. No damage was caused. The direction was northwest to southeast.
Agra: North to south. 20 second impact.
Jammu: A horrific earthquake that lasted for three minutes. Hundreds of houses fell. Many big and sturdy and 'magnificent' houses got cracks in them. The palaces of the Raja also were damaged. The towers of the temples fell. The telegraph lines that went towards Kashmir fell, breaking off all communication. In the division of Odhumpur, in Riyasat Haza, the same thing happened. (I think in terms of the telegraph wire falling). Thankfully, the lives were saved. All houses, sturdy or shabby, were broken, taken apart. All people had gotten out of their houses, however.
Srinagar: The earthquake damaged and destroyed many houses. And many people were either killed or injured.
Sailkot: Here too, at 6:20, a great earthquake lasted for a few minutes, destroying nearly 100 houses. But there was no loss of life.
Lahore: A great earthquake and the loss in life and property: April 4th, 1905. at 6 am, a very severe earthquake was felt in Lahore. Its direction was from east to west. According to some people, it was north to south. This earthquake was very horrifying, which in only a few seconds shook all of Lahore and caused damage to life and property. Many houses sustained severe damage, many fell, and many men died by getting buried underneath. The Lahore town hall, which is a very strong building was fragmented in a few seconds. Some parts of the Lahore station were damaged. Mayo Hospital and the new post office were cracked to a considerable extent. But in any case, after some time, this calamity passed. But unfortunately, there was much damage to the city. The earthquake came in three jolts over three minutes. The walls and roofs of the houses shook very forcefully, and the doors open and shut repeatedly. If the earthquake's jolts had continued for a few more minutes, then undoubtedly, the whole city could have crumbled. In any case, a large section of the city was damaged severely. Large, magnificent buildings fell and many high houses were destroyed. The rail factory's walls fell and a metallic beam fell out of its place skewing a part of the roof. The boiler shop fell apart and became useless. The new platform which on the north side, its foyer(or waiting room) fell. The domes of two minarets of the Sunehri Masjid (Golden Mosque) fell.
A part of history: [A poem in remembrance of the victims] On the 4th of April, 1905, corresponding to 28th of Muharram, 1323, of the Hijra calendar, a great earthquake that occurred in Kangra, caused just in the division of Kangra the loss of twenty to twenty-five thousand lives.
A description of the government's relief efforts: The letter from the government of Punjab to the Secretary of the government of India:
From Lahore a letter was sent from the chief secretary of Punjab to the secretary of the Government of India. In this, it was narrated that Sir Charles Rivers ( Lieutenant Governor of Punjab), wanted before going on leave to tell the government of India in detail of the earthquake of Kangra and the relief efforts for the people who were affected. And that the extent of the damage cannot be known in detail for some time because it is a mountainous region and some places where the earthquake had an impact are situated very far away, and all arrival and departure has stopped from there, and from many places in the division of Kangra detailed reports are still being waited for.
The area where the earthquake was severe is such: to its north is the river Beas, and to its south are the Dholadar mountains, to its west is Rahloo Fort, and to the east the village of Baijnath(32.05N,76.7E) and its famous temple. This aforementioned area is a seven hundred mile square and within it, two hundred and fifty thousand people live. The description of the earthquake is in fact told from the accounts of the survivors. In the beginning, there was a mild earthquake. Then from the north going to the south a large earthquake came. And the third earthquake was such that all the houses, whether they were cottages or sturdily constructed large houses, were destroyed, of which we have already mentioned the details.
The damage outside this area is mentioned so: to the east, although the impact was less, but the valley Bulandi Beas (the height of Beas) was severely damaged. Part of this valley is in Tehsil (county?) Kulloo, where the river flooded, and part of it is in Riyaasat Mandi. And Pargan Lahowl, which is to the north of Kulloo, which has the mouth of the Chenab lake, also experienced damage. And Beas and Sutlej rivers' middle country also experienced damage, which include the following points:1. Tehsil (county) Siraaj, south of subdivison Kulloo.2. Riyaasat (State of) Saikat 3. southern half of Mandi
In this large area, the large cities are Dar-al-Riyaasat Mandi and Sultanpur, Kulloo. At both those places, many houses fell. But the damage was not as total as Kangra or Palumpur, only superficial damage, it seems. At both places, two hundred men died each. Similarly, it is estimated that in all of Riyaasat Mandi, 650 people died, which is much more than that in subdivision Kulloo. A lot of cattle/livestock died, especially because in this area, many houses were three- level, and the cattle was housed in the bottom level.
Then the state of those roads was told that make up the path between Dharmsala and Kangra and Palampur and Mandi and Kulloo. These roads were built upon large ponds and rivers and big, strong, well-constructed bridges were built (these are bridges to link roads, for cars' traffic. There is another word for a less sturdy bridge made of ropes and beams for pedestrians. One of those also existed. It was also destroyed). These bridges were smashed into many pieces by the earthquake, and the slipping of the mountains caused giant pieces of rock to fall down and all traffic stopped to and from these roads. This earthquake also damaged the irrigation canals.
Official reports: All these are concerning either the relief efforts or from the local officials about their needs and shortages of food, shelter, medicine etc.
This is followed by a discussion of earthquakes. Their possible causes, where it's safer to be when they hit, possible precautions... The arrival of experts from Japan to study the area].
Note from the compiler: Because more events and news from this earthquake comes to light every day, to record all of it here was not considered appropriate. That is, there are many essays/pieces of writing about the earthquake of April 4 which are left. Also, a summary of the official reports is also not included. Therefore, these complete pieces will be recorded in a second volume of the earthquakes of India, which will be closely related to the topic of this book. Readers, please await and request the second volume.
Shimla, 24th October, 1905
Muhammad Abdul-Qadir Taib Boryavi, Owner, Army Press of Shimla and compiler/editor of Earthquakes of India
Note: We are eager to translate a copy of Volume 2.