And together in 1925 they successfully completed a difficult and unique seven-month long hunting and scientific expedition from Bandipora into the Central Himalayas
In the summer of 1925 Theodore (Ted) Roosevelt and Kermit Roosevelt, the two illustrious sons of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, visited Kashmir to set out on an unique seven-month long expedition to the Himaliyas, the Pamirs, East Turkestan and Tian Shan mountain regions. They had to collect two thousand world class specimens of nearly all animals hunted, including new world records for ibex, Ovis Poli, Marco Polo for the Field Museum in Chicago that funded their expedition. After arriving in Srinagar in May 1925, the Roosevelt brothers were received by two most important members of their team: Rahim Lone and Khalil Lone, the two brothers from Bandipora who were famous for their hunting skills.
“Thus, with Rahima and his brother Khalil, native hunters whom I had secured through Douglas Burden,” the Roosevelt brothers write in their acclaimed travelogue East of the Sun and West of the Moon that chronicles their fascinating hunting-cum-scientific expedition in the Kashmir Himalayas , “the important members in our party were assembled. These last two had been Burden’s shikaries during a most successful hunting trip which he made a few years ago.” ‘Tall and lean,’ the Roosevelt brothers write about the Lone brothers, ‘they were the very type of the ideal shikary.’
Besides proving the historic friendships and strong associations of Kashmiris with the outside world, the book also throws light on the anthropological details of the northern region of Kashmir valley around that period. Co-authored by Roosevelt brothers, East of the Sun and West of the Moon was published by Charles Scribner’s Sons soon after the completion of their expedition in 1926. The richly illustrated book, spanning over 284 pages, has a picture of Lone brothers and Roosevelt brothers on its cover. Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt was the eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt. A veteran of two world wars, he was an American political and business leader. He also served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of Puerto Rico (1929–32), Governor-General of the Philippines (1932–33). A veteran of both the 20th century’s world wars, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Theodore Roosevelt died on July 12, 1944. Kermit Roosevelt, another son of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, was an explorer on two continents with his father. A businessman, a writer and graduate of Harvard University, he served as a soldier in two world wars. He fought a long battle with depression and alcoholism, and eventually committed suicide.
During their expedition the Roosevelt bothers were ably supported and accompanied by Lone brothers. Together they covered some important mileposts in their expedition from Srinagar to Leh and over to notable mountain passes like Khargung, Karokarm and into Yarkand (Chinese Turkestran), north eastwards to Muzart Passin, the Tian Shan range (the boundary of Chinese and Russian Turkestan), emerging yet again through Muzart Pass, touching Kashgar on the way to Pamirs, down south passing through Killian Pass into Misgar, and continuing predominantly southward to Gilgit, Astore and over Burzil Pass into Minimarg, Gurez, Koragbal and Bandepoor – a distance of about 4400 kilometres.
In May 1925, after travelling to Bombay, Roosevelt brothers entered Srinagar from Rawalpindi. Accompanied by Lone brothers, the expedition party comprised of Roosevelt brothers, scientist George R. Kerrie and photographer Suydam. Four days after they reached Srinagar, they started off their journey to Leh. “We made our plans therefore to march together to Leh and thence over the Karakoram pass,” the brothers write in their book. “On May 19, we loaded our food and our scientific equipment onto the ponies. And set off up the Sind valley.”
In their book Theodore and Kermit document in detail the difficulties they faced during their arduous expedition in the Himaliyan Mountains. During their 25 day climb over the Himaliyas, they write, “hardly anyone believed it was possible for us to make the journey so early in the session. I know of no other white expedition that has done so, then there were times when change on weather or a rise of a few inches in a river would have placed us in a very serious situation.” In spite of all this, the brothers write, ‘without the loss of man or an important piece of baggage we had crossed “the everlasting hills”, and were on our way to the plains of Turkestan.’
Throughout their seven month journey the Lone brothers travelled on foot and helped Roosevelt brothers in collecting various specimens, hunting prized animals, besides taking care of their expenses. In their book the Roosevelt brothers praise Lone brothers and the skills they exhibited throughout their expedition. To his many qualities, they write about Rahim, he superadded that of diplomacy. “A born diplomat, he managed to be ever smoothing our way, and yet getting us along with amazing speed, for which he finally realized the necessity,” they write about Rahim. “He watched over the finances with eagle eye, and time and gain saved us many rupees. Not only did he cut down the large expenditures, but he also kept well under control the small daily sums that have such a tendency to mount.”
At many places in the book the Roosevelt brothers praise the bravery and daredevilry skills of Rahim Lone in particular. “I jumped into the water,” Roosevelt writes at one place about a difficult pass on their journey, “Luckily the Chinese soldier came close and I grabbed his hand. I was carried off my feet by the current, but Kermit and Rahima Loon arrived on the run, and between us we succeeded in pulling him out. Rahima plunged in without a moment’s hesitation, although he cannot swim a stroke.”
All along their journey the brothers praise the men they had brought with them from Kashmir. “The best of these was Rahima Loon, our head shikarry,” they further compliment his hunting skills. “He had the dignity that is peculiar to the best type of Oriental. He was tall and slight, with a black beard and hawk nose. He knew game and its habits thoroughly. He also had courage. Rarer than all these in the East, he was economical with our money. He unquestionably saved us many hundreds of rupees during the trip. He had been taken to England by one of the “sahibs” with whom he had hunted, and had a general knowledge of the world that far exceeded that of any of the others. He was cautious in his statements and refused to prophesy as to game.”
The Roosevelt brothers also write about how Rahim Lone could communicate in English as well as in Urdu language. “When we asked him what we should find in any particular place,” the brothers write in their book, “he almost invariably would reply: “We go lookumsee !”. “Rahima Loon and Khalil spoke English which in quality much resembled our Urdu. The result was that at times we had difficulty in understanding each other,” they write. “This was particularly so when one of the shikaries would try to point out game to us. At best it is hard to see the game they have found. Their eyes are so good that a tiny dot which looks like a rock to the white hunter is recognized at once by them as an ibex. Their favorite method of placing animals was to say in English: “There, just by white e-stone,” the brothers write about Rahim, adding that he was a “true sportsman”, who “in his younger days hunted with Kennion and had many a tale to tell of the remarkable stalks that the Major had made.”
On their return to the valley via Gurez, the brothers describe the heartwarming reception Lone brothers received in their native Bandipur. “Once in the valley we had a four-mile walk to the cluster of houses where Rahima and Khalid lived,” they write about their return to the valley, having successfully completing their seven-month expedition to the Himalayas and beyond. “As we cut through the villages the inmates hurried out to greet Rahima and ask him news of our success. It was his triumphant homecoming, and, though enjoying it to the full, he maintained a stoical and expressionless dignity throughout.” “That afternoon the kitchen at Rahima’s and Khalil’s saw no idle moment,” they write. “There was no pause in the chatter of pots and pants, and no halt in the roasting and boiling and basting and all the intricacies of the preparation of a Kashmir feast.”
Even before he headed the expedition of Roosevelt brothers, many royal letters were found to be addressed to Rahim Lone. They comprise of various communications and recommendation letters that date back to 1880 to 1950. High profile dignitaries from all over the world, who visited Kashmir around that time, sought the advice and company of Rahim Lone. The letters, some of which are still preserved at their ancestral home in Bandipora, are a testimony to the fact that Rahim Lone was well connected not only with the Britishers in India but also with other European and American people. “The other letters with me reveal that Haji Rahim Lone was a contractor and Forest leser,” says Dr. Amin Malik who is related to the Lone family from his paternal and maternal side. “He had been involved with the construction of roads and buildings in Yarkand and Gulmargh Huts. He had some works allotted in Karachi also,” says Dr. Malik who has earlier wrote about their exploits (GK, July 26) in response to Sohail Iqbal’s article “The Hunting Trailblazers” (GK, July 23, 2013). Besides other letters from Delhi, Ambala etc reveal that Rahim Lone had also been running cloth business in Bandipora. As per some old men in Bandipora, Rahim Lone had been the richest man in those times. “He was also a religious man and a generous one who always helped the poor and the needy,” says Dr. Malik.
The legend of Lone Brothers, especially of Rahim Lone, has grown bigger among his relatives after they came to know of their adventurous exploits. Abdul Waheed Lone, who is one of the grandsons of Rahim Lone, says his grandfather was a great personality. Although he never saw him, he heard a great deal about him from his elders and people of Bandipora. “They say he was a well-known contractor and would often go hunting with his brother Khalil Lone,” says Waheed. Fond of hunting since his youth, Rahim Lone practiced hunting in the jungles of Bandipora. His expeditions with foreigners lasted for months and he travelled with them to places like Baluchistan, Gilgit and some areas of Azad Kashmir. “He even built a two-storey guest house for his travelers in Bandipora. After their hunting trips, the travelers would retire to the guestrooms and enjoy their catch,” says Waheed. “He travelled to Germany, USA and Saudi Arabia and the things he brought from these trips are still with us,” he says.
“He was a great man, a doting father who was very rich, famous and hard working,” says Ghulam Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Bandipora who is also related to Lone brothers. Bhat used to be a hunter in his early years. He says Rahim Lone’s fellow travelers those days were mostly Americans and he (Lone) used to travel to China and Central Asia with them. “I have heard that his expeditions lasted for 4-6 months at a time,” says Bhat. “So he made around one or two trips a year because many places back then were accessible only through roads that were in very bad conditions.”
“He died before I was born so unfortunately I couldn’t see him,” says Dr. Abdul Qayoom Lone, the second grandson of Rahim Lone, “but everybody says that he was a great explorer and loved hunting.” He says Rahim started hunting when he was 15or 16-year-old. “He travelled to Zanskar, Leh but mostly he went to Central Asia through the Silk route,” says Dr. Qayoom. “He wasn’t very well read but I’m told that because of his close interaction with foreigners he could speak English and many other languages quite fluently.” He was friends with many of these foreigners, he says, so he would often go abroad to meet them. Dr Qayoom Lone says his parental house in Bandipora was named ‘dewan khana.’ “Rahim Lone built two halls in it to entertain his friends and to organize functions and gatherings of the villagers,” he says. “He even arranged marriage ceremonies there.”
“Apart from Roosevelt brothers, many famous dignitaries in the previous years, including the English people, often visited their residence,” says Dr. Muhammad Amin Malik, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Physics, Amar Singh College, Srinagar. Rahim Lone was his mother’s maternal grandfather and Khalil Lone, his father’s maternal grandfather. Dr. Malik says Rahim Lone was a contractor by profession and the richest man in the area at that time and Khalil Lone was a professional and a legendry hunter. “It is also believed that the first commander in chief of free India General K.M. Cariappa had also visited the Lone brothers in connection with the hunting expedition,” he says.
Dr. Amin Malik believes the book “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” provides rich source of information about the habitat of our wild animals and the flora and fauna existing then. The expedition party also had an American naturalist with them. “The amount of personal effort and exposure to harsh conditions, high altitudes, and extreme cold for 7 months has not been equaled before or since,” says Dr. Malik.
Besides documenting the ecological and environmental history of this region, Dr. Malik says the book shows the western connections with the valley through central Asia at that time. He says there’s a need to re-discover the silk-route to re-link Jammu and Kashmir with Central Asia and open a new chapter of socio-economic development. ‘Ancient Kashmir’, he adds, was historically much better connected with its Northern neighbors than the present ‘Modern Kashmir’. “It is a fact that the various hunting expeditions in the past reveal that we had strong connections with the west through central Asia,” he says.
Thus the expedition that had started on foot from Srinagar on May 19, 1925 finally concluded on November 8, 1925, in Bandipora. Next day the Roosevelt brothers travelled to Srinagar. “That evening our wives met us at Srinagar, and our expedition into central Asia was a closed chapter,” the brothers write at the end of their book that documents their central Asian expedition, “a memory of glorious days on the high Himalayas, of long stalks, some successful, some otherwise, of bitter-cold days and sung evenings in Kirghiz yourts; a kaleidoscope of toil and achievement that only experience can purchase.”
According to their relatives and those who knew the legendry brothers in Bandipora, Rahim Lone and Khalil Lone died in 1950s. Rahim was around 90-year-old, while Khalil was 85 at the time of his death.
