Have you ever sat down to eat your plate of rice (batta) and wondered where it first came from? Most of us rarely think about the origins of the foods we consume every day. We simply assume that the crops growing in Kashmir today must have always existed here. But the story is far more fascinating. As a matter of fact, most of our major food plants were brought in from faraway lands over thousands of years, travelling along the routes carved by our ancestors.
The early inhabitants of Kashmir lived in a landscape rich with forests. They had plenty of local wood for fuel, shelter and tools. But when it came to food, the valley offered only limited options—mainly wild fruits and greens. Almost all the crops that form the backbone of our diet, such as wheat, barley, rice, peas, lentils, moong and mash, were first domesticated elsewhere in Asia and later introduced into Kashmir. These plants did not simply appear here; they followed ancient routes, moving slowly through human and cultural contact.
Understanding how these plants reached the valley gives us a window into the long and complex history of human migration across the Himalayas. It also reminds us that Kashmir, despite its mountains, has never been isolated from the world.
Crossing the Himalayas:
It is easy to imagine the mighty Himalayas as an unbroken wall separating Kashmir from its neighbours. But archaeological discoveries tell a different story. People were crossing these mountains thousands of years before agriculture began.
In 1936, the renowned scientist Birbal Sahni wrote an important paper in Current Science titled “The Himalayan uplift since the advent of man: its culthistorical significance,” arguing that during the Middle Pleistocene period, when the Karewa lake still covered large parts of Kashmir, early humans lived:
• in the northern plains of Punjab,
• along the ancient shores of the Karewa lake, and
• beyond the Great Himalayan range.
This suggests a continuous movement of people on both sides of the mountains. Supporting evidence came from similar stone tools belonging to the Palaeolithic period, found at Pampur, Kargil and near Rawalpindi, indicating that ancient communities were travelling across the Himalayas using natural passes.
In simple words, the mountains did not stop ancient people. They travelled for hunting and exploration, carrying with them knowledge and culture.
The ancient highways of the world and Kashmir
To understand how crops travelled into the valley, we must look at the network of ancient routes linked to Kashmir. These were not simple footpaths but major arteries of early civilisation.
The most famous among them was the Silk Route—the legendary highway that connected China with Central Asia, West Asia, India and Europe. Kashmir was never far from this network. In fact, three major routes connected the valley with the wider world:
1. The Northwestern Route (Baramulla–Muzaffarabad)
This road connected Kashmir with the plains to the west and southwest. It linked to regions influenced by the Indus Valley Civilisation and later facilitated movement to West Asia.
2. The Gilgit–Chitral Route
This was one of the most important corridors between Kashmir and Central Asia. Through this route came traders, armies, Buddhist monks and, of course, plant species adapted to cold, temperate climates.
3. The Leh–Karakoram Route
This route connected the valley with Tibet and Sinkiang (Xinjiang, China). It met the Silk Route at several points and carried goods like silk, horses and precious stones—and also the seeds and saplings of fruit trees.
Historical accounts also tell us that Kashmiri merchants sailed down the Jhelum and the Indus rivers all the way to the Arabian Sea, giving the valley yet another channel of exchange.
How our major crops arrived in Kashmir
By studying the origins of different plants and comparing ancient cultures, researchers have traced the likely pathways through which various crops reached Kashmir. The story reveals a rich tapestry of connections with distant lands.
1. From West Asia: Wheat, barley, peas and lentils
The Fertile Crescent—stretching across modern-day Iraq, Syria and Iran—is known as the “cradle of agriculture.” This region gave the world wheat, barley and many pulses. These crops likely travelled to Kashmir through the Indus Valley Civilisation (Harappans), whose influence extended deep into northern India. Archaeological similarities between Harappan artefacts and objects found at Burzahom, Gufkral and Semthan support this cultural contact.
2. From Central Asia and China: Almond, apricot, peach, mulberry, grapevine and millets
Many of the celebrated fruits of Kashmir came from Central Asia. These include almond, apricot, peach, grapevine and mulberry. These plants are suited to cool, dry climates similar to parts of Central Asia and most probably entered Kashmir via Gilgit, Ladakh and the Karakoram passes.
Even the iconic Chinar tree (Platanus orientalis), often associated with Kashmir’s cultural identity, has its origins in the Mediterranean and likely came through Central Asia.
3. From the Indian Plains: Rice, dwarf wheat, fig
Rice was domesticated in a vast region that included the Indo-Gangetic plains and gradually moved northwards through the foothills of the Himalayas to reach the valley. Other plants like Triticum sphaerococcum (Indian dwarf wheat) and Ficus species (fig) also came through this region.
A valley formed by connections
When we look at the story of how these plants reached Kashmir, we discover something much bigger than agriculture. We see that the valley has always been connected with cultures around it—West Asia, Central Asia, Tibet, China and the Indian plains. People were exchanging goods, ideas, languages and technologies long before the modern era.
The rice and pulses in our bowl, the almonds, apricots and peaches in our gardens, and the wheat in our bakery all carry memories of ancient journeys. They remind us that Kashmir’s civilisation is built on movement, exchange and openness—not isolation.
In understanding the origins of our crops, we also understand the deep roots of our cultural identity: a cultural crucible, a beautiful blend shaped by thousands of years of contact with the outside world.
The writer is a former civil servant who has served in several senior roles in J&K, including Chairman of the J&K Public Service Commmission
