Many of the royal gardens owed their origin to the fact that they were specially designed to accommodate the Court on the constant royal progresses entailed by the vast size of the Empire. Where there was no garden kept in readiness against the coming of the Emperor even the temporary camp was carefully pitched with that regard for form, combined with a beautiful site, of which the Mughals were so mindful. Bernier, the French physician, travelling in the train of the Emperor Aurungzeb to Kashmir, mentions how 'one of the Peeche-Kanes has no sooner reached the place intended for the new encampment than the grand Quartermaster selects some fine situation for the King's tents, paying, however, as much attention as possible to the exact symmetry of the whole camp. He then marks out a square, each side of which measures more than three hundred ordinary paces. A hundred pioneers presently clear and level this space, raising square platforms of earth on which they pitch the tents. The whole of this extensive square is then encompassed with kanates or screens. The kanates are made of strong cloth lined with printed Indian calico, representing large vases of flowers.'
