Traditional Kashmiri houses used timber in two distinct ways to help masonry walls cope with earthquake shaking. Dhajji-Dewari divided masonry infill into small panels inside a timber frame; Taq embedded horizontal timber runners in load-bearing masonry to tie walls together with floors. Reports after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake describe examples of these systems surviving where adjacent portions failed—but those observations do not prove either system is earthquake-proof or establish a survival rate.
How did old Kashmiri houses survive earthquakes?
Their construction could limit the way brittle masonry failed. Instead of relying on a large, uninterrupted masonry wall, these systems used timber to subdivide, confine or connect the masonry. That can help a building retain more of its structure as cracks form, rather than allowing damage to spread unchecked.
The two approaches were different: Dhajji-Dewari used a timber frame around small masonry infill panels, while Taq used horizontal timber runners within load-bearing masonry walls. Neither detail alone guarantees safety. Performance also depends on workmanship, materials, building configuration, maintenance and site conditions.
What is Dhajji-Dewari construction?
Dhajji-Dewari is a timber frame filled with masonry, commonly brick or stone. Timber studs and other framing members break the wall into relatively small panels instead of leaving a broad, continuous expanse of infill.
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In an account of the 2005 earthquake, the studs are described as helping arrest progressive destruction and limiting the spread of diagonal shear cracks. Close spacing also reduces the chance that thin masonry will fail out of plane—that is, fall outward from the wall. The underlying idea is confinement and subdivision: damage may remain more localized instead of a large brittle wall section breaking away. National Institute of Disaster Management, Kashmir earthquake report; 2005 earthquake field account.
What is Taq construction?
Taq, also written Taqq, is a load-bearing masonry system with horizontal timber runners embedded in its walls, commonly at floor levels. The runners tie the walls together with the floors and contribute to lateral resistance—the ability to resist forces acting sideways during shaking.
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Unlike Dhajji-Dewari, Taq does not make a complete timber frame around small infill panels. Its timber elements lace the masonry walls together. The distinction matters: the systems use timber differently, even though both aim to help a masonry building remain more coherent under lateral movement. National Institute of Disaster Management, Kashmir earthquake report; 2005 earthquake field account; The Seismic Attributes of Traditional Construction in Kashmir (1990).
How do Dhajji-Dewari and Taq differ?
| Feature | Dhajji-Dewari | Taq (Taqq) |
|---|---|---|
| Timber arrangement | A timber frame subdivides the wall into small masonry infill panels. | Horizontal timber runners are embedded in load-bearing masonry, commonly at floor levels. |
| How timber engages the masonry | The frame confines and divides infill. | Runners tie masonry walls to one another and to floors. |
| Damage-control logic described in field accounts | Studs can limit crack spread and progressive destruction; close spacing reduces the chance of thin infill falling out of plane. | Wall-and-floor ties and the runners’ contribution to lateral resistance help the masonry structure act more cohesively. |
| What earthquake observations establish | Some traditional portions survived shaking that damaged adjacent portions; this is not a controlled performance comparison. | Some traditional portions survived shaking that damaged adjacent portions; this is not a controlled performance comparison. |
The documented observations do not support ranking one system as universally safer than the other. Their performance depends on the building and the quality and condition of its construction.
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Why did some Kashmiri houses survive the 2005 earthquake?
Accounts of the 8 October 2005 Kashmir earthquake describe examples in which portions built with Taq or Dhajji-Dewari remained standing while adjacent portions without those features failed. The National Institute of Disaster Management report says buildings using either traditional system were able to withstand the earthquake and describes cases where one portion survived while another gave way. These are field observations, not controlled experiments or a statistical estimate of the chance that a particular building will survive. National Institute of Disaster Management, Kashmir earthquake report; 2005 earthquake field account.
The report criticizes construction that lacked adequate professional knowledge and earthquake-resistant features. That is not evidence that modern materials or code-compliant construction are inherently inferior to traditional building. It points instead to the importance of sound design and detailing.
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Arup’s 2011 project page estimates that over 100,000 homes were reconstructed using Dhajji-Dewari in the area affected by the 2005 earthquake. That is a project-page estimate of reconstruction, not a measured survival or performance statistic. Arup, Dhajji-Dewari housing project.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the historical account say about Kashmiri construction?
A 1990 study on traditional Kashmiri construction reproduces a remark attributed to Arthur Neve, described by the study as a British visitor who witnessed the 1885 Kashmir earthquake. It is an eyewitness observation quoted in a later study, not a controlled engineering analysis:
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“The general construction in the city of Srinagar is suitable for an earthquake country; wood is freely used, and well jointed; clay is employed instead of mortar, and gives a somewhat elastic bonding to the bricks, which are often arranged in thick square pillars, with thinner filling in.”
Arthur Neve, as quoted in The Seismic Attributes of Traditional Construction in Kashmir (1990)
The passage records an observer’s description of materials and construction; it should not be read as proof that every historic house was safe. The Seismic Attributes of Traditional Construction in Kashmir (1990).
What are the limits and hazards of these systems?
- They are not earthquake-proof. Traditional details can help manage damage, but no claim of safety follows automatically from the building’s age or style.
- Condition and workmanship matter. Materials, configuration, maintenance, site conditions and construction quality all affect how a particular building behaves.
- Flexible framing does not remove every danger. A later experimental study of Dhajji-Dewari notes that falling stone can injure occupants. Experimental study of Dhajji-Dewari.
- Historic examples do not certify a present-day building. They do not establish that an existing house is safe or that new construction meets current regulations.
For a decision about an existing house or a new project, ask a qualified local structural professional to assess the specific building and applicable requirements.
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