Shirya Bhatt Bhishma Pitamaha of Kashmiri Pandits  

Sarwananda Kaul Premi 

                  (Our Saviour in the 15th Century)

(The birth anniversary of Pandit Shirya Bhatt, the saviour of Kashmiri Pandits and messiah for Kashmir during the fifteenth century, was observed on Navreh which came off on April 1, 1995. We reproduce hereunder an article on this saviour of our community by the late Sarwanand Kaul Premi published in 'Martand" (English Weekly), Srinagar on 11th April, 1984, Editor)

Warbans, atrocities and unjust and unfair Tho is not aware or not in of brutality, rule of kings and governors-foreigners and non- Kashmiris-in Kashmir between the 12th and 15th centuries A.D. During these hundreds of years, the in Kashmir, particularly the Brahmins, known now as Kashmiri Pandits, suffered the worst and were subjected to the greatest injustices, cruelty and inhuman treatment. The treacherous rule and invasions of Halaku Khans, Changez Khans, Shahmirs, Rinchans and Sikanders is all a part of history, a history which no sane person can ignore,

The Brahmins of Kashmir then, the Kashmir Pandits, were spiritualists, religious-minded, tolerant, God believing and God-fearing compassionate and highly cultured. Ancient Kashmir has produced historians, poets, spiritual giants, dramatists and prose-writers in Sanskrit.

Kalhana's Rajatarangini is a world famous Sanskrit odyssey in verse. Khamendra, Jonaraja, Shrivara, Prayga Bhatt have been great historians. Mamata, Rudrata, Vagha Bhatt, Anandavardhan have been poets of great repute and Charak, author of a book on medicine. Abhinavagupta, Jairatha, Shivopadya, Ratnakanth and Balbhatta have written books on Shiva philosophy. And Somadeva has been the great and reputed author of the valuable Brahaskatha.

I have given names of only a few of the illustrious sons of Kashmir of yore. And this is the heritage which we boast of. Unfortunately their valuable and parallelled works were very mercilessly destroyed by fanatics and lunatics during the 12-15th centuries. The following cruel incidents during this period are historical facts:

1. Eleven families of Kashmir-Kashiri hundi Kaah gara-is still a household saying. This reminds us of a period when Hindus in Kashmir were eliminated to such an extent that only eleven families could survive by concealing themselves and living by natural means.

2. At one stage about sixty thousand Kashmiri Hindus, most of them Brahmins, were rendered fugitives and forced to leave the Valley. While passing through Khur Batapora, Pir Panjal Pass, they all perished in cold and snow and a place where they were cremated by being thrown into flames is known as Batagaji (fire place of Batas-Kashmiri Hindus).

3. On another occasion, about seventy thousand Kashmiri Hindus were forced to leave the Valley and migrate to places outside Kashmir, their hearth and home. On reaching Batote, Batavota, they got divided. Some went towards Bhaderwah and Kishtwar, some took the route to Reasi and Poonch, and others left for the plains towards Lahore etc. and settled at different places away from the Valley.

4. Temples, shrines and Vihaars were destroyed, demolished and desecrated and Sikandar 'Butshikan', the iconoclast, the breaker of idols, went to such an extent that he would not even tolerate the blowing of conches in temples and houses. He was the worst of the lot for Hindus in Kashmir.

5. Searches were made in Hindu houses and heaps, bag-loads of religious books, manuscripts and other valuable books were seized and thrown into the Dal Lake.

6. Mounds of the holy thread, the Janyu, were collected and burnt in the presence of the Hindus from whom these were snatched by the cruel, unust and intolerant rulers, Sikandar, the iconoclast, particularly.

These have been the tragedies which befell the Hindus of Kashmir. One after the other ruler proved so much intolerant of the other faith (Hinduism) that most of them earned notoriety in the pages of history between the 12th and fifteenth centuries A.D. for persecution of Hindus and destruction of cultural objects. Physical as well as mental torture had become a routine for the Hindus at the hands of the then rulers.

There are numerous horrible and terrifying tales scattered through the pages of history till Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin took over the reigns of power in the Valley. It was 1423 A.D. He ruled for about fifty years till 1473 A.D. This gave some relief, mental, social, physical to the Hindus, though the king was of the same clan. A story according to which this king changed his mind and attitude towards Hindus and came to be called Budshah, the great king and Batashah, the king of Batas (Kashmiri Hindus) goes like this.

One day one of the princes in a boat in the river Jhelum threw a pebble at the earthen jar full of water which was being carried by a Hindu lady at the Alikadal Ghat. The jar did not break nor did water flow out. The prince fainted and fell ill. The Sultan came to know of the happening and thus of the spiritual power of the lady. He went to her husband, begged pardon from both the husband and wife and requested them to cure the prince. Later, the king himself fell ill and all the royal physicians could not cure him. Fortunately, Shirya Bhatt, a great physician of the time living in obscurity was found out by the king's men and made to treat him. Shirya Bhatt succeeded when others had failed and Zain-ul-Abidin rose up, a changed man and king. Shirya Bhatt accepted no reward for himself and made the Sultan accept the following three requests instead:

1. All temples and places of worship be restored to Hindus.

2. All unjust taxes be withdrawn.

3. All those Hindus who had fled from the valley be called back, allowed to re-settle in Kashmir, and all their movable and immovable properties be restored to them.

The Sultan proved true to his word. All the requests of Shirya Bhatt, including the three major ones indicated above, were accepted. Thus started a new life for Hindus of Kashmir. Many of those who had left under suppression and depression started coming back and settling once again as before in their homeland. All temples, shrines, places of worship were restored to them. Jazia and other taxes were withdrawn. King Zain-ul-Abidin came thus to be known as Batashah, or Badshah, which appellation is even now attached to his name. Not only that, Badshah, with Shirya Bhatt as one of his ministers, ushered in a period of peace and prosperity in Kashmir when handicrafts, trade and other activities of life flourished, benefitting both the Musalmans and the Hindoos.

This all could become possible because of the selflessness and the spirit of sacrifice of Shirya Bhatt. He could have asked for wealth and other amenities for himself and his family, but he refused to demand anything for himself and instead came to the rescue of the battered community and also changed the course of history of Kashmir.

Shirya Bhatt is alive, Amar, for us to this day. He will be ever fresh in the memory of every Kashmiri Pandit, for whom he was the Bhishma Pitamaha of the 2nd millenium BC. A mohalla in down-town Srinagar, near Vicharnag, named after him, still commemmorates Shirya Bhatt.

Let us join to pay homage to Shirya Bhatt. Let us take an oath that we will rise above our selfish interests and serve the community and our motherland as Shirya Bhatt did in the fourteenth century. Tathastu.

(Pandit Sarwanand Kaul 'Premi' was done to death, along with his one son, by Kashmiri terrorists on May 1, 1995.)

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Courtesy:- Sarwananda Kaul 'Premi , 'Martand" (English Weekly), 11th April, 1984 and April-May 1995 Koshur Samachar