Kashmir Silhouettes From the Past

 

The name Kashmir conjures up various images before our mind's eye. Some of us, particularly those who belong to the valley or have visited the place, are reminded of the unparalleled beauty of the valley. We have a saying in Persian "Agar firdaus bar roo-е zameenast, hameenast-o hameenast-o hameenast" translating to "If there be paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here,"! Sir Auriel Stein (1862-1943), the well-known Hungarian born British archaeologist and translator of Rajtarangini, says," Kashmir is a country where there is not a place as large as a grain of seasam without a Tirtha (Shrine)". Many of us are reminded of movies like Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), Bobby (1973), KabhiKabhi (1976) and numerous others; the romantic movies of 1960s and 70s mostly carried shots of the valley's mesmerizing snow filled mountains, blooming gardens, and lush meadows! To those amongst us inclined politically, ever since India attained independence in 1947, Kashmir has remained as an unfinished agenda of the partition - something that has been a festering wound, coveted by a jealous neighbour which fought three specific wars (1947-48, 1965 and 1999 Kargil intrusion) besides stoking armed insurgency in the name of religion! Kashmir valley has a unique distinction-it is a cup shaped valley to a very large extent, with huge mountain ranges cutting it off from the plains. Its coordinates are: latitude 33° and 35°N, and longitude 73° and 76°E. To the south-west is the Pir Panjal Range and to the north-east, the mighty Himalayas. Technically, it is defined as an 'intermontane' valley, 135 km long, 32 km wide and drained by the River Jhelum (original name -Vitasta). Since ages, the approach to the valley was through areas that are now in Pakistan. The Mogul Kings would come to Kashmir quite often but via what is known as the Old Mogul Road (via Buffliaz in Poonch & Shopian in Kashmir) and linking often to Lahore/ Rawalpindi. The road cuts across the mighty Pir Panjal Range (altitude 13000-14000 ft) at Peer-ki-Gali pass (11500 ft) and would be closed, in earlier times for the 6-8 months of winter! Sources of Ancient and Medieval Kashmir's History: Apart from epigraphical sources (stone etchings, coins, murals, excavations etc), several written texts like the Nilmat Puran (5th Century) and Rajtarangini, a book on history composed by Pandit Kalhan in 12th Century are two of the most prominent sources of history about Kashmir. It might be of interest to note that Kalhan is acknowledged as India's FIRST AUTHENTIC HISTORIAN! We have writings of Chinese monk Hiuen Tsang who stayed in Kashmir between 631-633 AD. Later day historians like Jonaraja (1389-1459), Shrivara (1459-86), Prajya Bhatt, and Shuka carried out the task of writing history till Kashmir was conquered by the Mughals. Abul Fazal's books Akbarnama&Aiene-Akbari mention details about Akbar's conquest of Kashmir. Three Persian books, Behristan-i-Shahi (translated by Dr KN Pandita), Tarikhi-i-Kashmir by Hasan b Ali and Vaakat e Kashmir by Muhammad Azam Dedmari(1753 AD) shed some light about the events between 14th and 19th century Kashmir under Islamic rule! Greek classics of Ptolemy, Dionysios, Hekataios and Herodotos also mention Kashmir. This may be related to the period when the power of the dynasty ruling Kashmir extended much beyond its borders. Origin of Kashmir Valley: Geologically, Kashmir Valley is a result of tectonic activity, specifically the uplift of the Pir Panjal and Zanskar mountain ranges, which created a depression that became a lake. Both Pandit Kalhan (12th Century), Nilmat Puran and the of India First -Authentic a son of Kashmir Historian Rajtarangini, claim that the lake, known as Satisar was drained by Sage Kashyap by cutting the mountains at Varahmulla (modern Baramulla) and as the lake receded, it left behind sediment-rich deposits, creating the fertile land that characterizes the valley. Rulers of Kashmir: Kashmir is an ancient land - earliest mention we find is in Mahabharat. Shree Krishna is said to have coronated Queen Yashovati (Gonanda Dynasty) as the ruler of Kashmir with Himself as her protector! Rajtarangini (A river of Kings), in its 8000 verses, has mentioned kings (and queens) and dynasties that have ruled Kashmir from the Mahabharat times till 12th century! The first dynasty Rajtarangini mentions is the Gonanda Dynasty which ruled Kashmir for almost 1266 yrs, starting 1400 BC. Ashoka the Great (304 BC-232 BC) is said to have included Kashmir into the Mauryan Kingdom. He and his son are credited with having established the city of Srinagar. Mauryan Empire was followed by the Kushan Empire (1-3rd Century). Kanishka, the greatest King of the dynasty organized the Fourth Council of Buddhism in the year 72 CE in Kashmir. Kashmir was also ruled by the Huns (6th century) and King Vikramaditya of Ujjain briefly! It was during King Harshavardhana's rule that the Chinese monk Hiuen Tsang stayed in Kashmir (631-633 CE). Karkota Dynasty ruled Kashmir between 625-855 CE, followed by the Utpala Dynasty (855-1012) and the Lohara Dynasty (1003-1339). Emperor Lalitaditya Muktpida(724-760 CE) of the Karkota Dynasty expanded his empire to cover several parts of India, today's Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia. Lalitaditya is also credited with building of Martand Temple, dedicated to the Sun God! Islam gained political power in 1339, turning it into an Islamic Sultanate. Shahmir Dynasty (1339-1561) was followed by Mughals (1586- 1752) and the torrid Durrani (Afghans)(1752- 1819). Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled Kashmir briefly (1819-1846) followed by the Dogras (1846-1947). Since 1947, the Abdullah dynasty has mostly ruled J&K! The Glory of Ancient Kashmir - A Garden where Knowledge Bloomed: From its inception, Kashmir valley evolved as a garden where knowledge bloomed. Thus, we find intellectual giants flourishing in Kashmir poets, philosophers, spiritualists, and authors! Bharat Muni, the celebrated author of Natya Sastra, Acharya Charak the author of Charak Samhita, Panini the grammarian, Acharya Patanjali-sage of grammar and Yoga, Acharya Vasugupt of Shiv Sutras fame, Acharya Abhinavagupta, the famous philosopher-poet cum Trik Shaivism sage, Pt Vishnu Sharma, author of Panchatantra, Acharya Kumarjiva, the Buddhist monk who translated Sanskrit texts into Chinese - all have a Kashmir connect. That Yoga Vasishtha traces its origin to Kashmir may come as a pleasant surprise to some; this book has had an immense and enduring impact on the evolution of philosophy and thought in India. Kashmir had the privilege of having the Sharada Peeth University, located. about 135 km from Srinagar, in what is known as the Kishen Ganga Valley. It was at par with the other famous universities of ancient India like Nalanda and Takshashila. Sharada University attracted students and scholars from not just across India but also from different parts of Remnants of the Glorious the world, including, University of Sharada from Greece, Peetham (currently in POJK) Mesopotamia, Central Asia, Tibet, and China. It housed more than 5000 scholars and housed the biggest library of those times. It may surprise some of you that the Tibetan script owes its origin to Sharada University! In fact, the currently spoken Punjabi language and script have a strong link to Sharada Language-Script that is native to Kashmir. One of India's foremost Advait philosophers-Adi Shankaracharya (788-820 CE) visited Kashmir and was put through religious debates(shastrarth) at the Sharada University with Jain, Buddhist and Shaivite scholars before he was allowed to open the Dakshin Dwar at Sharada Peeth. Kashmir visit transformed Adi Shankar by exposing him to the concept of Shakti and it was in Kashmir that Adi Shanka created his magnum opus "Saundarya Lahiri". In Srinagar city, we have an ancient temple built on a hill called Gopadri Hill - this temple is dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya; today, the hill too is known as the Shankaracharya Hill!

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Courtesy:  Sanjeev Munshi and Koshur Samachar-2025, May