ruins for the archaeologist.
Pre-Historic Times
According to the oldest
extant book on Kashmir, " Nilmat Puran
", in the Satisar lived a demon called Jalod
Bowa, who tortured and devoured the people, who
lived near mountain slopes. Hearing the suffering
of the people, a great saint of our country,
Kashyap by name, came to the rescue of the people
here. After performing penance for a long time,
the saint was blessed, and he was able to cut the
mountain near Varahmulla, which blocked the water
of the lake from flowing into the plains below.
The lake was drained, the land appeared, and the
demon was killed. The saint encouraged people from
India to settle in the valley. The people named
the valley as Kashyap-Mar and Kashyap-Pura. The
name Kashmir also implies land desicated from
water: "ka" (the water ) and shimeera
(to desicate). The ancient Greeks called it "Kasperia"
and the Chinese pilgrim Hien-Tsang who visited the
valley around 631 A. D. called it KaShi-Mi-Lo
". In modern times the people of Kashmir have
shortened it into "Kasheer" in their
tongue.
Regarding pre-historic
times, Dr. Sunil Chandra Ray writes: "
Pre-historic explorations have discovered the
occurence of quaternary Glacial cycles in the
valley. The chief Geological formation of the
ice-age here are the lacustrine deposits called
the " Karewas ", which overlay the
terminal moraines of the first Glaciation and are
comprised of two groups, Lower and Upper,
differentiated by the moraines of the second
Glaciation. The fossil remains of
Elphas-hysudrious obtained in the lower 'Karewas'
point to lower " Pleistocene age ",
writes De Teera. The neolithic culture is
indicated by the discovery of ground and polished
stone axes, hoes, pestle, and bone implements at
the well-known menhir-site of Burzahom, ten miles
east of , Srinagar. Burazahoma is famous as one of
the only two megalithic sites in the extreme
north-west of Indian sub-continent. We do not
exactly know the Cultural horizon of the
Burazahoma megalithic, nor the Purpose for which
they were erected, but the indications are, they
were put in places towards the end of the
neolithic period at that site, between 400 to 300
B. C."
In 1960, Archaeological
Department of the Govt. of India began systematic
excavation at this site. Near about the siltbed,
pits have been discovered in sections, indicating
a settlement of early Pit dwellers whose date has
tentatively been fixed at 3000 B.C. This is
Perhaps the only known find of such a settlement
in India. It is possible that more valuable data
would be found, when extensive surface diggings
are completed.
Hindu Period
Kalhan has started the
history of Kashmir just before the great
Mahabharat war, and the first King mentioned by
him is Gonanda I, whose initial year of reign he
places in 653 Kali-era, the traditional date of
the coronation of King Yudhistira, the eldest
brother of the Pandvas. Gonanda was killed in a
battle along with his son in India, and at the
time of the commencement of the Mahabharat war,
Gonanda II was ruling Kashmir. After his death,
the great historion informs that the record of 35
kings who ruled the valley could not be traced by
him, because of the destruction of the record.
However a modern scholar Peer Zada Hassan has
given a brief record of these Kings from a Persian
work composed during the time of Sultan
Zainul-Abdeen ( 1420-70 ). The author of this work
Mulla Ahmad had been able to obtain the names of
these kings from an earlier Sanskrit work "
Ratnakar ". The great Mauryan emperor Ashoka
is recorded to have ruled Kashmir, and Kalhan
rightly mentions that the king was a follower of
Buddhism. Ashoka founded the old city of Srinagar
called now as " Pandrethan ", (
Puranadhisthan ) and also build many vihars and
temples and repaired the old shrine. At Vijeshwari
(modern Bijbehra), he built a Shiva Temple, thus
winning the heart of the local population, who
were mostly worshippers of Lord Shiva. It was
Majjhantika, a celebrated Buddhist missionary who
was deputed to Kashmir and Urvasa to preach the
faith of Buddha in those territories. Hien-Tsang
mentions the arrival of 500 monks to Kashmir, and
Ashoka making a gift of the valley to Sangha. Many
Buddhist scholars, missionaries, and intellectuals
permanently settled in the valley. Naturally, in
course of time, many people embraced Buddhism
here. According to local tradition, like Lord Shri
Krishna, Lord Buddha is also supposed to have
visited Kashmir. Writes Sir Charles Elliot in a
book called 'Hinduism and Buddhism': "For
some two centuries after Gautam's death, we have
little information as to the geographical
extension of his doctrine, but some of the
sanskrit versions of the " Vinaya ",
represent him visiting Mathura, north-west India
and Kashmir. After the death of Ashoka, his son
Jaluka ascended the throne of Kashmir, and the
latter was succeeded by his son King Damodar II.
Jaluka was a great king who cleared the valley of
oppressing 'Malechas', ( foreign unclean tribes).
King Damodar lives in our memory even at present,
for the Srinagar Air-port is located at Damodar I
Karewa ', where the king is supposed to have lived
in a big palace and, where again, he was
transformed into a snake by the curse of a
Brahmin. The scholars also, accept the theory that
the valley for over two hundred years was ruled by
Indo-Greek Kings before the start of "
Turushka " ( Kushan ) rule in the state.
Cunningham records a large find of silver coins of
Azes ( and Azilies ) (coins of Indo-Scythians) on
the banks of Vitasta (river Jhelum) in the hills
between Varahmulla and Jhelum. The contact with
the Greeks is responsible for the beautiful
architectural, and sculptural style of old Kashmir
temples, and the coinage of later Kashmir Kings
has also been influenced by this contact. Kalhan's
account of Turushka Kings,indicates without any
doubt the Kushan occupation of the Valley. The
three kings mentioned by him are Huska, Juska, and
Kanishka, each of them is credited with the
foundation of a town, christened after their
respective names : Hushkapura, Jushkapura and
Kanishkapura. The Kushan Kings also built many
temples and Vihars. According to many scholars,
Kanishka held the third great council of the
Buddhist church at " Kundalvan ", (Harwan,
near Shalimar garden) Hien Tsang has given the
proceedings of this council. Nearly 500 Buddhist
and Hindu scholars attended this conference, and a
learned Kashmir Brahmin Vasumitra presided over
its session. Some of the great Buddhist scholars,
who took active part in this council were
Ashvagosha, Nagarjuna, Vasubandu Sugamitra and
Jinamitra. Hien-Tsang praises the intellectual
calibre of the Kashmir scholars, and considered
them as incomparable. The entire proceedings of
the conference were inscribed on copper plates in
Sanskrit, enclosed in stone boxes, deposited in a
Vihar. Like famous Gilgit manuscripts, it is
possible that these copper plates mav be unearthed
in near future, and we would learn much about the
rich cultural history of the valley.
As a result of this
conference, large number of Kashmiri intellectuals
took to missionary work and hundreds of the wisest
sons of the valley carried the torch of Indian
civilisation and culture to many parts of central
Asia, China, Tibet and other places. Dr. P. C.
Bagchi, a noted Indologist and scholar of repute,
writes in his excellent book ' India and China':
" Kashmir takes the leading part in the
transmission of Buddhist thought and traditions
directly to Tibet, and China. The number of
Buddhist scholars who went to China from Kashmir
is larger than that of those who went from other
parts of India. Kashmir was the most flourishing
centre of Buddhist learning in this period. It was
the centre of most powerful Buddhist sect of
Northern India known as 'Sarvastivada'. A few of
the most important Kashmir Missionaries were
Kumarjiva, Yasa, Vima Laksha, Sanghbuti, Gautam
Sangha, Buddviyasa, Buddhijiva, Gunavarman,
Dharamputra and Shyama Bhata.
After Kanishka, local
weak rulers continued to govern the state, till we
hear from Kalhan, the arrival of Mahir-Gul, the
notorious Hun invader of our country. Kalhan
correctly represents him as a savage cruel king,
whose approach became known by the sight of
thousands of vultures, crows and the like in the
sky, eager to feed on those being massacred by his
encircling army. While crossing Pir Panchal pass,
the tyrant rolled down one hundred elephants from
a mountain pass. The shrieks and the yells of the
dying elephants greatly delighted this fiend. Till
the advent of Karkota dynasty (beginning of 8th
Century) the Gonanda dynasty gave Kashmir only two
notable rulers viz. Meghvahan and Pravansein. The
former was a pious and a strong ruler with
Buddhist leanings. He stopped killing of animals
and birds throughout his Kingdom. In fact, he
undertook conquest of many countries solely for
the purpose of stopping animal slaughter. His
chief queen Amrit Prabha built 'Amrit Bhawan'
Vihar for foreign pilgrims and students who came
to Kashmir in large numbers for learning. The next
great King was Praversein II in whose time people
enjoyed perfect peace and prosperity, He was a
great conqueror who extended the boundaries of the
state in all directions. He has made his name
immortal by founding the city of Praverseinpura
(modern city of Srinagar), the summer capital of
the state at present. Praversein ruled ably for 60
years and is supposed to have directly ascended to
heaven while worshipping Lord Shiva in his temple
'Pravesha' now standing in ruins near Hari-Parbat
fort.
It was during the time of
first king of Karkota dynasty, Durlabvardhan that
the oreat Chinese pilgrim, Hien-Tsang visited
Kashmir and entered the valley via Varahmulla
where he found a huge stone gate. The entry of all
outsiders, except the Hindus, was banned in the
state then. Hien-Tsang was given a right royal
reception by the people including the king. He
stayed in Kashmir for nearly two years, studied
Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures at the feet of
learned men here.
It is the Karkota dynasty
that has given Kashmir the greatest ruler
Lalitaditya Muktapid ( 724- 761 A. D.). He is
undoubtedly the Samudra Gupta of Kashmir. He was
filled with an unquenchable thirst of world
conquest. He invaded and conquered many countries
in Asia and India. The Punjab, Kanuj, Tibet,
Ladhak, Badakshan, Iran, Bihar, Gauda (Bengal)
Kalinga (Orissa), South India, Gujarat, Malwa,
Marwar and Sindh were all conquered by him. It was
he, who finally broke the power of Arabs in Sindh.
All these unbroken victories created a feeling of
pride among the people here and his victories came
to be celebrated in a big way. Kalhan who wrote
his famous chronicle (Rajatarangini) nearly four
hundred years after the death of Lalitaditya,
records that even in his time the victories of the
great victor were being celebrated throughout the
valley. Alberuni, who accompanied Mahmud Gaznavi
in his Indian Campaigns, specifically mentions in
his book ( Tahqiq-i-Hind ) that Kashmiris observed
second of Chaitra, as the day of victory.
Lalitaditya was equally a great builder and he
built his capital near the sacred shrine of
Khir-Bhawani, and gave it the name of Parihaspur
(city of pleasure). Throughout the valley, he
built very fine and massive temples, out of which
the world famous sun temple (Martand) built on
Mattan Karewa, reminds us about the granduer and
splendour of the times when their builder ruled
the state. The extensive ruins of his capital city
Parihaspur, speak of his activities in the field
of art and architecture. After his death, it is
mostly the weak rulers except his grand son
Jayatida, who ruled the valley. Both Lalitaditya,
and Jayatida were great patrons of learning and
extended their partonage to Bhavabhuti, Vakpatrija,
Udhata Bhata, Damodhar Gupta, Manoratha,
Sankhdanta and Samadhimat etc. The history of
Karkota dynasty after Jayatida is a sad story of
decline. All the conquered territories regained
their independence, and the sovereignty of the
ruler of Kashmir came to be confined to Vitasta
basin. The economic ruin was hastened by the
extravagant habits of both the rulers and the
ministers. In the words of Kalhan : " the
ministers and the grandees carried-off the
revenues of the country, feasted in mutal jealousy
on the masterless kingdom, like wolves on a dead
buffalo in a desert. " Inspite of all this
the Karkota rule on the whole has been considered
as the glorious and remarkable periods of ancient
Kashmir. Laments Dr. P. C. Ray that " never
before the Karkota period, had Kashmir performed
such a feat, nor was she able to repeat it in
future."
It was round about in
855-56 A. D. that Karkota rule ended, and a new
Utpal Dynasty assumed power in Kashmir. The most
important ruler of this dynasty was Maharaja
Avanti-verman. It was he, who recovered Kashmir
from utter political and economic disorder. His
reign witnessed a period of peace and
consolidation and prosperity. It was during this
time, that the valley rose to great heights in the
realm of philosophy, artand letters. There was an
outburst of literary activity on a grand scale,
and eminent men Kallata Bhat sura, Ratnakar,
Anandavardhana, Muktakana, Siva-Swamin, Rudrata
and Mukula. Kalhan's mention of numerous temples
built and towns founded by the King, and his
ministers throws plenty of light on the prosperous
condition of the period. The most important
foundation of the King was his capital city of
Avantipur, which he embellished with two temples:
one dedicated to Shiva, and other to Vishnu. Both
of them are in ruins now, but even then, they
stand as the most imposing monuments of ancient
Kashmir.
The reign of this King
would not be complete without the mention of 'Suya'
one of the greatest engineer Kashmir produced in
ancient times. For centuries the people of the
valley had been suffering from the recurring curse
of famines and floods. Suya correctly assessed
that these frequent calamities occured due to
heavy rains and excessive water of Vitasta river
which could not easily get out with swiftness,
through a gorge near Varahmulla, as the compressed
passage there bad got blocked with silt and huge
boulders. The people removed both the silt and
stones when the great engineer threw plenty of
gold and silver coins into the river at many
places. Thousands of starving people immediately
jumped into the flooded Vitasta and in order to
find the coins, cleared the bed of the rocks and
boulders which had choked up the passage. Suya,
then raised stone embankments, and adopted other
protective measures. Many canals were dug-out to
increase the irrigational facilities. The result
of all these measures was, that a great increase
of land became available for cultivation. The
production of paddy increased and the price of one
Khirwar (nearly two mounds) came down to 36 Dinars
from 200 Dinars. Suya's memory is still preserved
to this day, by the town Sayapur (Sopore) founded
by him at the point where river Vitasta, since his
regulation leaves the basin of Mahapadomsar (Wouler
lake). Avantivarman died in a temple on the Dal
Lake, when a fatal disease caught him, and in the
words of Kalhan, " listening to the end to
the song of the Lord ( Bhagvatgeeta ) and thinking
of the residence of Vishnu (Vaikuntha) he cast off
his earthly life with a cheerful mind. "
(June 883) Avantivarman was succeeded by his son
Shankarvarman, but then the decline of Utpal
dynasty set in. In the time of King Yasakara
(939-48) a 'Math' ( hospice ) was built for the
students of India, who came to Kashmir for study
and meditation. It clearly reveals intimate
cultural contact between the valley, and plains of
India in the 10th century. In 950, Khemgupta
ascended the throne of Kashmir, a man of mediocre
ability who married princess Didda, daughter of
the ruler of Lohara (Poonch) and grand daughter of
the Shahi king of Kabul. After the eclipse of
Utpala dynasty, Lohara dynasty ruled Kashmir till
the end of the Hindu rule in Kashmir (1339). Queen
Didda was the defacto ruler of the state, as she
was very dominating and exercised immense
influence over her husband. She built many temples
and monasteries and one of these was reserved for
people of Madyadesha and Lata (U. P., Bihar and
Central India). In 980 A.D. Didda ascended the
throne after the death of her husband. Before her,
two other queens had ruled Kashmir namely
Yashovati and Sugandha. Didda was a very
unscrupulous, and wilful lady and led a very
immoral life. But inspite of these drawbacks, she
was an able ruler, who firmly ruled the valley.
She died in 1003 A. D. and left the throne of
Kashmir to her family in undisputed succession. As
her children had died young, she transmitted the
crown to Sangramraj, son of her brother Udairaj,
the ruler of Lohara (Poonch).
It was during her time,
that Mahmud Gaznavi twice tried to capture the
valley but the fort at Lohara, remarkable for its
height and strength proved impregnable. The Sultan
was obliged to abandon the conquest.
From 1089 to 1101 A. D.,
King Harsha ruled Kashmir. Versed in many
languages, a good poet, lover of music and art, he
started his rule in a remarkable way, and became
famous in northern India. His court was a centre
of luxury and splendour. He introduced new
fashions in dress and ornaments. His ministers
were gorgeously dressed, wore earrings and head
dresses, previously reserved for the members of
ruling families only. But strangely enough,
Harsha's career became a record of follies and
misdeeds. The people also suffered from famine,
and plague as well, and a considerable section of
people became victims of these calamities. A
confusion followed these misfortunes, leading to a
general rising of the people under two royal
princes Uccalia and Succalla. Harsha along with
his son Bhoja were murdered, and the Kashmir
throne passed into the hands of two princes
respectively. Both the princes met the fate of
Harsha and when our great historian Kalhan
completed his 'Rajatarangini' in 1149 - 50 King
Jaisimha, the last great ruler of the Hindu times
was ruling the state.
Jaisimha's (1128-55)
early days were critical, because of the
preceeding civil wars and political unrest. Still
the new ruler was able to maintain his firm rule
for 27 years in comparative safety. The King
repaired and restored many temples and shrines,
and numerous other pious foundations were also
made during his reign. The people after a long
time heaved a sigh of relief. From 1155 - 1339,
the Kashmir rulers remained busy only in
intrigues, debauchery, and mutual quarrels. These
incessant feuds, civil wars, risings and upheavals
greatly weakened Hindu domination of Kashmir. The
valley soon fell a prey to Mongol and Turkish
raiders, free booters and foreign adventurers.
Quite naturally, the boundaries of the Kingdom got
shrunk, and were reduced to the peoper valley
only. The Kabul valley Proutonsa (Poonch),
Pajapuri (Rajauri) Kangra, Jammu, Kisthwar and
Ladhak, one after the other threw-off their
allegiance to the rulers of Kashmir.
In the beginning of 14th
century a ferocious Mongol, Dulucha invaded the
valley through its northern side Zojila Pass, with
an army of 60,000 men. Like Taimur in the Punjab
and Delhi, Dulucha carried sword and fire,
destroyed towns and villages and slaughtered
thousands. His savage attack practically ended the
Hindu rule in Kashmir. A weak and worthless man
Raja Sahadev was the ruler then. It was during his
reign that three adventurers, Shah Mir from Swat (
Tribal) territory on the borders of Afganistan,
Rinchin from Ladhak, and Lankar Chak from Dard
territory near Gilgit came to Kashmir, and played
a notable role in subsequentive political history
of the valley. All the three men were granted
Jagirs by the King. Rinchin for 3 years became the
ruler of Kashmir, Shah Mir was the first rular of
Shah Miri-dynasty, and the decendants of Lankar
Chak established Chak rule in the Kashmir.
The last Hindu ruler of
Kashmir was Udyan Dev. It was his chief Queen Kota
Rani, who practically governed the state. She was
a very brave lady, shrewd and an able ruler.
Though she tried her best to save her Kingdom,
odds were too heavy for her. The valley was again
invaded by a Mongal and Turk invader Achalla, but
the Queen defeated him, and drove away all the
foreign troops. In the confusion Rinchin, the
Ladhaki prince, whom the Hindu religious leaders
of the time refused to admit into their fold,
organised an internal rising and seized the
throne. Before his death, he embraced Islam.
Finally another rising was led by Shah Mir, who
defeated the queen at Jayapur (modern Sumbal). The
defeat upset her and seeing the indifference of
the Hindu grandees and general public, she stabbed
herself to death, because Shah Mir wanted to marry
her. Her death in 1339 paved the way tor the
establishment of Muslim rule in Kashmir.
An Assessment of Hindu
Rule
Before switching over to the
early Muslim period, it would be proper to point
out, very briefly of course, the contribution of
people here, in the field of Philosophy,
Literature and Archaeology.
In the field of
Philosophy Kashmir's contribution is the
"Shiva School of thought", which assumed
a distinctive character in the valley. "It is
known as Trika (Triple) Shastra, as it pertains to
the three vital matters of greatest importance
namely (a) man (b) his universe and (c)
fundamental principle which keeps on restoring
order, equilibrium and harmony in the universe
where it is disturbed and disrupted by constant
change. " Trika, interested in man and his
personality, and considers complete freedom (Swatantrya)
as the one and the final goal of human life. Shiva
is another name for independence, and the only
reality of the universe is Shiva who is infinite
consciousness, and unrestricted independence. He
has many other features like omnipresence,
eternality, and formlessness, though independence
is peculier to him. Shiva is the subject as well
as the object, the experience, as well as the
experienced ". (P. N. Bazaz). The three great
Acharyas of this school are Vasugupta, Kallatha
and the great Abhinavagupta. Hundreds of other
Kashmiri philosophers, and thinkers wrote,
masterpieces on this philosophy in the subsequent
periods of our history.
Another distinct school
of philosophy was the emergence of Mahayana Form
of Buddhism during the time of Kanishka, when the
3rd Buddhist Council met here at Harwan. It was
Vasumitra and Nagarjuna who gave shape and form to
this new school of thought. Nagarjuna, in the
words of Havell, was the Luther of Buddhism, the
apostle of Bhaktimarga, who would find means of
expression for the deep seated religious instinct
of the masses, through the way of devotion to the
divine teacher, rather than through the dry
agnostic philosophy of Hinayana School. This creed
became very popular in China, Japan, Tibet and
Ladakh. Nagarjuna has been raised to the exalted
position of Buddistava and enjoys the reputation
of being the greatest thinker of the age. In the
field of Literature, there is hardly any branch of
learning which the people of Kashmir had not
studied, and to which they did not make their own
original contribution. In philosophy, religion,
medicine, astronomy, literature, engineering,
sculpture, architecture, painting, music, dancing,
and in many other walks of life the progress of
Kashmiries during the ancient times is astonishing
and striking.
In the words of Grieson,
"for upwards of two thousand years, Kashmir
has been the home of Sanskrit learning and from
this small valley have issued masterpieces of
history, poetry, romance, fable, and philosophy.
Kashmiries are justly proud of the literary
glories of their land. For centuries Kashmir was
the house of the greatest Sanskrit scholars, and
at least one great Indian religion of 'Shaivism'
has found some of its most eloquent teachers on
the banks of the Vitasta. Some of the greatest
Sanskrit scholars and poets were born, and wrote
in the valley and from it has issued in Sanskrit
language a world famous collection of
folk-lore." (Panchtantra.)
In the domain of
architecture, the charm of Kashmir, apart from its
magnificent natural scenery, lies in its temples
and fine arts. Wrote one European art critic:
"Ancient India has nothing more worthy of its
civilization, than the grand remains in Kashmir,
the massive, the grotesque the elegant in
architecture, may be admired in many parts of
India, but now here is to be seen, the
counterparts of the classically graceful, yet
symmetrically massive edifices of Kashmir, and in
beauty, and position are immensely superior.
" The best preserved of these stone temples
are at Martand and Avantipur. The Martand temple
has been universely admired by the archeologists
and the artists. I need describe the opinion of
three great Europeans of modern times :
Writes Stein: " It
is no longer possible to trace with certainty, the
cities, and remains of all the towns and
structures which owed their existence to
Lalitaditya. But those among them which can be
identified justly by their extant ruins, the great
fame which Lalitaditya enjoyed as a builder. The
ruins of the splendid temple of Martand which the
king had constructed near the 'Tirtha' of the same
name, are still the most striking object of
ancient Hindu architecture in the valley. Even in
their present state of decay, they command
admiration both by their imposing dimensions, and
by the beauty of their architectural design and
decoration."
Writes Sir Francis Young
Husband: "...... built on the most sublime
site occupied by any building in the world-finer
than the site of Parthenon, or of the Taj Mahal,
or of St. Peters or of the Escurial-we may take
it, as the representative or rather the
culmination of all the rest, and by it, we must
judge the Kashmir people at their best. On a
perfectly open, and even plain, gently sloping
away from a background of a snowy mountains
looking directly out, on the entire length both of
the smiling Kashmir valley, and of the snowy
ranges which bound it-so situated in fact as to be
encircled, yet not overwhelmed by snowy
mountains-stand the ruins of a temple second only
to the Egyptians in massiveness and strength, and
to the Greeks in elegance and grace..... No one
without an eye for natural beauty would have
chosen that special site for the construction of a
temple, and no one with an inclination to the
emphemeral and transient world have built it, on
so massive, and enduring a scale.
Writes H. Gotezi "
The temple of Martand set the model for Kashmir
Hindu Art in all the following centuries.... Thus
Lalitaditya must be regarded as the founder not
only of shortlived empire, but also of six
centuries of Kashmir Hindu Art. "
Muslim Period
After the death of Queen
Kota, Shah Mir ascended the throne under the name
of Sultan Shamas-ud-din, and his dynasty ruled the
state for 222 years. This period is one of the
most important in the annals of Kashmir, in as
much as Islam was firmly established here. The
Shah-Miri dynasty has given us only two rulers,
who are worthy of mention. One is Sultan Shihabud-din,
and the second is the great Sultan Zain-ul-Abdin.
The former ascended the throne in 1354, and
continued to rule till 1373. He was full of
energy, and vigour and he was able to establish
his sway over the neighbouring countries. His army
mainly consisted of Damras, Lavans and the hill
tribes of Poonch, Rajapuri and Kishtwar. The
important commanders who served under him were
both Hindus and Muslims, such as Chandra-Damra,
Laula Damara, Shura, Syed Hassan and Abdul Raina.
His two important Hindu ministers were Kota Bhat
and Udyashri. At the begining of his reign, he led
an army to Sindh and defeated its ruler. While
returning he defeated Afgans near Peshawar and
then he conquered Kabul, Gazni, Qandhar, Pakhali,
Swat and Multan. He invaded Badakshan, and then
marched towards Dardistan and Gilgit, which he
easily conquered. Then he marched towards
Bulochistan and Ladhak. The ruler of Kashgar
(central Asia) came with a huge army and
Shah-u-din whose army was numerically inferior,
inflicted a crushing defeat and the Kashgar army
was almost wiped out. This led to the annexation
of Laddhak and Bultistan, which were claimed by
the Kashgar ruler. It is also said that the ruler
or Kashmir marched towards Delhi, and on the way
conquered Kangra, and then the army of Ferozashah
Tughlaq opposed him on the banks of Sutluj. Since
the battle between the rulers of the Delhi and
Kashmir was indecisive, peace was concluded and it
was agreed that all the territory from Sirhind to
Kashmir was to belong to the Kashmir ruler. Shah-ud-din
was not only a great conqueror but also an able
administrator, and he governed his kingdom with
firmness and justice. He was tolerant ruler and
treated his Hindu subjects generously.
It is reported that owing
to prolonged campaigns he needed money, and his
ministers asked him to loot the temples, but he
stoutly opposed the proposal, and to quote Jonaraj,
he is reported to have said in anger: "Past
generation have set-up images to obtain fame, and
earn merit, and you propose to demolish them. Some
have obtained renown by setting up images of gods,
others by worshipping them, some by maintaining
them, and you propose demolishing them. How great
is the enormity of such a deed ". The king
founded a new town which he called
Shihab-ud-din-pora, known now as Shadipur. He is
also said to have erected many mosques and
monasteries. Shihab-ud-din can rightly be called
the Lalitaditya of medieval Kashmir. During his
time Kashmir armies marched to distant lands, and
our victorious banners were unfurled on many forts
of foreign countries. Thus this great ruler raised
Kashmir to great eminence, and power.
The next ruler was Sultan
Qutab-ud-din, and in whose time the only important
event worth mentioning is the arrival of said Ali
Hamdani, who was the most remarkable personality
of the then muslim world. At the time of his third
visit he got with himself 700 Syeds from Hamdan,
who were being out to torture by Timur, ruler of
Persia. These syeds established their centres of
missonery activities in different parts of the
valley. In 1389, Qutab-ud-din died, and he was
succeeded by his eldest son Sultan-Sikandar. It
was in the time of this Sultan, that the political
atmosphere of the state was vitiated. Whereas all
former rulers had followed a policy of religious
toleration, the new Sultan like Aurangazeb was a
man of puritan temperament. He banned all gay
celebrations and would not listen to music even.
He imposed Jizia upon Hindus and stopped them to
use tilak on their fore-heads. Writes M. Hassan:
"In their misplaced zeal for their faith,
Sikandar and his minister Saif-ud-din (who was
originally a Hindu) were also responsible for the
destruction of images and temples ." Almost
all the muslim chroniclers speak of the wholesale
destruction of Hindu shrines including the 'Martand'
Temple, and forcible conversion of Hindus to
Islam. Thousands of Hindus fled to India to save
their religion and holy books, and also to escape
the wrath of the Sultan. Shahi-Khan or Sultan
Zain-ul-Abidin, ascended the throne in 1420 A. D.
and ruled upto 1470 A. D. nearly for half a
century. His accession to the throne, proved to be
the return of a bright and warm day after a cold
and a chilly night. In the words of Pandit Anand
Kaul: "possessed of a broad and tolerant
outlook, with a desire to benefit mankind, he
ruled with such equity, and justice and did so
much to improve the material prosperity of the
people, that one can not fail to admire him, his
benevolent rule demands special homage in as much
as he lived in a period when he had no worthy and
enlightened contemporary to emulate. In the world
around him, he could have little to help him. He
was a potentate encouraged to be tyrannical and
selfish by tradition, and especially by the
examples of his father, Sultan Sikander.
Zain-ul-Abidin was deservedly surnamed Budshah or
the great King. In spite of 5 centuries having
rolled by since he ruled, his name is still
remembered with genuine reverence and gratitude.
Take the name of Budshah before a Kashmiri, and at
once with a happy countenance he will rhyme it
with Pad-Shah ". Writes another modern
historian M. Hassan : " of all the Sultans
who sat on the throne of Kashmir, Zainulabidin was
undoubtedly the greatest. He ushered in a period
of nearly half a century of peace, prosperity, and
benevolent rule for his people. He introduced many
arts and crafts for which Kashmir has become
famous ever since. He promoted learning, music and
painting and made Kashmir the centre of great
culture. He won the loyality and affection of his
subjects who called him Budshah or the great king,
a name by which he is remembered even to day by
the people of Kashmir. He acquired a halo in
popular imagination which still surrounds his name
inspite of the lapse of nearly 500 years."
Zain-ul Abidin organized
a huge army, and with its help he reconquered the
Punjab, Western Tibet, Ladhak and Balti region,
Kulu and Ohind ( Hazara ). The Sultan also
maintained cordial and friendly relations with
rulers of other countries. The Sheriff of Macca
and the Kings of Jilan and Egypt sent him
presents. The Maharaja of Gwalior, hearing that
the Sultan was interested in Music, sent him
valuable works on Indian music. There was also an
exchange of embassies and gifts between the great
Sultan and the rulers of Sindh, Bengal, Tibet,
Gujrat, Malwa and Delhi. The Sultan improved the
tone of administration which had rudely been
shaken. He appointed talented persons in high
administrative posts, irrespective of caste or
creed. The Sultan had a high sense of justice and
no one who committed a crime was spared, however
close he was to throne. Many grandees who were
favourites of the king, were severly punished when
found guilty. The king took keen interest in
agriculture and like Lalitaditya and Avantivarman,
many canals were dug out in all parts of the
Kingdom. Jonraj and Shriva have given details of
these canals in their valuable books. Owing to
these irrigation works, the draining of marshes
and reclamation of large areas for cultivation,
Kashmir became self-sufficient in food, and rice
was cheap.
One of the most
outstanding features of his administration was the
just and liberal treatment of the Hindus, who were
not only allowed complete freedom of worship, but
the Sultan recalled all those who had fled to
India in the time of his father. He allowed those
Hindus who had forcibly been converted, to return
to their former religion. The Sultan banned cow
slaughter and permitted the repair and rebuilding
of the temples at government expenses. He granted
lands to learned Brahmins, endowed temples and for
Hindu pilgrims visiting holy places in the valley
he opened a royal kitchen at Rainawari known even
now as Jogi Lanker. Jiziya was almost abolished
and the Sultan participated in Hindu festivals and
entertained Brahmins and Sadhus on auspicious
days. Some of his important Hindu ministers were
the famous physician Shri Bhat, Tilakacharya,
Simha Bhat, Ruppa Bhat, Karupar Bhat and Shrivara.
At the same time Sultan was a great patron of men
of letters such as Syed Mohammud Rumi, Syed Ahmad
Rumi, Quazi Syed Ali Shirazi, Qazi Jamal and
Maulana Kabir to mention only a few. The Sultan
had also established a translation department
where important works were translated from
Sanskrit into Persian and Arabic. The Sultan
opened schools and hostels for the students. It is
for encouragement of arts and crafts that Kashmir
will be permanently indebted to the Sultan. In the
Hindu times, the valley was equally famous for its
arts and crafts but these had greatly suffered in
the chaos which lasted for over two hundred years.
The Sultan invited competant teachers from
countries to Kashmir, so that they could train
people here. Among many industries introduced by
him, we can mention carpet, paper machine, paper
making, silk rearing, shawls, manufacture of gun
powder etc. Kashmir became so famous for beautiful
designs on silks and shawls that our state
acquired an unrivalled fame in Asia. Even after a
century when Babar's cousin Mirza Haider Daulghat
invaded Kashmir, he wrote in Tarikhi-Reshidi:
"In Kashmir one meets with all these arts and
crats which are in most cities uncommon, such as
stone polishing, stone cutting, bottle making
window cutting, gold beating etc. In the whole
Maver-ul-Nahir ( Khorasan ) except in Samarkand,
and Bokhara, these are nowhere to be met with,
while in Kashmir they are in abundance. This is
all due to Zain-ul-Abidin." The Sultan was a
great builder. He founded the new city called
Nowshedar ( a part of the city now. ) He adorned
it with splendid houses for his officers,
courtiers and learned men. He built a palace of 12
storeys in it, each containing 50 rooms, halls and
corridors. It was surmounted by a golden dome, and
its spacious halls were lined with glass. Besides
Nowshader, the Sultan founded the town of Zainapur,
Zainakut and Zainagir. Similarly he built the
first wooden bridge at Srinagar known even now as
Zainakadal. In 1470 A. D. the Sultan died and for
a long time his death was mourned by the people.
Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin's death sounded the death
knell of Shah-Miri dynasty. It met the same fate
that the Lohara dynasty had met after the death of
Jaisimha in 1156. The only important event that
took place before the establishment of Chak
dynasty was the invasion of Mirza Haider Dughlat
who attacked Kashmir from Zogila pass in 1533.
Soon he was able to establish his ascendancy in
the valley. The Moghul, like Dulchu earlier,
killed, looted and plundered the people, and made
women and children their slaves. The Sultan of
Kashmir, Nazuk Shah, became almost a puppet in his
hands. Moghuls were appointed on high posts
everywhere, and the Jagirs of Kashmir Noblemen
were confiscated. For more than a decade Mirza was
the virtual ruler of the valley and he gave peace
and orderly Government to the country. He
encouraged Kashmir Art and Crafts, and trade and
commerce once again thrived in the valley. The
last Shahmiri ruler, Sultan Habib Shah, a weakling
was deposed by his commander, and nobles raised on
throne Gazi Chak, a prominent military General of
the time. He was the direct descendant of Lankar
Chak who had come to Kashmir towards the close of
Hindu rule. The Chak rule began in Kashmir in 1561
and lasted till 1587, when Akbar, the great Moghul
Emperor conquered Kashmir.
Moghul Period
The Moghuls remained in
power here, from 1587 to 1752, and in this period
undoubtedly the people enjoyed peace and orderly
Govt. There were some rapacious officers, but on
the complaint of the people the Moghul rulers
immediately removed them. It was in 1579 that
illuminated Moghul emperor Akbar visited Kashmir.
About eighty thousand Kashmiris were entertained
by Akbar at Id-Gah. During his reign Raja Todar
Mal, the great Finance and Revenue Minister, made
revenue settlement of the valley, which in its
broad features forms the basis of the present
revenue settlement in the valley. Akbar built a
new town near Hariparbat and called it Nagar-Magar
and built the massive wall around the hill. The
great emperor visited the valley three times, and
with him, came a large number of Moghul grandees,
noblemen and army generals. The fame of the valley
spread throughout the country and a very large
number of people started to visit the valley. But
actually it was in the time of Jahangir that the
beauty of the state attracted thousands of
visitors to the happy valley. The great emperor
visited the State thirteen times. The Moghul
rulers never came alone, but were always
accompanied by hundreds of Nobles, Amirs and Umras,
Princes and Army Generals. Jahangir came
virtually, under the spell of the scenic beauty of
the place, and wherever he found a hill coming
down gently to a spring or a grove of majestic
Chinar trees or a beautiful lake, he utilised the
place for planting a pleasure garden. Shalimar and
Nishat gardens on the banks of Dal Lake, would
keep Jahangir's love for natural beauty ever fresh
in our memory. He laid gardens at Achable and
Verinag. Perhaps no other ruler has ever paid so
much tribute to the beauty of Kashmir as Jahangir
did.
Shah Jahan also visited
the happy valley a number of times and he too was
accompanied by a large number of nobles. Owing to
the long peaceful rule of the three Moghul Kings,
hundreds of people now began to come to Kashmir to
find mental peace, to regain their health or
attain spiritual salvation. Shah Jahan laid the
garden of Chashmashai and also built a portion of
Shalimar. The Moghul Governor Ali Marden Khan also
laid out a number of gardens. Aurangzeb visited
Kashmir only once in 1665. An interesting account
of the emperor's journey to the valley has been
given by a French traveller Francis Bernier who
accompanied the Emperor. The traveller gives a
favourable impression of the people in his book.
"The Kashmiris are celebrated for wit. In
poetry and sciences they are not inferior to
Persians. They are also active and industrious.
The workmanship, and beauty of their Palkies, bed
steads, inkstand, axes, spoons and various other
things are quite remarkable, and articles of their
manufacture are in use in every part of India.
They perfectly understand the art of varnishing,
and are eminently skilful in closely imitating the
beautiful veins of a certain wood, by inlaying
with gold threads so delicately wrought, that
never saw anything more elegant or perfect. But
what may be considered peculiar to Kashmir and the
staple commodity, that which particularly promotes
the trade of the country, and fills it with
wealth, is the prodigious quantity of shawls which
they manufacture, and which gives occupation to
her children."
Aurangezeb's reign was a
signal for revolts and rebellions in several parts
of the country. In distant parts of the empire
commenced an era of lawlessness, anarchy and
disorder. Many states became independent under
their subedhars who founded new independent
states. A reign of disorder also started in
Kashmir. The Moghul Governors began to loot and
plunder the people, and at the same time
ruthlessly started a policy of religious bigotry
and fanaticism. There was absolute chaos in
northern India after the invasion of Nadir Shah of
Persia. The people of Kashmir could no longer
tolerate the misrule of Moghul satraps, and
accordingly when Ahmad Shah Abdali of Kabul was at
Lahore in 1752, two Kashmir nobleman Mir Muquim
Kant and Khwaj'a Zahir Didmari, waited upon him at
Lahore, and disgracefully requested him to bring
Kashmir under his control.
Afgan Rule : 1752 -
1819
Ahmad Shah, a free hooter of
Nadir Shah gladly accepted this offer and
immediately despatched a strong and a powerful Afghan army under the command of Abdullah Khan
lshik Aqasi, to occupy the valley. The Moghul
satrap offered a strong resistance, but was
defeated and the Afghan Governor planted the
Afghan
flag on the ramparts of Akbar's town at Nogar. The
rule of Moghuls in Kasmir came to an end although
it continued to exist in northern India, nominally
upto 1857. Kashmir remained a dependency of Kabul
rulers till 1819, roughly a period of 67 years.
The Pathan rule is the
darkest period in the history of our state. The
rulers of Kabul were great despots, and they ruled
all the parts of their kingdom ruthlessly and with
an iron hand. The corner stone of their policy was
terror. As many as twenty eight Durrani Subedars
governed Kashmir during these sixty seven years.
The Kashmir nobleman had expected that Abdali
would give them a good and a stable government,
but the very first Afghan governor Abdullah Khan
Aquasi, immediately after assuming powers started
a reign of terror. People began to be looted and
killed indiscriminately, and even the petty Afghan
soliders began to amass wealth by the foulest
possible means. Most of the well to do people of
the valley were summoned by the Governor to his
palace, and ordered to surrender all their wealth
on pain of death. Their houses were completely
sacked, and many people were put to sword. There
was complete gloom and despair on every side. All
the prosperity of the valley was gone, and the
people could not even move on the streets, for
fear of being robbed of even their scanty
clothing. Each and everyday for a Kashmiri was a
day of struggle and uncertainty. As ill luck would
have it, only weak and worthless Amirs governed
Kabul, after the death of Abdali. These Amirs
would either be quickly deposed or assassinated.
Naturally accession of every new Amir would mean
appointment of a new Subedar in Kashmir. Hence
every Governor expected his recall or dismissal at
any time. This uncertainty made these rapacious
governors ruthless, and they squeezed every penny
from the people mercilessly.
It is true, that all
sections of people suffered here during their
time, but the chief victims of these fiends were
the Hindus, Shias and Bombas of Jhelum valley.
It is strange that during
this dark period a Hindu also became a Governor
here. His name was Raja Sukh Jeevan Mal. It was
only in his time that Kashmir heaved a sigh of
relief. He was afterwards defeated and killed by
Ahmad Shah. The Pathan rulers are now only
remembered for their brutality and
cruelity, and it
is said of them that they thought no more of
cutting off heads than plucking a flower.
Sikh Rule: 1819-46
At last the reign of terror
broke the patience of the peace loving people, and
a deputation of Kashmiris led by Pandit Birbal
Dhar, and his son Pandit Rajakak Dhar, left for
Lahore and fervently requested Maharaja Ranjit
Singh to conquer Kashmir. Three prominent Muslims
helped Pandit Birbal Dhar in his escape from the
valley. They were Abdul Qadoos Gojwari, Mallick
Zulfiqar and Malik Kamgar. In 1819, 30,000
soliders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh attacked
Kashmir, defeated the Pathans, and the state
became a part of Ranjit Singh's empire. On receipt
of the news,
Maharaja Ranjit Singh bestowed
honours in Dhar family and Lahore was illuminated
for three days, Sikh rule lasted for only 27 years
and during this period 10 Governors administersd
the country one after another, out of whom the
last two were Muslims. In the beginning Sikh rule
also proved to be oppressive. " It must have
been an intense relief ", writes Lawrence,
" to all classes in Kashmir to see the
downfall of the evil rule of Pathan, and to none
was the relief greater than to the peasants who
had been cruelly fleeced by the rapacious sardars
of Kabul. I do not mean to suggest that the Sikh
rule was benign or good, but it was at any rate
better that that of the Pathans. " The Sikh
rule over Kashmir lasted only for a brief span of
time, during which the rulers at Lahore were far
too pre-occupied at home to pay any attention to
the affairs of this outlying province of theirs.
The misery of the people increased due to natural
calamities as well, such as premature snow falls,
which would destroy a ripe rice crop leading to
famines. These famines were followed by diseases
like cholera and plague, resulting in a heavy loss
of life. Thousands of people migrated to India
during these hard days, and no wonder the
population of the valley came down to two lakhs
from 8 lakhs.
Mr. Ranel Tayler who
visited Kashmir in 1846 writes about Kashmir,
"The town presents a very miserable appearance.
The houses made of wood are tumbling in every
direction. The streets are filthy for want of
drainage, none of the bazars looked well-filled and
prospseous and altogether my ride made me very
unhappy ". Moorcraft who visited the valley
in 1835 writes, "Everywhere the people were
in most abject condition, not one sixteenth of the
cultivable land is under cultivation, and the
inhabitants are starving. They were in a condition
of extreme weakness. Villages were half deserted
and those who lived there were the semblance of
extreme sickness. Villages were filthy and
swarming with beggars. The rural folk on the whole
were half naked and miserably emaciated and
presented a ghastly picture of poverty and
starvation ". Such was the general condition
of the state when Maharaja Ranjit Singh died in
1830. His death was a signal for the mutiny of
Sikh Army which become uncontrollable, and plunge
entire Punjab into confusion and chaos.
Dogra Period : 1846
1957
The two Anglo-Sikh wars led
to the final extinction of Sikh soverignty in the
Punjab and by virtue of the treaties of Lahore and
Amritsar the British who had by now become
undisputed masters of India, transferred and made
over in perpetuity, the independent position to
the Maharaja Gulab Singh and heirs male of his
body, all the hilly and mountaineous country
situated to the east of Indus, and west of Ravi
river. In consideration of this transfer Maharaja
Gulab Singh paid to the British government the sum
of 75 lakhs of rupees. Maharaja Gulab Singh
entered Srinagar on 9th November 1848 at 8 in the
morning. The Dogra royal line traces its descent
from the ancient Kshatriyas mentioned frequently
in Mahabharata. The Dogra ruler claimed that they
belong to the Surya Vanshi (sun born) race.
Maharaja Gulab Singh was a man of great vigour,
foresight and determination. He repressed
opposition and crime with an iron hand and he was
universaly feared and respected. He crushed gangs
of organized plunderers, and murderers in the
valley known as Galwans, and also broke the power
of Bombas and Khokhas the inhabitants of Jhelum
valley region below Varamulla, who brought havoc
to every home in the valley by following a policy
of arson and plunder. Large number of forts were
built in their territory which were garrisoned
with troops. It was because of his energetic
measures that the conditions of the people
improved and after many years some confidence was
inspired in the permanence of administration. The
people got a spell of peace and order, after
centuries of lawlessness. The greatest service of
the first Dogra ruler is the foundation he laid of
the modern Jammu and Kashmir State. It was Gulab
Singh who conquered one by one different places
and regions of the state, Jammu,. Poonch, Ram
Nagar, Basoli, Bhahderwah, Kishtwar, Bhimbar,
Rajauri, Sikardu, Kharmang, Kiris, Khaplu, Sheghar,
Astor Gilgit, Chitral, Yasin, Hunza, Nagar, and
Punial. In the words of K. M. Panikar an area of
more than eighty thousand sq. miles including part
of Tibet, as well as part of Pamier, besides the
genuinely kingdoms of Jammu and Kashmir came into
Maharaja Gulab Singh's possession. This area had
never been effectively united under one ruler and
much of it with of course, the exception of the
valley of Kashmir had never known any settled
govt. " Writes P. N. Bamzai : " Mahraja
Gulab Singh is the only Indian ruler to have
carved out a state during the 19th century out of
the wreckage of the great kingdom of Sikhs.
Moreover he is the only Indian ruler to have
extended the frontiers of India to their natural
boundary ." Even Dr. Soft who is not very
kind in his comments writes about him: "Gulab
Singh was unquestionably a remarkable figure in
the history of Northern India during the first
half of the 19th Century. He was a distinguished
soldier and diplomat and knew the state craft of
his own days exceedingly well."
The Maharaja died in 1857
after a rule of 11 years, during which period he
laid the foundation of a sound system of
administration. He was succeeded by Maharaja
Ranbir Singh who ruled from 1857 to 1885. It was
in his time that the rule of law commenced in the
state. Almost all the laws, civil and criminal,
which the British had introduced in India were
with some modifications made applicable to the
state. The various state departments were
organised on the pattern of departments as these
existed in British India. A slight attempt was
also made to assess the amount of land revenue at
a fixed amount.
In 1885 Maharaja Sir
Pratap Singh ascended the throne and he ruled for
a period of 40 years. It is in the time of this
Maharaja that the real modernisation of the state
took place and several progressive reforms were
carried through. Sir Walter Lawrence carried the
first assessment of land revenue system in the
state on scientific lines. The two mountain roads-Jhelum
valley road and Banihal Cart road were built
linking the state with the rest of India. A scheme
for drainage of the valley reclaiming waste-land
and preventing floods by digging flood channels
was put into operation. Construction of water
reservior at Harwan and establishment of electric
generating plant at Mohra was also undertaken
during this period. Two colleges in the state
besides large number of education institutions
were also established by the order of the
Maharaja. The administrative machinery was
completely overhauled. There was development in
the means of communication and telegraphs,
telephones and post offices were opened in many
places. The isolation of Kashmir from the rest of
the country was now a thing of the past, and large
number of people, mostly Europeans began to visit
the valley. The fame of the valley, its climate
and beauty spread in all parts of the world and it
can truly be said that an era of tourist traffic
started in right earnest in the state. Many
efforts were made by Englishmen to obtain the
right of purchasing land here for building houses.
This would have turned Kashmir into a British
Colony. The Maharaja stoutly refused to entertain
the proposal, and this actually led to the
construction of House Boats. After the death of
Maharaja Pratap Singh his nephew Maharaja Sir Hari
Singh ascended the throne in 1925. He continued to
govern the state till 1950. During this period,
large number of Indians and also foreigners came
to enjoy the bracing climate of the valley.
Gulmarg before independence almost looked like an
English town during summer. The same was the case
with Nagin Lake. Maharaja Hari Singh modernised
the state and carried out a large number of
reforms. It was in his time that the popular
elements began to be associated with the
Government.
The most important thing that had far reaching
consequences in the future history of the state
was the birth of political parties and the growth
of political consciousness in the state during
this period. But even more important was the
liberation of the country from the British Yoke in
1947, that ended all the traces of foreign
domination, absolutism and autocracy in our
country. It was on 26th Jan. 1957 that the Kashmir
Constituent Assembly ended the hereditary rule of
the Hindu monarchy in the state exactly after one
hundred and ten years of its establishment. The
liberation of India, facilitated the establishment
of responsible government in Jammu and Kashmir
State, but the liberlisation also brought the
division of our country on religious and communal
consideration. This division led to disastrous
consequences plunging northern India into a sort
of bloody civil war. The Pakistan Government
invaded the state, and encouraged the Tribal
people and other titanic hordes of medieval
barbarism to carry loot, plunder, death and
destruction into the hearths and homes of innocent
Kashmiris in general and among Hindus in
particular. Pakistan wanted to grab Kashmir, even
though its ruler in the terms of Independence Act,
had acceded to India, and signed the instrument of
Accession as required under the said Act. The main
burden of Pakistan invasion had to be borne by the
Hindus of the districts of Muzzafarbad, Baramulla,
Poonch, Rajuari, Mirpur, Bhimber, Kotli, Skardu,
Gilgit and Ladhak. Thousands of people became the
victims and lost their lives for no fault of
theirs, and property worth crores accumulated for
decades was lost just within a weeks time.
This was the result of
the mighty Congress Party with its host of gallant
leaders bowing disgracefully before fanaticism, '
Two Nation Theory ', and its author Mr. Jinnah.
The Congress leaders
accepted the partition of India, but totally
ignored or could not perhaps realise its
disastrous consequences. In short, the Hindus here
have paid the penalty rather heavily. Kashmir was
attacked in 1965 and 1971 by Pakistan. In spite of
these historical vicissitudes the popular
government has been trying its level best to
mitigate the suffering of the people, thanks to
the generous financial assistance of the Central
Government.
The importance of the
state of Jammu and Kashmir should never be lost
sight of, because the borders of our country here
touch the boundaries of Pakistan and China - the
two states which are hostile to India.
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