Sources of History of Kashmir
Kashmiris who distinguish themselves in most branches of Sanskrit learning were also good historians, and left almost continuous, written records of the history of the Valley. Before making a survey of the leading Sanskrit Chronicles, it appears in the fitness of things to refer to the semi-historical works.
Kuttanimata Kavya, said to have been written by Damodragupta during the eight century A.D., is a didactic poem depicting the social life of the people. It is in the form of advice tendered to a prince by a Kuttani or procuress. She tells him how to escape the wiles of a corrupt woman. Apparently, sexual vices seem to have degraded the society. The society and home of an average Kashmiri were influenced by the Kuttani to such an extant that to this day her exploits survive in the degraded popular expression, 'Pha Pha Kuttan', and Damodragupta attempted to root out the evil not by legislation but by educating public opinion.
Desopadesa and Narmala, written by. Ksemendra in 11-12h century A.D, similarly illuminate the social and administrative ife of the people of Kashmir Under Hindu rule. In Desopadesa, the author depicts the life and character of Khala (villain), Kadarya (miser), prostitute, kuttani (procuress), old man marrying a young gn foreign students receiving instructions in the maths etc. Narmala may be treated a addendum to Desopadesa. It describes the character of the kayasthas or the official community. In fact, the kayasthas, by their un-social activities, vicious conduct and unspeakable cruelties had become a disgraceful element of the society.
Samaya-matrka and Desavataracarita also throw a flood of light on the social nd economic conditions of the people of Kashmir during ancient period. 2okaprakasa,'a monumental work, is an encyclopaedia, a dictionary and a oractical handbook, all in onç, dealing with mainly sociological, economic and dministrative subjects. The author (Ksemendra) mentions the names of the administrative units (parganas) of his time and also enumerates specifications of bonds, hundis and social contracts in vogue in his time. Originally composed in the eleventh century A.D., many additions and alterations seem to have been made in it upon the end of the reign of Shahjahan. But a descriptive and critical edition, particularly by a Kashmiri Sanskritist will, undoubtedly, throw a flood of light on the socio-economic and administrative çonditions of Kashmir from 11" to 16" century A.D.
Nilmatapurana written during 6th to 7th century A.D., is the earliest source of Kashmiri history. It is primarily devoted to the description of various rites, ceremonies and festivals observed by the people and sacred places visited by them in Kashmir. Legends regarding the origin of the Valley and the submersion of a City (Chandrapuri) under the waters of the Wular Lake (Mahapadma) are also described in it. Important historical information on the early inhabitants of Kashmir and their rulers too may be gleaned from the various legendary given into it.
The name of a Kashmir does not occur in Vedic literature. Some of the Puranas, however, refer to the "Kasmiras" in the list of northern nations. Varahmitra (500A.D) includes the "Kasmiras" in the north-eastern division in the Brahtsamhita.
Sri Harsha in his Rainavali mentions the saffron of the "Kasmira" country. The earliest note on Kashmir by foreigners occurs in the writing of the Greek geographer, Hecatacus, (500 B.C.), who refers to "Kaspapyros", a city of the "Gandharains". A Chinese record of 541 A.D. refers to a country "enveloped on all sides like a precious jewel by the snowy mountains".
Hiuen Tsang, who visited Kashmir in 631 A,D. in his book, "Si-Yu-Ki" records the conversion of the people to Buddhism by Majjahantika or Madhyantika, who is said to have developed agriculture in the Valley and introduced saffron Cultivation for the first time in Kashmir. Hiun Tsang accurately describes the routes by Which he entered the Valley and left it. He also throws valuable light on the tolerant nature of the King and his subjects, the geographical limits of his kingdom and the current traditions about the origin of the Valley and its history.
The annals of the T'sang dynasty of china mention the arrival of two embassies from Kashmir at the Chinese imperial Court, one sent by the King T'chen to-lo-pi-lo (Chandrapida) and the second by the King Mu-to-pi-lo (Muktapida) of the Karkota dynasty.
Another Chinese pilgrim, Ou-K'ong visited Kashmir in the middle of the 8th century A.D. Describing Kashmir as a kingdom surrounded by mountains on all sides. he gives the routes intersecting the mountains, leading to Tibet in the east, Baltistan in the north and Gandhara in the west. His description of the people of Kashmir though not as accurate as that of Hiuen T'sang, is useful in as much as it corroborates some statements made by Kalhana in his Rajatarangini.
Rajatarangini or the river of kings, by Kalhana Pandit is the earliest extant history of Kashmir. A unique historical poem, written between 1148-1150 A.D., Rajatarangini contains valuable political, social economic, religious, cultural and other information pertaining to Kashmir and the rest of India. In the words of H.C. Rawlinson, it is "Hindu India's almost sole contribution to history". Among the extant works of Sanskrit literature, Kalhana's chronicle stands out for its comparatively exact chronology. It has also offered the key for fixing the dates of many Indian scholars who wrote literary and philosophical works.
Kalhana, as such should rightly be designated as the Herodotus of Kashmir. His merit lies in his humility. Nowhere does he claim originality in the preparation of his monumental great work. He frankly acknowledges his debt to the labours of his predecessors. He describes his work an endeavour to give a connected account where the narrative of past events has become fragmentary in many respects". He made a thorough study of inscriptions, written texts, popular tradition etc., to prepare it. The work, indeed, has contribution a good deal to the reconstruction of ancient Kashmir history indeed, of India.
The work of Kalhana Pandit was carried on by his successors, indeed lately. About two hundred years after Kalhana. his narrative was continued by Jonaraja who also wrote Rajatarangini covering the period from 1150 to 1449. Jonaraja was succeeded by. his pupil, Srivara, in writing. this chronicle under the title of Jaina Rajatarangini, which cover the period from 1459 to 1486. Prajabhatta, following in the foot steps of Srivara, wrote the history of Kashmir from 1486 to 1512. under the title of Rajavalipataka. Prajabhatta was succeeded by Suka in continuing the history of Kashmir and wrote the chronicle Rajatarangini, depicting the events from 1513 to 1596.
Lokaprakasa, mentioned above, is the last inmportant Sanskrit source of information and completes the task started by Kalhan Pandit.
Jogesh Chandra Dutt comments the above-mentioned Sanskrit sources as ....it seems that the later authors had greatly improved Kalhana's method of writing history. They are clear and perspicuous, and events are narrated consecutively, so that the whole narration runs in one continuous flow. The writers could not, however, forget that they were poets as well as historians, and consequently they interspersed their accounts with flowers of poesy and rhetorical flourishes...... It must be mentioned that value as the writings of these authors are from a historical point of view, in the absence of any other history of the country they relate to, we cannot unhesitatingly except their estimation of persons and events when we remember that they were, what may be called Court pandits, and depended on the similes of the kings, whose accounts they wrote, for almost everything they had in the world. There is, however, no reason to disbelieve the correctness of their accounts, irrespective of the writers' views, regarding the events narrated."
After the advent of Muslim rule in Kashmir in 1339 A.D. Sanskrit continued to be the official language for nearly two centuries, However, with the increasing patronage bestowed on the Persian language and language and literature by the muslim rulers, the chronicling of events in Sanskrit ceased to be in vogue and thereafter we come across a histories written in persion by eminent kashmiri scholars.
Bahr-ul-Asmar(Sea of Tails ) or Tarikh-i-Kashmir by Mulla Shah is the Persion translation of Kalhans Rajtarangni. The work was under taken under the orders of sultan Zain-ul-Abidin. His translation either remained incomplete or the translation was considered unsatisfactory, Akbar, therefore, asked Abdul Qadir Badauni to rewrite it in easy Persian. Budauni is said to have completed the job in two months. However, both the translations are not traceable which might have otherwise given an indication of the scope of these workes. Tarikh -i-Kashmir by Haider Malik Chadura is the history of Kashmir from the earliest times to his own, i.e. , 1617 ( Jahangir's time ) in Persian. As far as the narrative of the earlier period is conserned, it-is diffused, exaggerated and occasionally undependable. However, its chief merit lise in the fact that it gives a detailed and accurate history of Kashmir under the later sultans. The striling features of this work are : graphic description of places like Shahabuddinpur, Divasar, Lar, Tolamula, Amarnath cave, Leh, Ich Hokersar, etc. and the description of Kashtwar compaign.
Baharistan-i-Shahi by an unanimous author is by far the most valuble histry of Kashmir for the period commencing was started in 1614 A.D. and completed in 1625 A.D. A thorough study and indirect evidence reveal that the author must have been a learned and influential non-Kashmiri shia or Nurbakhshiya, as he bestows lavish praise on Shamas-ud-Din Iraqi and also appears to have been a protégé of Sayyed Abdul Maali, who caused great unrest and civil strife in Kashmir during the closing years of the reign of Yousuf Shah Chak.
The author alone mentions the events which caused the death of the exiled Yousuf Shah Chak and his son Yaqoob Shah Chak in Bihar, the last two independent sultans of Kashmir.
Baharistan-i-shahi fills the gape, which we come across in the Sanskrit Chronicles of Prajabhatta and Suka for the periods 1486 1505 and 1537-1557 the narrative, however, becomes vigorous and comprehensive from 1579 onwards. Bharistan-i-Shahi is the only chronical which deals at length with the activities of Shamus-ud-Din Iraqi.
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