Introduction

The people of Jammu and Kashmir, torn and tortured by tyranny of the militants at the close of the twentieth century cast wistful eyes upon their past fulfillments, upon the golden age of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin of Kashmir and the golden age of Raja Ranjit Dev of Jammu and these splash them with wonder and lead them to hope that the good days of peace and prosperity may return on the swift wings of time! All around they see devastation and desolation but no hand of the tyrant could destroy the characteristic spirit of the people or their heritage of spiritual messages of their Rishis, saints and sages. And even now there is a feeling that the deep valleys are overflowing with the words of Khawja Habib, rendered into English, as follows:

Thus the symphony of the traditions and cultures still echoes its varied melodies.

I have made voluminous contribution to papers and magazines and have been broadcasting from the radio stations of Jammu and Srinagar for the last twenty-five years. My multidimensional articles on Jammu and Kashmir were admired by many, so I was advised to make a systematic study and research on various aspects of Jammu and Kashmir and write a full-fledged book. The idea stuck with me, took roots and after a decade it has now blossomed in the form of The Rich Heritage of Jammu and Kashmir. This is not a book of history, a continuous record of events; it is a collection of essays on the rich heritage of Jammu and Kashmir, art and architecture, history and culture, mysticism and literature. By heritage I do not mean only the legacy of the past but, as Oxford Dictionary defines, "what is or may be inherited."

I have spent my life both in Jammu and Kashmir and I got steeped in both the Dogri and Kashmiri cultures. My strength and originality lies in my intimate knowledge of the people about whom I write. Although I was a Kashmiri by birth and inspiration but I came to know Jammu well. The life here appealed to my mind. Without the stimulus of this atmosphere it is doubtful if I would have been able to write about Jammu with such eloquence. I lived among the people and my direct communication with them and visits to all the important places, not as a casual visitor but as a keen observer and thinker in quest of knowledge, added to the actuality and originality of my writing. One must live among the people about

Whom one writes, know their ethos, what they eat, how they dress and their ways of life. The folk songs of Jammu are sweet and melodious. Hear a peasant boy of Jammu, say one Kunjua, playing on his flute and his dear damsel, say one Chanchalu, singing particularly at sunset, for example:

Then we can write the critical appreciation of these songs, which will come direct from the heart and will be original and spontaneous. One must go to the heights of holy Amar Nath, or the high hill of Vaishno Devi or Crar-i-Sherif, then one can be inspired by the atmosphere pervading all around in these holy places. One must see the glorious mosque of Hazrat Bal in Srinagar or the Kiramchi temples in Jammu which appear dancing towards the sky. Seeing them with the "heart eye" will give one's writing verve and vigour.

There is no dearth of material regarding my subject and I was fortunate in having rich library of Amar Mahal at Jammu at my disposal. The purpose I had in view was that the people should know and feel their rich heritage; it necessitated my utilising much of the material garnered by other men and sifting and gleaning it, in order that I might present a general conspectus of the art, history and literature of Jammu and Kashmir. It was a yeoman's job to study in depth and winnow the truth from falsehood and superfluous details.

KASHMIR

According to Dr. Stein, "Kashmir can claim the distinction of being the only region of India which possesses an uninterrupted series of written records of its history, going back beyond the period of Muhammedan conquest and describing the names of real chronicles." I have studied Rajtarangini translated by Stein, followed by Jonaraj, Shrivara Prajabatta and Shukla, translated by Jagdish Chander Dutt into English.

Then Dr. R.K. Parimu's A History of Muslim Rule in Kashmir 1320-1819 was valuable in knowing the Sultanate period, particularly of Zainul-Abidin, Bud Shah. It is a marvellous book. Dr. G.M.D. Sufis' Kasheer being history of Kashmir from the earliest times to the government of Maharaja Pratap Singh (died 1925 A.D.) and third ruler of Dogra rule in Kashmir. It is a real treasure of information. Then I could not but make use of Shree P.N. Kaul Bamzai's "A History of Kashmir".

There is the The History of Struggle of Freedom in Kashmir-Cultural and Political: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day by Prem Nath Bazaz. It is neither history of the cultural development nor the struggle for the freedom in Kashmir, rather it is a book of propaganda. All the same, it is in some ways a useful book.

Although I have given a proper bibliography yet I have shown that I have drawn help and inspiration from aforesaid historians. The history of Kashmir is more a chronicle of Kings and courts and conquests than of its organic and social growth. I have, therefore, written about those selected historical personages who have made the conditions of the people better and by their contributions brought about: cataclysmic change in the country; others were useless for my purpose. In the same way, only a few chosen poets of Jammu and Kashmir have been included in the book, for their poetry was epoch-making. 1 could not write about other poets; it would have made the book unnecessarily bulky. Similarly, only important shrines, mosques have been written about and the rest ignored. This needed a discriminating learning and sagacious practicality.

In addition to the numerous sources of Jammu and Kashmir history. I had to take into cognizance the oral traditions which have been handed over from generation to generation.

No doubt, Jammu and Kashmir has an extraordinary charm. In Kashmir and the upper regions of Jammu there are magnificent woods, limpid lakes, the snow-capped mountains, and one is really enchanted by the myriad brooks happily murmuring in the cool air. Yet to consider Jammu and Kashmir simply a great natural beauty would mean a failure to appreciate its other great achievements and its many-sided character.

The special charm of both Jammu and Kashmir lies in its graceful and majestic temples and the marvellous buildings in a romantic setting. The holy shrines are found on majestic mountains and one can see sublimity there at its zenith. At the holy caves of Amar Nath and Vaishno Devi the very breezes seem to whisper divinity or spirituality close to one's ears. Then the mysticism of Kashmir, the poetry of Jammu and Kashmir, the sweet folk songs, the fascinating paintings of Basohli and the various ceremonies and customs of the delightful people are a sumptuous and delicious feast for the mind. All this I have delineated in detail in this work.

Speaking of history; the Dogras ruled over the State for a century. They conquered the warring Chieftains of the different parts of the region and formed and consolidated the united and compact state of Jammu and Kashmir. These Dogra rulers were men of valour and wisdom and so no Satan could dare to enter the Paradise and bring about destruction and desolation during their rule.

But, however, virtuous and benevolent a feudal king may be, the feudal system has its own defects and vices. Then emerged Sheikh Mohd Abdulla whom people lovingly called Sher-i-Kashmir (lion of Kashmir) who roared like a lion against the feudal system. But he was not infallible, as no man can be, and I have undauntingly described his strengths and weaknesses.

The place of honour, however, is reserved for Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, called Bud Shah (the great king). Of all the rulers of Jammu and Kashmir, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin was the most illustrious. He was the apostle of secularism and brought about a cataclysmic change for good in social, political and economic life of the Kashmiris, the details about which are given in the text.

I may, in the last analysis, say that it is today something of an anachronism to speak of Kashmiri culture or Jammu's culture. Until now cultures, no doubt, were sharply divided, but now when Kashmir is one hour's journey by air from Jammu, cultural divisions are beginning to disappear. No doubt, in spite of the progress of science and technology, the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana will not cease to inspire the people of Jammu. Much that was useless in ancient Hindu culture has already perished.