Maligned History of Kashmir: Misread and Misrepresented The history of Kashmir witnessed many brutal, despot, autocratic and despotic rulers before the advent o Muslim rule in Kashmir. From the time of the Avantivarman ' s dissolution in 883 A. C until the foundation of Mohammad Ghazni ' s invasion in the 11th century, Kalahan famous historian of Kashmir in Rajatarangnini with vast detail deals with the brutalities and atrocities of the rulers in Kashmir. Sir Francis states it was - a state of perpetual intrigue and assassination of struggles with brothers, cousins, uncles before a chief planed came to the empire; of fights for skill with ministers, with military, with nobles when he was on it, of wearying, petty internecine wars; of general discomfort, uncertainty and sorrow '. Harsha, who ruled from 1889 - 1101 A. C, levied weighty taxes on people someday his treasury was unable to meet his needs. To fulfill his needs he gamy towards temples and already to loot temples. This was not the tail, when his treasure enduring in necessity he took away idols of gods and leading lady from temples which were made of admired metals. Kallahan writes - Known was not one temple in a nook, stead or in the city which was not despoiled of its images by that Turushka King Harsha '. Kallhan further adds - in symmetry to pass statues of gods he had excrements and urine poured over their faces by naked mendicants whose nose, feet and hands had rotted away. Churchman images were dgragged along by ropes round their ankles with image instead of flowers. - This eleemosynary of allegation and charges are not matching on edge upon Sikender who is called - But Shikan - or Auranzeeb of Kashmir. The rulers followed by him were no more people peaceable; they all followed the methods of fury, consternation and torture. It was only following the advent of Muslim rule in Kashmir that people breath in some respite. Prem Nath Bazaz argues that Muslims in Kashmir did not enter as conquers or plunders. There were only few thousands of Muslims who established their rule with the support of local Hindus. He further adds it was - not the triumph of an Islamic power struggling for supremacy in the state. - It was in reality triumph of the Freedom Struggle of the people who had been groaning under the misrule of Hindu Kings, writes Bazaz. When one flips the books of history of Kashmir a lot of literature goes throw that misrepresents, manipulates, and misreads Muslim rule in Kashmir. Of the misrepresented and misread rulers Skinder is the one who has not been spread by so called Historians, Buet Shikan, religious fanatic, cruel, bigot and what not are terms ascribed to him. Skinder has been labeled as black spot in the history of Kashmir by some historians. But the question is, was he really so? There are many questions which do invoke in the minds of mindful persons after reading the history of Kashmir. Prem Nath in his book - The History of Kashmir Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir - writes - Skinder ran amuck; he looted temples broke images and demolished the structures. - While quoting Jonaraja he further adds that in every village, town, city Skinder broken the temples of gods. Had it been true one would not see both ancient and modern temples in every corner of Kashmir. The present structures of temples with idols of gods are a live and strong example which refutes all the allegations leveled on him particularly regarding the destruction of temples. Had it been so there would had been no Shiv Lingam at the temple in the heels of Zaberwan hills. This Shiv Lingam is one of the oldest Idols in Kashmir. About the Limgam many Historians are of the view that this Lingam was shifted to the Zeethyar temple from a temple in Habba Kadal Srinagar Kashmir. M Hussiani hails religious tolerance exhibited by the Sultan adding that the idol at Zeethyar was live example of his being kindhearted. It is believed that the no less than 150 temples existed during the rule of Skinder. Muhammad Yusuf a Prominent historian argues that the ruler who targeted the temples wasn ' t the Skinder but a Hindu King Hrsh Dev, whose acts has been mentioned earlier. Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar Kashmir was built by Raja Gopaditya in 371 BC. One is understand why Skinder did not do anything wrong to it. Bazaz while quoting Jonaraja seems did not give consideration to the present facts which do speak aloud in reverse of that what many historians have manipulated in the history of Kashmir particularly of Skinder. Shankeraracharya temple is not only one examples there are many others like Loduv Temple, Loduv, Pulwama, Payer Temple, Payer, Pulwama, Martand Temple, Mattan, Islamabad, Awantisvami Temple, Awantipora, Pulwama, Awantisvara Temple, Awantipora, Pulwama, Shankara Gaurisvara Temple, Patan, Baramulla, Khir Bhawani, Ganderbal, Shiv temple Sumbal Sonawari and so on. Mohibul Hasan, the author of - Kashmir under Sultans, says the charge is fantastic. G. M. D Sufi remarks that - even if Sikander in zeal for his own religion had transgressed the limits of moderation, it is unquestionably a false charge against him that he demolished all Hindu temples in Kashmir and cruelly persecuted every Pandit -. They point out that if Sikander had demolished all the Hindu temples, then not a single temple should have remained intact. In fact, he he patronized temple construction and built Ganpatyar temple on the banks of river Jehlum. History and archaeology don ' t support the myth of - eleven Pandit families@ - In recent past some of the historical errors which maligned the stature of this king were challenged and cleared when, a Hindu temple was revealed which had been renovated under the orders of Sultan Sikender. A Hindu idol identified that of Brahma installed inside the temple at Ganpatyar conceded the writing in Sharda charcters mentioning the name of Skinder as the renovator. The writing which was later decoded by epigraphists has carried the name of the Sultan Sikander. The name and the date given corresponded to the period of the Sikander while the inscription reads that the image of the deity was installed in this temple during the period of Sikander. 1 this refutes the charges leveled against the sultan and proves the level of tolerance the Sultan had towards all his subjects. It is very unfortunate that History has been misused by vested interests who have always tried to distort the facts. There are both Muslim and Hindu writers who intrude into the history of Kashmir and pollute its Kashmiriyat. The migration of Kashmiri pundits from Valley in early 1990 ' s is being highly manipulated. Doing so has proved dangerous in the past, and will distance two communities in future. I am unable to understand why Prem Nath Bazaz has fallen in the prey of some illogical and irrational myths regarding the Sultan. @ Eleven families, is a proverb in local lingua denoting scant availability of good families. Fayaz Ahmad Bhat Doctoral Scholar Department of Sociology Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi
Reference Ahmad Iqbal, 05 / 02 / 2012. Sultan Skinder Butshiken. Kashmir Images. Srinagar Bazaz, Prem Nath. 2009. The History of Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir. Gulshan Books. Srinagar Dhar Triloki Nath. 2006. Kashmiri Pandit community: a profile. Mittal Publications. New Delhi
Kallahan. 1900. Rajatarangini: A Chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir. Archibald Constable and Company LtD. Westminister
Mir. Tariq Ali. 15 / 03 / 2010. Sultan Sikander, no Iconoclast. Greater Kashmir. Srinagar.
