Block-buster Sholay had been released. I was in class fourth. Most of my classmates including me, in Woodlands school, at Gupkar road, Srinagar, Kashmir, were fascinated by Amitabh Bachan’s sidelocks. All wanted one.
In 1975, Neelam and Regal cinema halls did a roaring business. Cinema halls were a big business in Kashmir before the outbreak of armed insurgency in 1989. There were nine halls in Srinagar alone, all doing great business before Muslim separatists called for their closure for being “un-Islamic.
Bollywood films were an important link. People waited eagerly for new Bollywood films. The films were discussed and one could hear popular songs being played in shops in Lal Chowk.
Cultural-historical integration is as important as physical and constitutional integration.
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As a student of history I have always felt that our history books in the schools do not give much space to the histories of regions viz., South (Vijayanagar dynasty), North (Kashmir) and the north east. There is so much to be told.
Kashmir has contributed to Indian culture in a large measure both mythological and historical.
There is a tradition that Ram had come to Kashmir in search of Sita. Lord Krishna had come to Kashmir to enthrone Yashomati. There are hints in the Mahabharata that the King of Kashmir had taken part in the Mahabharata and that Tashak(Nag), who belonged to Kashmir killed Raja Parikshit. Kashmir was a great centre of Buddhism and it is from Kashmir that the faith spread through Khotan to China, Mangolia, Japan. A Buddhist congress was held in Kashmir during Kanishka’s time.
For two thousand years, Kashmir has been the home of learning and contributed to Indian history, poetry, and philosophy. Many of the greatest Sanskrit scholars and poets belong to Kashmir. Mauryan emperor Ashoka, who reigned between 273 and 233 BC founded the city of Srinagar. Under him, many Buddhist missionaries and scholars settled there. This trend was followed under Harsha.
The history of Kashmir has to be seen in a continuum and not in a point of time.
With changing powers and expansionary dynasties it came under rule of different rulers. In 14th century, Dulucha, a mongol ruler invaded Kashmir. The rule was further tightened in 1389, during the rule of Sultan-Sikandar. He imposed Jazia .Chroniclers of that time speak of the wholesale destruction of Hindu shrines including the famed ‘Martand’ Temple, and forcible conversion of Hindus to Islam. However, not all the Sultans followed this policy.
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Of all the Sultans of Kashmir, Zain-ul-abidin (1420-1470 AD) was undoubtedly the greatest. His benevolent rule witnessed peace, prosperity .He introduced many arts and crafts for which Kashmir has become famous. He maintained cordial and friendly relations with other rulers. A raja of central india hearing that the Sultan was interested in music,sent him valuable works on music of his region. He believed in peaceful co-existence. He allowed his subjects freedom of worship and he allowed those Hindus who had been forcibly converted, to return to their former religion. He established a translation department where important Sanskrit works were translated into Persian and Arabic.
In 1586, like the rest of northern India, Kashmir was conquered by the Mughals and became a Mughal province. Akbar, Jahangir , Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb all visited Kashmir. Jahangir was spell bound by the beauty of the valley and visited 13 times. Francis Bernier who accompanied Aurangzeb gives his impression of the residents of Kashmir.
“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.”
With the decline of the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb, the Afghans saw their opportunity and ruled Kashmir from 1750 till 1819. In 1819, Maharaja Ranjit Singh brought Kashmir under his empire for 50 years. British later defeated the Sikhs. British were not interested in Kashmir, and so they sold it in perpetuity for 75 lakhs of rupees to Maharaja Gulab Singh of the Dogra dynasty . The story after India’s Independence is known to all.
The history of regions of India became victims of the history constructed by Colonial rulers. The history of India was constructed in accordance with nineteeth century European views on what history should be and what was thought to be Indian History. James Mill in “The History of British India” published in 1818-1823, argued for three periods: Hindu civilization, Muslim civilization and the British period. These labels were taken from the religions of the ruling dynasties first the Hindus and then the Muslim. The periodization became axiomatic to the interpretation of Indian history. This has been corrected later through periodization as Ancient, medieval and Modern India.
However, the impact of colonial construction continues. People should be reminded that terrorism in Kashmir is not about separatism only; it is also an ideological struggle with specific fundamentalist and communal Agenda. Terrorist violence aims at the disengagement of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from India and its annexation to Pakistan on communal lines.
This needs to be corrected. The people of India, its regions have to be told their history and it has to start from the schools. History is an essential component of nation-building.
According to Romila Thapar, an eminent historian “ A nation cannot be built on a single identity nor is it feasible to collate diverse identities of religion, caste, language and so on, and hope for something emerging. A nation as a state is a new historical experience and therefore requires a new identity. Ideally, this would be identity of the Indian citizen constructed on the assumption that all citizens are equal before the law with same rights and obligations. The theoretical basis for this exists in our constitution, but it has to be put into effect”.
One way of putting it into effect, amongst others is telling the people their shared history and the common heritage, even if it is common association and appreciation of a film like Sholay.