Kashmir Affairs - Security & Conflict Analysis of Kashmir

Muslim preachers called Rishis. Laden with political exigency, such fabrications are solely to deny Kashmir’s Muslim civilisation its pride of place and to erase it not only from the history books but also from the Kashmiri minds.

In this backdrop, Ghulam Mohammad Shad’s book assumes significance and can be claimed rightly to be the first of its kind. The book digs out the real personality of Mir Sayyid Hamadani and quantifies his impact on the life, culture and the polity of Kashmir. The book is a result of “ceaseless research for nearly two decades”, as the author has consulted about 100 original sources in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Kashmiri. This has helped him “to construct the persona of Mir Sayyid Hamadani and his companions and their contribution in the right perspective”, refuting the biased narratives manufactured by the anti-Kashmiri elements for political reasons.

The most outstanding contribution in Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani Aur Kashmir, Tahzeeb-o-Saqafat Kay Tanazur Mein is that it makes an in-depth study of Hamadani’s impact on the Kashmiri language and literature as well as the institutionalization of dissemination of information that led to a strong foundation to the process of transformation of the Kashmiri society. The book studies the poetry of Muslim saints like Lal Ded, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din, Shama Bibi, Shamas Faqir and others from a linguist perspective to look into the influences on Kashmiri language and its expanding lexicon, forms of poetry and prose. It also discusses the overall change brought about in the forms of poetry, collective imagination - imbibing and depicting Muslim thought and lore that had developed in the Muslim World.

Ghulam Mohammad Shad argues that the building of Muslim institutions under the stewardship of Sayyid Hamadani led to the foundation of a civilisation that was far more superior and rich than the native one. Thus old institutions and forms were replaced by the new. The Kashmiri language adopted Arabic-Persian script replacing Sharda and Sanskrit. The large-scale introduction of Islamic literature in Arabic and Persian and the diction of these languages revolutionized the local Kashmiri language entirely. The efforts of Sa’daat who learned and wrote in Kashmiri also enriched the language, which was to be reflected by indigenous Kashmiri writers. This broadened the vocabulary and horizons of Kashmiri language as Lal Ded and Noorani discuss hitherto unknown subjects including Islamic fiqh.

The tradition laid down by the Sa’daat and the new converts were followed by future writers and scholars, which continue to date, despite political upheavals and subjugations. Hundreds of books were translated from Arabic and Persian into Kashmiri allowing the Muslim influence to permeate deep into the Kashmiri society. Besides, hundreds of original works were composed on numerous religious and non-religious topics. The book amplifies the fact that Kashmir’s transformation to Islam was totally peaceful under the command and guidance of Mir Sayyid Hamadani.

Mir Sayyid Hamadani belonged to the Kubravi order of Sufis. The writings of numerous Kashmiri poets have been examined in the light of Kubravi order showing its influence among the likes of Lal Ded, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din and then from Mahmood Gami to modern times. The book also discusses the changes on the spiritual landscape of Kashmir and elaborates them in the light of contemporary sources. This is the first time that an exhaustive list of local Rishis who were admitted into the Kubravi order has been brought to limelight, thereby showing the close affinity and association of the local Rishis with the Sa’daat and Mir Sayyid Hamadani.

The book in its penultimate chapter discusses the Khat-e-Irshad, the most important historic document about Kashmir. Khat-e-Irshad formalises the relationship between Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani and Mir Muhammad Hamadani, son of Sayyid Hamadani. The document written by Mir Muhammad Hamadani testifies the admission of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din into the Kubravi order and permits him to guide people and his disciples according to the traditions of the Order.

There have been many attempts in the past to call this documents’ authenticity into question thereby raising doubts about the contribution of Mir Sayyid or his son Mir Muhammad Hamadani. The chapter deals at length with the authenticity of this document as well as its date and day and proves it to be genuine. Khat-e-Irshad has been translated and its relevance and influence on Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani properly assessed.

The book is a very useful contribution to Kashmiriology and successfully challenges the myths that have been passed as ‘history’. It also quantifies the influence of Mir Sayyid Hamadani on the life and society of Kashmir, which are evident even today in the daily lives of millions of Kashmiris. It would be useful if the book is translated into English for the wider audience.

Book published by: Ashraf Book Centre, Red Cross Road, Srinagar, Kashmir, 2007

June 2007

Known as the founder of Islam in Kashmir, Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani came along with about 1000 of his disciples who dispersed through the length and breadth of the region, laying foundation of an advanced civilization in the region. It was under the guidance of Sayyid Hamadani that the social and political order of Kashmir was revolutionized and the introduction of new industries and culture went to form the core identity of new Kashmir and its converted inhabitants.

Despite being pivotal in shaping the history and future of the entire Kashmir region, the personality of Mir Sayyid Hamadani remains shrouded. There has been no serious attempt to study his contribution and influence. The Brahman Hindu chroniclers of the time - Jonaraja, Srivara and their followers have intriguingly maintained silence about Sayyid Hamadani for their obvious antagonism towards Muslims. Even Jonaraja ridicules the companions of Sayyid Hamadani’s son, Mir Mohammad Hamadani, who followed his father’s mission in Kashmir. True to the contemporary practice, the Muslim writers have mainly presented Sayyid Hamadani as a saint performing miracles or a mystic; downplaying his role in the civilisation building and transformation of the Kashmiri society.

The political stalemate that ensued after 1947 has resulted in vast cultural erosion and subversion of Kashmir’s Muslim history. Biased government institutions have been working overtime to portray Mir Sayyid Hamadani, his son Mir Mohammad and their colleagues as alien intruders who wanted to establish fundamentalism in Kashmir. They have also manufactured stories of deep conflict between these missionaries locally known as Sa’daat and the local