Birth of Kashmir

Ancient epics narrate that the valley of Kashmir was originally a great
lake called - Satisar.

*Rishi Kashyap*


Rishi Kashyap through rigorous penance, drained all the lake water and
created number of rivulets which merged with rivers like Jehlum and Indus.

He made this area worthy of habitation for people.  *Therefore Kashmir gets
its name from Kashyap** .*

*Through Tapasya Kashyap invited Lord Shiva to Bless the place*.


Lord Shiva came to bless. The place where Lord Shiva came is known as
Amarnath .It is believed that God Shiva  dwells in a cave here even today in
 the form of ice lingam.


Amarnath is 145 km north of Srinagar . Millions of Hindu pilgrims come here
every year.




*Rulers of Kashmir*

Son of Kashyap - Neel, became the first ruler of Kashmir.

Later Kashmir was ruled by the Maurya (322 -185 BCE) and Kushan( 100 AD )
Empires.

Kashmir remained under Hindu rule for centuries.

Islam arrived around 1200 AD through traders and missionaries.

In 1327 A.D , Rinchen Shah the Hindu ruler of Kashmir was persuaded to
convert to Islam by Abdur Rehman Bulbul who came from central Asia .

The last Hindu king, Udiana Deva was replaced in 1346 by the first Muslim
sultan - Shams-ud-Din Iltutmush who  was from a noble family of the Ilbari
Turks of  East Turkestan.





Muslim invaders, including the Afghans and Mughals ruled Kashmir for 4
centuries .


 *Shams-ud-Din Iltutmush*

Brothers of Iltutmush had sold him ,when young to a slave dealer. After
being sold and purchased a few times, Iltutmush was
finally bought by Qutub Ud- Din Aibak - the then ruler of Delhi .



Aibak was the 1st Turkish Sultan of the Slave dynasty in
India<http://www.indianetzone.com/4/slave_dynasty.htm>. Aibak,
realized the potential of Shams-ud-Din Iltutmush  and
treated him with kindness . Aibak married his own daughter to
Iltutmush. Aibak’s son, Aram Shah,was found to be incompetent .
Hence after Qutub Ud- Din Aibak , Iltutmush became the Sultan of
Delhi. Iltutmush constructed the masterpieces like Qutub Minar,and a mosque
at Ajmer.
Both are considered architectural wonders.



Iltutmush, died in April 1236, after ruling for 26 years. Change of rule
took place when Moghul emperor Akbar conquered Kashmir in 1586 .

Durrani Empire (1747-1823) with its capital at Kandahar, defeated the
decaying Mughal
Empire<http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/india/xmughalempire.html>'s
rule in Kashmir
and Ahmed Shah Durrani ruled Kashmir from  1757  till 1819.



*Ahmed Shah Durrani*


The Sikh Confederacy of Punjab under Ranjit Singh won Kashmir in 1819 from
Durrani .Ranjit Singh ruled over
Kashmir and the greater part of what is now in Pakistan. His capital was
Amritsar and Lahore .


In 1846, the British defeated the Sikhs .


Lord Hardinge sold Kashmir for Rs 7.5 million to Ghulab Singh .





Ghulab Singh was the ruler of Jammu & Ladakh . He was Ranjit Singh`s grand
nephew.

Ghulab Singh established the Dogra dynasty ( Jamwal Rajput) which produced
4 rulers who contributed tremendously for Kashmir.

Ghulab Singh died in 1857 and was succeeded by his son Rambir Singh.




Thereafter Partab Singh ruled Kashmir.


Partab Singh was succeeded by and Hari Singh
( father of Dr. Karan Singh ).

 *Dr. Karan Singh*


*The Kashmir Tangle*

India-Pakistan partition took place in 1947.

Hari Singh He was given the choice to join either India or Pakistan or
remain independent.

Hari Singh chose to join India . Hari Singh appointed Sheik Abdullah as the
Prime Minister.

*Sheik Abdullah*

Sheik Abdullah formed the party- Muslim Conference, which was later renamed
National Conference in 1932.

Sheik Abdullah kept opposing Hari Singh and in 1946 launched "Quit Kashmir"
movement against the Hari Singh.

In end 1947 Nehru started discussing with Sheik Abdullah the terms of
integration with India.

This was a significant departure from the practice being followed, as for
merging Princely States with India was being handled by SardarPatel .

Over a disagreement with Nehru ,Sardar resigned.



However Gandhiji brokered a compromise and Sradar stayed on.

It was Nehru and Sheik Abdullah who produced Article 370 - a temporary
provision  - the most debated article during the past 60 years!

Article 370 states that J & K is an integral part of India. Kashmiris have
the best of everything . They can settle anywhere in India,but outsiders
cannot settle in Kashmir.

Kashmir will never get a special status like Article 370 in Pakistan?

*Hot bed of religious politics*


Kashmir is not J&K”




*Kashmir** is disputed , J&K is not.*

*Kashmir** is too small for Azadi.*

Kashmir is 6.8% in area of undivided J&K.
This 6.8% area is holding India to ransom.

If area of Kashmiri Hindus’ homeland (Panun Kashmir),
*is taken out , Kashmir will be lesser than 6.8% .*

Kashmiri separatists leaders want to join
Pakistan obviously for selfish reasons .

Kashmir is one of world’s smallest land locked area.
Kashmir will not have enough resources to sustain itself .

*Muslims are in majority *(97%) only in *Kashmir** and not in J&K .*

*Hindu population has diminished with migration and conversions.*

*J&K *comprises of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh*.*

Kashmir comprises of previously undivided districts of
Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar (now divided into 10 districts).

*Kashmir is shouting “Go India Go” .Others in J&K are happy in India.*

“India is Kashmir to Kanya kumari ” is not correctly worded as
Kashmir is not the northern most tip of India ; Ladakh is.

Kashmir is geographically within India .



Kashmir is not in PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir).

Languages of PoK are :

Pahari, Mirpuri, Gojri, Hindko, Punjabi, Pashto .
None of these is any where close to Kashmiri .

People living in PoK are ethnically different from Kashmiris.

*Question is ; can a Muslim mohalla in Hyderabad or Meerut  or*
*Bhendi bazar in Mumbai ask for a separate country from India?*

*13. 8 crore  Muslims of  India are silent on Kashmir. *


 * We all have strengths and abilities: the difference is whether we have a strong political will.
**********************************************************************************************