Abid Gowhar
Srinagar/ March 2005
Whole world is acquainted with the far framed beauty of Kashmir, still very few among the new generation know how Kashmir, once the heaven on earth, was in its past. Perhaps a few words of explanation may prove useful to upgrade the information about the land we listen so much, we read in bulks and we praise its beauty more than anything on the earth.
According to a popular legend which is mentioned in Kalhana's Rajtarangni Kashmir valley was a vast lake. Kashyap Rishi drained out the water and made it habitable. It is said that originally Yakshas, and Pisacas tribes inhabited the valley at the higher reaches and did not allow the inhabitants of the valley to live in peace. King Ashok brought Budhism to Kashmir which was strenthened by Kanishka. In 6th century Huns came to rule the valley and Mihirkul was one of the infamous Hun ruler. The area attained freedom in 530 AD which was short-lived. According to Sir Aurel Stein the famous interpretor of Kalhana the chronicler of Kashmir the city of Srinagar had big market and mansions made of wood touching the clouds. Hieun-tsang the famous Chinese traveler visited Srinagar and has described it his memoirs.
Various capitals were established by the latter kings but ultimately the city of Srinagar was destined to be the capital of the State. These capitals are now found only in ruins or history. Some of the famous capitals are Prvaerpora of Praversen, Prihaspora of Lalitaditya, Jayapida's Jayapora, Avantivarman's Avantipur and cities of Kanishkapura and Juskapura.
During muslim rule Sultan Sadar-ud-din founded Rinchenpur and Ala-ud-din founded Alauddinpura near Hariparbat Hill. ZainulAbideen founded Nowshera as the capital while Akbar founded Naagar Nagar and raised 28ft tall wall around it.
Coming closer the present status of Kashmir , let us undress its picture of early twentieth century.
On to the extreme north of India, up among the towering Himalayas: where three empires of Russia , China and India met, was feudatory state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by Dogra clan of Jammu. Lying in among the high mountains, 5000 ft. above the see, was a flat-bottomed valley, about one hundred and sixty km long by sixty five km broad. This was the famed vale of Kashmir. A broad river, the river Jehlum meandered slowly through the length of valley, connecting up with numerous placid lakes; while all round the plain rose a ring of towering snowcapped peaks. Kashmir was an extraordinary mixture of Norfolk Broads and Switzerland.
The journey up to Kashmir from India was most marvelous contrast; for besides the scenery, the dresses , houses and boats were quite unlike anything a foreigner saw on the two-day train journey over plains of India, from Bombay(now a days called Mumbai) to Rawalpindi was the nearest railway station to Kashmir, and it was there necessary to hire a car and drive the 320 km in to Kashmir. The road wound through the most wonderful mountainous country: it climbed to 6000 feet, then it dropped down to about 2000 feet to join the gorge of River jhehlum. Thence it twisted and turned along sheer hillside, with Jhehlum foaming and roaring hundreds of feet below. Ever upwards went the road, till at last the gorge widened out into the broad smiling valley of Kashmir proper. The Jhehlum was now no longer a furious cauldron but became a placid river, the patient beast of burden for countless boats. For fifty km or so the road ran straight along magnificent avenues of popular trees, which still are standing there, passing picturesque Kashmiri villages, the thatched and sloping roofs of their houses peeping out among the clumps of Walnut and Chinar trees. At last , the long drive was over and one reached the Capital city of Srinagar, which was just about eighty km upstream from Baramulla, the town situated at the point where Jhehlum changed from peace to fury.
Srinagar as it is today, was the centre of the valley and its position could be located from many miles away by the Takh-I-Sulmiman hill or Shankaracharia hill as it is called today, when rose 1000 feet out the plain close to city. On top of the Takht, the ancient Hindu Temple, illuminated at night with floodlights so that even in darkness it was possible to guide one’s way to the city. Now although Kashmir such a marvelous paradise, this fact had been a curse to the inhabitants. Its far framed wonders had attracted conquerors from most of the neighbouring nations, who had ruthlessly harried and trampled upon the Kashmiris, till their sprits had been broken. Only with the spread of Brithish influence into the Punjab and Northern India, during the later part of 19th century, had the people of Kashmir had a respite. This no doubt accounts for the apathy with which the Kashmiris regarded the Home Rule Movement in India; the memory of terrible days of old was far too vivid even in the middle of twentieth century.
In order to try to raise up the hapless people of the vale, many church missionary societies opened their missions in the valley. The opposition of the Maharaja Government and its functionaries was excessive. The first missionary to Kashmir Rev. Robert Clark had face wrath at the hands of authorities. Apprehending the awakening of the people, every available means was used to stop him from educating people. Same was the case with other early missionaries. At first no European was allowed to stay in Kashmir during winters; then, when missionaries managed to get permission for permanent residence, the authorities prevented anyone from coming see them. With a great difficulty a plot of land was obtained, on which was built the beginnings of a hospital. The hospital grew with time and until today this hospital is working at Drugjan in Srinagar, with which the famous name of Neve brothers, the two missionaries will always be connected.
In 1880 educational work in Srinagar, with the foundation of a boy’s school by Rev. J.H. Knowels. It was of the growth and the development of this branch of the society’s work, for about a century that we see education flourishing here. To begin with the missionaries started a school in Srinagar and later opened four more branches to feed the central high school. At Anantnag fifty eight km away from Srinagar primary, middle and high schools were also opened, which functioned for a long time. Not only were the boys catered for, but a girl’s school was also started in Srinagar; by the untiring efforts of Miss. Voilet Firtz. Later under vigorous guidance of Miss. Mallinson , the school flourished, on whose name it is educating thousands of girls today. This school along with Tyndale Biscoe school are considered among the best schools in Srinagar, but one feels pained to notice the absence of the sprit of selfless service to humanity today, with which the missionaries had started them.####
Whole world is acquainted with the far framed beauty of Kashmir, still very few among the new generation know how Kashmir, once the heaven on earth, was in its past. Perhaps a few words of explanation may prove useful to upgrade the information about the land we listen so much, we read in bulks and we praise its beauty more than anything on the earth.
According to a popular legend which is mentioned in Kalhana's Rajtarangni Kashmir valley was a vast lake. Kashyap Rishi drained out the water and made it habitable. It is said that originally Yakshas, and Pisacas tribes inhabited the valley at the higher reaches and did not allow the inhabitants of the valley to live in peace. King Ashok brought Budhism to Kashmir which was strenthened by Kanishka. In 6th century Huns came to rule the valley and Mihirkul was one of the infamous Hun ruler. The area attained freedom in 530 AD which was short-lived. According to Sir Aurel Stein the famous interpretor of Kalhana the chronicler of Kashmir the city of Srinagar had big market and mansions made of wood touching the clouds. Hieun-tsang the famous Chinese traveler visited Srinagar and has described it his memoirs.
Various capitals were established by the latter kings but ultimately the city of Srinagar was destined to be the capital of the State. These capitals are now found only in ruins or history. Some of the famous capitals are Prvaerpora of Praversen, Prihaspora of Lalitaditya, Jayapida's Jayapora, Avantivarman's Avantipur and cities of Kanishkapura and Juskapura.
During muslim rule Sultan Sadar-ud-din founded Rinchenpur and Ala-ud-din founded Alauddinpura near Hariparbat Hill. ZainulAbideen founded Nowshera as the capital while Akbar founded Naagar Nagar and raised 28ft tall wall around it.
Coming closer the present status of Kashmir , let us undress its picture of early twentieth century.
On to the extreme north of India, up among the towering Himalayas: where three empires of Russia , China and India met, was feudatory state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by Dogra clan of Jammu. Lying in among the high mountains, 5000 ft. above the see, was a flat-bottomed valley, about one hundred and sixty km long by sixty five km broad. This was the famed vale of Kashmir. A broad river, the river Jehlum meandered slowly through the length of valley, connecting up with numerous placid lakes; while all round the plain rose a ring of towering snowcapped peaks. Kashmir was an extraordinary mixture of Norfolk Broads and Switzerland.
The journey up to Kashmir from India was most marvelous contrast; for besides the scenery, the dresses , houses and boats were quite unlike anything a foreigner saw on the two-day train journey over plains of India, from Bombay(now a days called Mumbai) to Rawalpindi was the nearest railway station to Kashmir, and it was there necessary to hire a car and drive the 320 km in to Kashmir. The road wound through the most wonderful mountainous country: it climbed to 6000 feet, then it dropped down to about 2000 feet to join the gorge of River jhehlum. Thence it twisted and turned along sheer hillside, with Jhehlum foaming and roaring hundreds of feet below. Ever upwards went the road, till at last the gorge widened out into the broad smiling valley of Kashmir proper. The Jhehlum was now no longer a furious cauldron but became a placid river, the patient beast of burden for countless boats. For fifty km or so the road ran straight along magnificent avenues of popular trees, which still are standing there, passing picturesque Kashmiri villages, the thatched and sloping roofs of their houses peeping out among the clumps of Walnut and Chinar trees. At last , the long drive was over and one reached the Capital city of Srinagar, which was just about eighty km upstream from Baramulla, the town situated at the point where Jhehlum changed from peace to fury.
Srinagar as it is today, was the centre of the valley and its position could be located from many miles away by the Takh-I-Sulmiman hill or Shankaracharia hill as it is called today, when rose 1000 feet out the plain close to city. On top of the Takht, the ancient Hindu Temple, illuminated at night with floodlights so that even in darkness it was possible to guide one’s way to the city. Now although Kashmir such a marvelous paradise, this fact had been a curse to the inhabitants. Its far framed wonders had attracted conquerors from most of the neighbouring nations, who had ruthlessly harried and trampled upon the Kashmiris, till their sprits had been broken. Only with the spread of Brithish influence into the Punjab and Northern India, during the later part of 19th century, had the people of Kashmir had a respite. This no doubt accounts for the apathy with which the Kashmiris regarded the Home Rule Movement in India; the memory of terrible days of old was far too vivid even in the middle of twentieth century.
In order to try to raise up the hapless people of the vale, many church missionary societies opened their missions in the valley. The opposition of the Maharaja Government and its functionaries was excessive. The first missionary to Kashmir Rev. Robert Clark had face wrath at the hands of authorities. Apprehending the awakening of the people, every available means was used to stop him from educating people. Same was the case with other early missionaries. At first no European was allowed to stay in Kashmir during winters; then, when missionaries managed to get permission for permanent residence, the authorities prevented anyone from coming see them. With a great difficulty a plot of land was obtained, on which was built the beginnings of a hospital. The hospital grew with time and until today this hospital is working at Drugjan in Srinagar, with which the famous name of Neve brothers, the two missionaries will always be connected.
In 1880 educational work in Srinagar, with the foundation of a boy’s school by Rev. J.H. Knowels. It was of the growth and the development of this branch of the society’s work, for about a century that we see education flourishing here. To begin with the missionaries started a school in Srinagar and later opened four more branches to feed the central high school. At Anantnag fifty eight km away from Srinagar primary, middle and high schools were also opened, which functioned for a long time. Not only were the boys catered for, but a girl’s school was also started in Srinagar; by the untiring efforts of Miss. Voilet Firtz. Later under vigorous guidance of Miss. Mallinson , the school flourished, on whose name it is educating thousands of girls today. This school along with Tyndale Biscoe school are considered among the best schools in Srinagar, but one feels pained to notice the absence of the sprit of selfless service to humanity today, with which the missionaries had started them.####
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