“While thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living.” – Cyril Connolly
The history of Kashmiri literature dates back at least 2,500 years to the heyday of Sanskrit. Others claim that Patanjali, the author of the Mahabhashya commentary on Pini’s grammar, is the same person who penned the Hindu treatise known as the Yogasutra. Other early names include Dridhbala, who rewrote the Ayurvedic Charaka Samhita. The renowned Kashmir Valley School of Art, Culture, and Philosophy, or Kashmir Shaivism, emerged during the Middle Ages. Vasugupta (800 – 850 CE), Utpala (900-950CE) and Kshemaraja are a few of its famous masters. One might include Anandavardhana who propagated the Sound Theory through his book Dhvanyāloka and Abhinavagupta a philosopher, mystic and aesthetician from Kashmir in this series. Swami Lakshman Joo, of modern era, gave the same “school of thinking” a new lease on life several centuries later.
The Kashmir Valley is the main location where the Kashmiri language, also known as “Koshur,” is spoken. This language is spoken by more than 5 million Indians in and around Kashmir. Most of the Kashmir Valley’s immigrants who speak Kashmiri and reside in Pakistan are natives of that region. Jammu and Kashmir’s official and administrative language is Kashmiri, one of the 22 languages listed in the Indian Constitution as being scheduled. The Kashmiri language is a mandatory subject in all Valley schools up to the secondary level from November 2008. The origin of Kashmiri language reveals a variety of influences. In a state with many official languages like Jammu and Kashmir, the dynamics of language development are undoubtedly complex.
Kashimiri essentially belongs to one of the sub-groups known as Dardi. The Indo-European Languages have been classified into numerous sub-groups according to the geographical linguistic connections. Although the Dardi language predominated in the area, Sanskrit language spread as it did into the other North Indian languages, and through time, the Dardi language’s supremacy gradually diminished. Because of this, Kashmiri was assumed to be an Indo-Aryan Sanskrit dialect that emerged as a new entity. Kashmiri began absorbing elements of mediaeval Persian about the 14th century, and as a result, the language has peculiar vowel and consonant sounds that are unique to Kashmiri and no other Indian language. There after Devanagari and Perso-arabic scripts were employed in Kashmir.
The only Dardic language with literature is allegedly Kashmiri. The first works of Kashmiri literature date back more than 750 years. Not with-standing the ancient nature of the Kashmiri language, modern literature is the category in which the Kashmiri literature is classified. The three-word Kashmiri phrase “apabhramsa” is used in Kalhana’s Rajatarangini (12th century CE), which is the earliest literary work in Kashmiri. However, the Mahanayaprakasa of Sitikantha Acharya, which dates from 1200–1500 CE, appears to be the first composition in Kashmiri. The first example of Kashmiri literature is found in Chumma-sampradaya, a work of uncertain age. Contrary to what was the case in other literatures, the evidence suggests that Lalla Didi, a Shaiva lady saint who lived in the 14th century CE, was the first significant Kashmiri literary figure. Lalla Didi wrote a number of works in Kashmiri that are still widely read today. She was affectionately known as Grandmother Lal or Lal Dad. Her sensitivity and mysticism in the lines “Vaakh” were welcomed by all like
Be it the Hindus, Muslims, scholars and peasants. Other works that appeared up until 1555 CE include the Shrukhs of Sheikh Noor-ud-din, Mahanay Prakash of Shiti Kantha, Banasura Katha of Bhatavatar, and Sukhadukhacharitam of Ganaka Prashasta, although they did not attract much attention. The book Nurnama or Rshinama contains the sayings or Shrukhs of another mystic poet, Sheikh Nuruddin (1377–1440 CE). In the court of Zainul Abidin, Utthasoma, Yodhabhatta, and Bhatta Avatara were the prominent Kashmiri poets. Important works from this time period include Utthasoma’s Manaka, Yodhabhatta’s Jainacharita Jainaprakasa, and Avatara’s Jainavilasa. In Kashmiri, Banasuravadha is regarded as the first epic poetry ever written.
Golden Era for Kashmiri Literature
Kashmiri literature experienced a significant development from 1500 to 1800 CE. Hubba Khatun (1551–1606 CE) was a very talented poetess, and the Kashmiri people continue to be enthralled by her poems about love and romance, known as “Loal” which is more or less equivalent to the English ‘lyric’. Rupabhavani and Aranimal were two more notable Kashmiri poetesses. In the reign of Jehangir, the Hindu poet Sahib Kaul produced the works Krishnaavatara and Jananmcharita. The epic of Lord Rama that Prakasarama derived from the Ramayana is known as the Ramavataracharita, and it was followed by the Lavakusacharita. Koshir-Aqaid and Mukhtasar Waqayah by Mir Abdullah Baihaqi were written during this time when several Persian works, like Laila-Majnu and Shirin-Khusro, were translated into Kashmiri. A new genre of love poetry emerged alongside the mystical and esoteric verses perfected by Rupa Bhawani and Habib Ullah Navshohri. This was the lovely Loal-lyric, which was primarily performed by women. Aarnimal and Habba Khatoon were the dominant female figures in this field.
Poets like Mahmud Gani and Waliullah Motoo (both from the middle of the 19th century) translated Persian literary masterpieces into Kashmiri, and as a result, Masnavis (couplets representing one feeling) and ghazals (romantic poetry set to music) were produced and well-received. This era is marked by the classic love stories of Laila and Majnu, Shirin and Farhad, Sohrab and Rustum, and numerous more. Yet another innovation was Lila-poetry. In this field, Paramanand (1791-1885) was exceptional. Poetry in other formats was written by Prakash Ram, Maqbul Shah, Lachman Raina, Rasul Mir, and Shams Faqir. They have always had songs and ghazals as a part of their literary tradition. Ghazals, Masnavis, and Geets—creative marvels of mystical and secular poetry—were created in the first few decades of the 20th century. After 1800 A.D. in addition to Sanskrit and Persian, Urdu and English also began to have an impact on Kashmiri. This helped Kashmiri literature adopt fresh concepts and aesthetics.
Early poets of this time period were Mahmud Gami, Maqbul Shah, Paramanand, and Wahhab Pare. Based on Sanskrit Puranas, Paramanand produced a number of narrative poems, including Radhaswaymvara, Sudamacharita, and Sivalagan. Firdausi’s Shahnama was translated into Kashmiri by Abdul Wahab Pare (1845–1913), who also translated the Akbarnama. Lakshman Ju, a talented Kashmiri poet of the same era, wrote the ghazal Nala-Damayanti as well as other short poems and ghazals. Maulavi Siddiqullah translated the Sikandarnama of the 12th-century poet Nizami into Kashmiri. It is important to note that during this time K.F. Burkhard and G.A. Grierson were the two European academics who encouraged Kashmiri literature. Some significant works from this period include Sivaparinaya by Krishna Razdan, Krishnavataralila by Dinanath, Himal Ta Nagaraya by Waliullah Mattu, Gazliyat-i-Haqqani by Azizullah Haqqani, and Akhnandana by Ramzan Bath. Pirzada One of Kashmir’s first nationalistic poets, Ghulam Ahmad Mahjur (1885-1952) produced a number of lyrical, patriotic poetry with political overtones. Famous Kashmiri poet and playwright Nandalal Kaul authored notable Dramas like Satach Kahwath, Ramun Raj, Dayalal and Prahlada Bhagat. Bhagwad Gita was translated into Kashmiri by Pandit Narayan Khar, and this marked a turning point for Kashmiri literature. Abdul Ahmad Azad, Dinanath Nadim, Amin Kamil, Ghulam Rasul Nazki, Rahman Rahi, Abdul Haqq Barq, and Nur Mohammed Roshan are notable Kashmiri poets from the post-Independence era.
Poems by Dinanath Nadim like Yirada, Ba Gyavna Az, and Zindabad Shyamji gave Kashmiri verse fresh life. Moreover, in 1953, he wrote the opera Bambur Yambarzal, which went on to win the Sahitya Akademi Prize in 1967. In 1956, Nadim and Roshan collaborated to make another opera, Himal ta Nagaraya. Kashmiris only started using prose towards the turn of the 20th century. Apart for a few translations, Kashmiri writing is yet to flourish. Also, there were significant socio-political movements occurring at the time that influenced contemporary poets like Ghulam Ahmed Mahjoor (1885–1952), Zinda Kaul, and Abdul Ahad Azad. There are just a few notable dramas, similar to Kashmiri literature, including some from the Machaama series of Pushkar Bhan and Somnath Zutshi’s Mordur Mas and Viji Vaav.
The Kashmiri language has a very rich and intricate tradition. Its folk literature is the most representative type and it consists of many traditional forms. Somdeva gathered a variety of narrative styles with a wide range of themes from Kashmir for his widely acclaimed Kathasarit Sagar of the eleventh century CE. The folk heritage of Kashmir has not only been preserved but also enhanced and transformed over time. It stands for a variety of societal transformation, behavioural patterns, aspirations, suppressed desires, original ideas, unrecognised longings, and collective aspirations. The social drama is examined in folk literature in a geographical context and with relation to historical imperatives. Kashmiri folk literature has won awards for its elegance, variety, and interpretive depth.
