Who Are Kashmiri Pandits? : An Introduction to the Religion, History and Culture of Kashmiri Pandits

This book briefly introduces the religious, cultural, social, and spiritual traditions of the Kashmiri Pandits, the aborigines of the Kashmir valley. As some may say, they were born to roam and suffer during the last six centuries but have amazingly retained a healthy appetite for life. They are that breed of the human race that has successfully converted survival into an art form. Their special talent to survive in alien lands after being deprived of existence in the land of their birth has made them the object of admiration and envy. Over 5000 years ago, the ancestors of the Kashmiri Pandits living on the banks of the ancient river Sarasvati (that flowed in the northwestern region of India and dried up around 1900 BCE) moved northward and settled in the Kashmir valley. For the first two millenniums, they developed a literary culture under the reign of Hindu kings. In the 13th century, Islam entered the valley, and its preachers and sympathizers began converting Pandits to Islam. The valley inhabitants were principally Hindu until the Buddhist-turned-Muslim king Rinchen took the throne in 1339 AD and began killing and converting Hindus to Islam. Later in the 14th Century, Sultan Sikandar initiated the first exodus of Hindus from Kashmir. Since the 14th century, the history of Kashmiri Pandits has been a history of displacement, migration, and homelessness, which is made more poignant by the past thirty-five years of militancy in Kashmir valley.