History of Kashmir — Sources
1. Nilamata Purana
- Author: Unknown
- Language: Sanskrit
- Translated By: Prof. Ved Kumari Gai
- Subject: Deals with the origin of Kashmir
- The birth of the Kashmir valley was given in the oral form (regarding Satisar Lake)
- According to Nilamata Purana, 1st tribe of Kashmir valley: Naga
NOTE
- Nilamata Purana is NOT an established historical text. It suffers from a degree of inconsistency and unreliability.
- Nilamata Purana is regarded as the National Epic of Kashmir.
2. Rajatarangini
- 1st historical writing (on Kashmir)
- Written by: Pandit Kalhan (12th century AD)
- Divided into 8 books called tarangs
- Written in chronological order
- It is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle
KEY FACTS — RAJATARANGINI
- Political history written from: King Gonanda to Jayasimha (upto 1149 AD)
- 1st Translation from Sanskrit to English by: M. A. Stein (in 1892 AD)
- 1st King mentioned by Kalhan in Rajatarangini: Gonanda (1st recorded king of Kashmir)
- Father of Kalhan: Champak (Minister in the court of Harsha)
- Kalhan himself was dependent on Nilamata Purana.
CONTINUATION OF RAJATARANGINI
- After the death of Kalhan, Zain-ul-Abideen stressed upon continuing Rajatarangini and was continued by:
- Jonaraja
- Srivara
- Praja Bhat
3. Kuttinamatta
- Written by: Damodar Gupta
- Damodar: Minister of Jayapala (8th - 9th century AD)
- We can find history of two cities: Varanasi & Srinagar
- Deals with the social history of both these cities
- Mentions Malati & Damaras
MALATI
- She was the leader of temple prostitutes of Kashi.
- She came to Srinagar and established the organisation of prostitution of temple girls in Srinagar.
- She was mentioned in Kuttinamatta.
DAMARAS
- These were the feudal lords.
- They collected revenue from temples; thus patronised temple institutions.
- Mentioned in Kuttinamatta.
4. Bilhana
- He was an 11th century poet of Kashmir.
- Kalhan also quoted Bilhan.
- Texts:
- Vikramanka Charita
- Caurapancasika - (Love Thief: a poem)
- In Sanskrit language.
- Threw light on the social condition of Kashmir.
5. Travellers' Accounts
INDIAN & FOREIGN TRAVELLERS
| Traveller | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hiuen Tsang | 631-32 AD | Chinese traveller who visited Kashmir |
| Ou Kong | 759 AD | Chinese traveller who visited Kashmir |
| Alberuni | - | Visited Kashmir along with Mahmud of Ghazni; wrote Tawarikh-e-Hind |
| Francis Bernier | 1665 AD | European traveller visited Kashmir along with Aurangzeb |
| Desideri | 1714 AD | A priest who visited Srinagar |
| GT Vigne | 1835 AD | Gives detailed description about an earthquake |
| Baron Charles & Baron Von | - | Visited Kashmir during Sikh rule |
6. Books & Authors
IMPORTANT BOOKS ON KASHMIR HISTORY
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Mahabharat & Puranas | Varaḥmihir |
| Brihadśamhita | Harshvardhan |
| Ratnavali | Yusuf Shah of Kashmir, 1578 |
| Tvarīkh-e-Kashmir | Narain Koul Aji, 1710 |
| Tvarīkh-e-Kashmir | Malik Hidayat |
| Waqat-e-Kashmir | Khwaja Mohd Azam Koul, 1746 |
| Tariḥ-i-Hassan | Pir Hassan Shah (19th century AD) |
| Mukhtasar Tareekh-e-Kashmir | Pandit Birbal Kuchru (1835) |
| Early History of Kashmir | Pandit Anand Koul |
| History of Kashmir | Ghulam Mohiudin Sufi |
| History of Kashmir | Muhammad-din Fauq |
| Zafar Nama | Sharif-ud-din Ali |
| Tareekh-i-Rashidi | Mirza Haidar Douglat |
| Tabaqat-i-Akbar | Nazim-din |
| Muntakhab-ul-Tawarikh | Abdul Qasim Badouni |
| Akbar Nama | Abul Fazl |
| Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri | Jahangir |
OTHER IMPORTANT WORKS
- The Travels in Himalayan Provinces — Moorcraft
- Walter Lawrence — wrote on Kashmir
- Fredric Drew — wrote on Kashmir
- Alexander Cunningham — wrote on Kashmir
7. JKSSB Previous Year Questions
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Q1. Who is the author of Rajatarangini?
- A) Damodar Gupta
- B) Kalhan
- C) Bilhana
- D) Jonaraja
Q2. Rajatarangini is divided into how many books (tarangs)?
- A) 6
- B) 8
- C) 10
- D) 12
Q3. Who translated Rajatarangini from Sanskrit to English for the first time?
- A) Max Muller
- B) M. A. Stein
- C) William Jones
- D) James Prinsep
Q4. The first king mentioned by Kalhan in Rajatarangini is:
- A) Gonanda
- B) Jayasimha
- C) Harsha
- D) Zain-ul-Abideen
Q5. Who is the father of Kalhan?
- A) Jayapala
- B) Champak
- C) Damodar
- D) Narain Koul
Q6. Kuttinamatta was written by:
- A) Damodar Gupta
- B) Kalhan
- C) Bilhana
- D) Jonaraja
Q7. Damodar Gupta was the minister of which king?
- A) Harsha
- B) Jayapala
- C) Gonanda
- D) Zain-ul-Abideen
Q8. Nilamata Purana is regarded as the:
- A) Religious text of Kashmir
- B) National Epic of Kashmir
- C) Historical chronicle of Kashmir
- D) Political treatise of Kashmir
Q9. Who wrote Vikramanka Charita?
- A) Kalhan
- B) Bilhana
- C) Damodar Gupta
- D) Jonaraja
Q10. Which traveller visited Kashmir in 631-32 AD?
- A) Hiuen Tsang
- B) Ou Kong
- C) Alberuni
- D) Francis Bernier
Q11. Who wrote Caurapancasika?
- A) Kalhan
- B) Bilhana
- C) Damodar Gupta
- D) Jonaraja
Q12. Rajatarangini was continued after Kalhan by all except:
- A) Jonaraja
- B) Srivara
- C) Bilhana
- D) Praja Bhat
Q13. According to Nilamata Purana, the first tribe of Kashmir valley was:
- A) Naga
- B) Damara
- C) Khas
- D) Dogra
Q14. Malati was associated with which text?
- A) Rajatarangini
- B) Kuttinamatta
- C) Nilamata Purana
- D) Vikramanka Charita
Q15. Who visited Kashmir along with Mahmud of Ghazni?
- A) Hiuen Tsang
- B) Alberuni
- C) Francis Bernier
- D) GT Vigne
Q16. The first historical writing on Kashmir is:
- A) Rajatarangini
- B) Nilamata Purana
- C) Kuttinamatta
- D) Vikramanka Charita
Q17. Damaras were:
- A) Feudal lords
- B) Temple priests
- C) Traders
- D) Soldiers
Q18. Who wrote Tarikh-e-Kashmir in 1710?
- A) Narain Koul Aji
- B) Malik Hidayat
- C) Khwaja Mohd Azam Koul
- D) Pir Hassan Shah
Q19. Francis Bernier visited Kashmir in which year?
- A) 1660 AD
- B) 1665 AD
- C) 1670 AD
- D) 1680 AD
Q20. The English translation of Nilamata Purana was done by:
- A) M. A. Stein
- B) Prof. Ved Kumari Gai
- C) William Jones
- D) Max Muller
8. Summary: Sources of Kashmir History
| Source | Author | Period | Key Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nilamata Purana | Unknown | - | National Epic of Kashmir; 1st tribe: Naga |
| Rajatarangini | Kalhan | 12th century AD | 8 tarangs; 1st historical writing; 1st king: Gonanda |
| Kuttinamatta | Damodar Gupta | 8th-9th century AD | Social history; Malati & Damaras |
| Vikramanka Charita | Bilhana | 11th century AD | Sanskrit; social conditions of Kashmir |
Key Takeaways for JKSSB & UPSC
- Rajatarangini: 1st historical writing on Kashmir; Kalhan (12th century AD); 8 tarangs
- First King: Gonanda; Last King: Jayasimha (upto 1149 AD)
- English Translation: M. A. Stein (1892 AD)
- Continuation: Jonaraja, Srivara, Praja Bhat (under Zain-ul-Abideen)
- Nilamata Purana: National Epic of Kashmir; 1st tribe: Naga; not fully historical
- Kuttinamatta: Damodar Gupta (minister of Jayapala); social history of Varanasi & Srinagar
- Malati: Leader of temple prostitutes; mentioned in Kuttinamatta
- Damaras: Feudal lords; collected revenue from temples
- Bilhana: 11th century poet; Vikramanka Charita, Caurapancasika
- Hiuen Tsang: Chinese traveller (631-32 AD); Ou Kong (759 AD)
- Alberuni: Tawarikh-e-Hind; visited with Mahmud of Ghazni
- Francis Bernier: 1665 AD; with Aurangzeb
- GT Vigne: 1835 AD; described earthquake
High-Yield Interactive UPSC & JKSSB Quiz (Sources of Kashmir History)
Q1. Rajatarangini was written by:
Correct Answer: B. Rajatarangini was written by Pandit Kalhan in the 12th century AD. It is the first historical writing on Kashmir.
Q2. Rajatarangini is divided into how many books called tarangs?
Correct Answer: B. Rajatarangini is divided into 8 books called tarangs, written in chronological order.
Q3. Who translated Rajatarangini from Sanskrit to English for the first time?
Correct Answer: B. M. A. Stein translated Rajatarangini from Sanskrit to English for the first time in 1892 AD.
Q4. The first king mentioned by Kalhan in Rajatarangini is:
Correct Answer: B. Gonanda is the first king mentioned by Kalhan in Rajatarangini. He is the 1st recorded king of Kashmir.
Q5. Who is the father of Kalhan?
Correct Answer: B. Champak was the father of Kalhan. He was a minister in the court of King Harsha.
Q6. Kuttinamatta was written by:
Correct Answer: B. Kuttinamatta was written by Damodar Gupta, who was a minister of King Jayapala (8th-9th century AD).
Q7. Nilamata Purana is regarded as the:
Correct Answer: B. Nilamata Purana is regarded as the National Epic of Kashmir. However, it is NOT an established historical text and suffers from inconsistency and unreliability.
Q8. According to Nilamata Purana, the first tribe of Kashmir valley was:
Correct Answer: B. According to Nilamata Purana, the first tribe of Kashmir valley was Naga.
Q9. Who wrote Vikramanka Charita?
Correct Answer: B. Vikramanka Charita was written by Bilhana, an 11th century poet of Kashmir. Kalhan also quoted Bilhan.
Q10. Which traveller visited Kashmir in 631-32 AD?
Correct Answer: B. Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveller, visited Kashmir in 631-32 AD. Ou Kong visited in 759 AD.