Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin aka Bud Shah and Sultan Hydershah
During Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin’s fifty years regime, the seeds of peaceful co-existence and inclusive growth were sown in Kashmir valley. The restoration of ancient affluence, rebuilding of temples and Sanskrit learning centers, the ban on the Cow-slaughter as well as the Forceful-religious-conversion were some of the measures initiated. Sultan Zainul and his Prime Minister Shribhatt recreated the paradise in Kashmir. Justice had become synonymous with his name. No one was above the law. The state took a firm decision not to interfere with the faith of the citizens. He entirely reversed the policy of the state-sponsored proselytization. In fact, there were state-sponsored reconversions.
Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin had no choice but to walk on a tight rope. He carefully adopted the philosophy of no interference by the state in religious practices. Unfortunately, he went as far as restoring the practice of Sati.
He portrayed that the primary responsibility of the state was Justice, Equality, and Economic prosperity.
Of his three wives, two were daughters of the Hindu king of Jammu, and all his four sons, Adam Khan, Haji Khan, Vasrath Khan, and Behram Khan – had Hindu mothers. He himself was a devout Muslim and took pride in the title of Naib-e-Amir-ul-Momineen conferred upon himself. When he died on the twelfth day of the moon in the month of Jaishtha (12th May 1470), in the words of Shrivar, “No one cooked food on the day; no smoke arose from the houses; all were dumb with grief.”
Joanaraja sums up Sultan’s life by the following expression, ” He possessed courage and a will to perform what was beyond the power of past kings, and what may be beyond the ability of future rulers. “
For the people of Kashmir, he became Bud Shah: The great king.
His life and the rule were the purification of that spirit called “Kashmiriyat”, a culture of synthesis, understanding, and humanism. The history of the later years has proven that Kashmir can not be ruled except by this spirit.
But, as a saying goes, “Great kings can do great things, but can not guarantee great successors.
With Sultan Zainul’s son HyderShah being coronated in CE 1474, the golden era was once again was shattered, and the dark eon was back. The toxic Islamic fanaticism provoked inhuman conduct for enforcing conversions. Sultan Hyder indulged in kidnapping, chopping off body parts, seizing the wealth of Hindus in order to enforce religious conversion. The liberal generosity of Sultan Zainul had enabled the Kashmiri Pandits to grow and reach the pinnacle position. They were progressing in business, agriculture, etc. Their growth was a hindrance for the Islamic Sayyeds in fulfilling their dream of “Dar-Ul-Islam”. It busted their purpose, for which they had stepped their foot on Kashmiri soil and fought innumerable battles. The new Sultan Hydershah was forced to accept the Islamic Colonial mission, and to destroy the religious, social, and cultural roots of Hindu Kashmir.
Dr.Raghunath Sinh writes in Rajtarangini –
“The cruelty was unseen during the regime of Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin. But, as he grew old and feeble, the rapaciousness among his sons for power, cruelty stepped in. When Adam Khan faced conflict with his younger sibling Haji Khan in Shurpur, the innocent guests at the Wedding procession in Shurpur were mercilessly murdered.”
(1:1:64)
As per Shrivar’s Rajtarangini, “Post Zain-Ul-Abidin’s period, the savagery reached its peak. Bhrutyapurna, a trusted barber of Hydershah, would disjunct organs of people and it was an extremely prosaic issue for him!!! He had slashed Thakurs, who were close trustworthy of Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin, using bradawl. He would capture common citizens and hang 5-6 of them together!!! “
It is significant to note that Hydershah ruled Kashmir only for a year and ten months, but he surpassed absolutely every benchmark in barbarism. Though the Islamic community did not support his oppressive tyranny, Islam was strengthened immensely.
Few of the Pandits gathered courage and blew the trumpet to oppose the inhuman atrocities of Hydershah but this recusancy was squashed using the power.
Islamic historian Hasan mentions that “When the volume of longanimity of Pandits was exhausted, they stood up together, burned down a few of those mosques which were constructed from the chaff collected while devastating temples by Sultan Sikander. This uprise was eroded with the Sword. Myriad ones were sunk in the ocean and there was no one to prevent the loot of people’s wealth and health.”
Tens of thousands of Kashmiri Hindus absconded, few converted to Islam and some accepted the humiliation and agreed to pay Jazia, in order to come in good books of Sultan.
Fortunately, Hyder’s era was short-lived, hence this tyrannical conversion and its barbaric effects remained impactful in cities like Srinagar and around. In villages, the Hindus and Muslims shared amicable relations. The strife remained limited to upper-class Hindus and Muslims.
Even then, the Common Hindu did become the prey to the fricative and about twenty-four thousand Hindus were forcefully converted into Islam. Hindu women became victims of kidnapping, rape, and murder, and once again, the Hindu exodus from the valley began.
Sources of Information :
हमारी भूलोंका स्मारक : धर्मांतरित कश्मीर
नरेन्द्र सहगल
Kashmir Behind the Vale
M J Akbar
My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir
Jagmohan ji
Madhvi Bhuta is the National Executive of BJP Mahila Morcha and a Columnist on various Forums.