The Ancient History of Primeval Kashmir
The unsung heroes of Kashmir
Kotarani was an able warrior and adamant administrator but she was a generous woman, too. Though a powerful personality herself, she devotedly respected her husband. Her husband Uddyandev, who had gone absconding at the time of Achala’s invasion, returned after knowing about Achala’s defeat by Kotarani. Kotarani, maintaining her graciousness, welcomed him.
The virtuous queen took the reins of Kashmir in her hands and introduced numerous administrative reforms. During her rule, the Judiciary system was updated for granting rapid justice to citizens. The army officers, who had performed with exemplary skills in the battle against Achala’ were awarded with state honour and those who had swindled in the war were discharged from their duty. Similarly, Queen Kotarani restructured her cabinet of ministers.
Kotarani had a natural instinct for ruling and she began many welfare schemes to bring about social ameliorates to strengthen the social and economical infrastructure of the region. But, unfortunately her fate had written another story and the moments of peaceful existence remained a dream for her.
The state of Kashmir, turned into the epicenter of internal uprisings. Many times, Kotarani curbed such revolts and conspiracies but she was unable to wipe them off entirely. Few army officers were unable to digest and accept the supremacy of a woman at the top and they attempted, time and again, to uproot her rule.
Once, one of the army commanders himself attacked the royal palace and succeeded in arresting Kotarani. She was kept captive in a fort but even in such a difficult situation her sharp and sheer cleverness was as agile as always. She kept contact with the outside world from the prisoned cage and with the help of her trustworthy minister Kumar Bhatt, managed to flee from prison in the darkness of night. As soon as she reached back to the capital, she took strict action against the rebel officers and defeated them through massive armed movement.
Shahmeer remained a silent onlooker during these entire series of affairs. He had stepped on to Bharatiya soul, with the intention of religious proliferation but he was unable to fulfil his design, under Kotarani’s rule. Hence, he adapted the strategy of being a supportive coadjutor of Kotarani and captured her immense confidence. Shahmeer remained a close confidant of her, during battles against Dulchu as well as Achala and gained a respectable status among people of Kashmir. He established close relations with innumerable local people and set up marital bonds of his offsprings with them.
Shahmeer changed his strategy to achieve his goal. He began instigating Uddyandev against Kotarani. He poisoned Uddyandev that Kotarani is initiating the coronation of Prince Hyder, son of Kotarani and Late Rinchan as her heir, hence Uddyan Dev’s son would be extricated from the Kingdom.
Kotarani’s prudence was unmatched. She promptly disowned Prince Hyder publicly. The queen had a strong hunch that Hyder would eventually stand by and support Shahmeer as he had played a pivotal role in raising Hyder.
Meanwhile, on the day of Shivratri in CE 1338, Uddyandev breathed his last.
The news of his demise could have erupted the volcano of discontent once again as Shahmeer attempted to take over the reins of governance. Hence, to avoid this mishap, Kotarani maintained complete secrecy and kept them undercover for Five days. During these Five days, she implemented strict security on all important spots and appointed her trustworthy officers.
Kotarani’s extremely loyal officer, Bhishan Bhatt was appointed to the post of Prime Minister. The queen appointed another majestic social leader, Lavanya, to the post of a minister. Bhishan Bhatta and Lavanya were two of the faithful officers of Shahmeer!!! Thus, Kotarani’s immense political wit shattered the backbone of all her opponents and got herself crowned with the help of newly appointed Prime Minister Bhishan Bhatt.
Shahmeer was once again defeated but the defeat did not deter his determination. He planned to eliminate the strong support system of Kotarani, i.e. Bhishan Bhatt, and targeted him.
Shahmeer had well grasped that neither the fear of his potency nor the possibilities of recusancy could subdue her. The solo mode of nullifying her was through deceptive measures and it could only be achieved by evoking the soft womanly instinct and generosity buried within her. Shahmeer pretended to be severely ill and remained bedridden for a while.
As soon as Kotarani received the news of his serious sickness she sent Bhishan Bhatt to check on his health. Bhishan Bhatt went to Shahmeer’s home with a few of his colleagues. His colleagues and security guards were stopped outside on the pretext of Shahmeer’s sickness. Bhishan Bhatt went alone inside his home while the rest of the people were kept engaged in conversation outside his home.
Shahmeer asked Bhishan Bhatt to be seated in the chair opposite. Once he had settled down, Shahmeer suddenly attacked him with his sword and chopped off his head.
Kotarani was exceptionally dismayed by this horrifying act and wished to take revenge for but Lavanya refused to take any such action.
After a while, the Kamraaj region of Kashmir was engulfed in severe drought. People were suffering from acute hunger. Kotarani immediately forwarded necessary aid to save lives. She herself traveled to Kaamraaj to inspect the disaster management.
As soon as Shahmeer received the news of her absence from Srinagar, he marched towards the city along with some of his trustworthy aides and captured it declaring himself as the king of Kashmir. In absence of Kotarani, minister Lavanya led the army movement. He fought ferociously and Shahmeer was on the verge of being defeated but a number of commanders, on good terms with Shahmeer, defected. Lavanya was forced to surrender to Shahmeer’s massive support system.
Kotarani was occupied in Kaamraaj overlooking the relief work. When she received the news of Shahmeer’s suzerainty over Srinagar, she began organising her own army near Jaypur (currently Indukot) but it was too late to reply with a befitting attack. Shahmeer had already become stronger with supremacy over Srinagar. Kotarani was still planning her strategy when Shahmeer marched towards Jaypur fort to capture and arrest the queen.
The queen planned an escape route but exceptional vigilance by Shahmeer’s commanders stopped her. In her heart, the queen was sure that her end was approaching but Kotarani, being a Woman of immense hardiness, did not succumb to helplessness.
She decided to play the final diplomatic ruse and designed a secret mission to vanquish Shahmeer. She conveyed a proposal of marriage along with handing over the throne of Kashmir to him. This proposal was too tempting to be refused. The temptation of having an amazingly attractive personality by his side was like a dream come true for Shahmeer.
Kotarani too was playing the diplomatic game to the fullest. She dressed in finery and turned herself into an exceptionally sensual woman and proceeded to meet him, but had hidden the sharp dagger beneath her clothes.
While stepping inside his bedroom, she immediately ambushed him with the dagger, but woefully, her strike did not land. This single moment changed the fortune of Bharat, as the ‘Symbol of Courage n Wit’, Kashmiri Queen Kotarani, chose to kill herself with the dagger.
With Kotarani, the entire legacy of Hindu rule came to an end. Shahmeer took the reins of Kashmir in his hands and became the first Islamic ruler who was not the son of the soil.
Dr.Raghunath Sinh in his work ‘Rajtarangini’, writes without mincing words.
“The people remained absolute and still. The result was that they were destroyed and they vanished. Ancient Kashmir was tumbledown. If this was a tragic event for Hindus, for Shahmeer and the Islamic world it was an ecstatic day. It was an auspicious day. It was a day of rejoicing, a day of ravishment. It was novel birth for Kashmir when it turned into Dar-Ul-Islam from Dar-Ul- Herb. It was the end of ‘Kufr’ and the rise of ‘Iman’.”
Shahmeer assumed kingship under the title of Sultan Shams-ud-din.
This marked the beginning of a bloody tale of radical and fiercely feral religious conversion and its excruciating pain. Centuries have passed by but the bleeding cry of this aching pain of forceful conversions can be heard. The Muslim historians too have acknowledged this torment and inked it on the pages of history.
Source of Reference :
हमारी भूलो का स्मारक : धर्मांतरित कश्मीर
नरेन्द सेहगल
My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir
Late Shri. Jagmohan ji
Madhvi Bhuta is the National Executive of BJP Mahila Morcha and a Columnist on various Forums.