New Delhi: From the earliest references to Jammu and Kashmir in ancient texts like the Vedas and epics such as the Mahabharata to the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the new book by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) sheds light on the “lesser-known aspects” of Kashmir’s history.
The book, titled ‘Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages’, was released Friday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Compiled by the ICHR and published by the National Book Trust, the book will be available for sale from 9 January onwards.
“The central theme is to narrate the ever present but little-known side of Kashmir’s historical narrative. It has been like the cradle of Indian civilization. Virtually every thing that is of significance in our past in the context of culture, spirituality, knowledge, languages, scripts, coexistence and harmony, peace loving society has roots going back to Kashmir,” ICHR chairperson Raghuvendra Tanwar, who is also the editor of the book, told ThePrint.
“Even in 1947, the issue was never Hindu-Muslim. The vast majority rejected the jihadi call. All communities stood as one and treated the invasion as alien. Pakistan was never even an option,” he said.
The themes covered
The book is divided into seven thematic sections—Linkages and the Bharatiya Narrative; Buddhism: Kashmir and the Cultural and Spiritual Continuum; Scripts, Knowledge Systems, and the Spiritual-Cultural Connect; Hindu Dharma: Temple Deities, Sculpture, and Images; Connected Histories and Kashmiri Migration; The Mughals; Maharaja Ranjit Singh & The Dogra Dynasty; and Jammu and Kashmir Post-1947: An Overview.
According to Tanwar, the book covers 3,000 years of the region’s history, put together in a scientific manner.
“The volume traces Kashmir’s earliest references in ancient texts, including the Vedas and epics like the Mahabharata. Some locations are even linked to the Indus Valley, pushing the timeline back decisively over 3,500 years, and perhaps even further. It culminates with the abrogation of Article 370. It’s a vast history encapsulated in a volume of about 210 pages,” Tanwar said.
He further emphasised that the illustrations, photographs, and legends have been carefully selected to represent specific eras, reflecting their broader impact on the tapestry of history. “Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sufism are explored thematically within a civilisational context, rather than merely as political narratives,” he added.
According to the excerpts of the book reviewed by ThePrint, it states that Kashmir had become an exceedingly important geo-strategic location at the end of World War II
“At the height of the Cold War, some western newspapers even suggested the region’s possible use as a launch pad for military action against the USSR. The issue of Jammu and Kashmir being eyed by several foreign powers as a frontier against the Soviet Union was much debated at the time…,” the excerpts read.
A section mentioned the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947, and highlighted how the first report of a full armed invasion was published by The Tribune on 18 October, that year.
“The invaders had announced a holy war and asked Muslims of Kashmir to join the invaders. What is surprising and interesting is how the Kashmiri masses reacted to this slogan of a ‘holy war’. Those assigned by the Pakistani commanders to lead the invasion were taken aback when they saw Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs resisting the invasion.”
“This is not something that they had expected. What they found was that the Kashmiris irrespective of their faith resisted the invaders because they were treated as outsiders who had violated Kashmir…,” the book stated.
The book also features a cartoon from the magazine Shankar’s Weekly, dated 24 October, 1948, depicting Sardar Patel, then Minister for Home and States, being garlanded by a Kashmiri maiden. The illustration captures the shock and dismay of Pakistan and global leaders, including British Prime Minister Clement Attlee.
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The abrogation of Article 370
According to the excerpts, the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 as a “significant point” in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, noting that the provision was opposed and criticised across political party lines from the moment it was enacted.
“In Parliament and outside, the Article continued to attract criticism in the decades that followed. The irony is that such provisions, as enshrined in the Article, were never a mainstream demand. It was more like a friendly understanding between two close friends, conceded by Prime Minister (Jawaharlal) Nehru—more like a senior patronizing a friend would do for an old associate. Whatever its background, the implications proved disastrous,” the book states.
“It is generally agreed that much of what went wrong in the state—political indifference, political nepotism, corruption, and an administrative system that often seemed to condone separatism and terrorism, almost hand in glove—was traceable to the provisions of Article 370. In sum, the peculiar provisions of Article 370 fostered a political and administrative environment that entrenched an unhealthy status quo, which held the state back even as the rest of the country moved ahead,” the book adds.
The book further highlighted that the significance of the abrogation of Article 370 can be placed in clearer perspective not just in the context of the human tragedy involving the Kashmiri Pandits that has unfolded in terms of displacement, dislocation and destruction, but also in the larger context of the state, the country and its armed forces.
“An estimated 56,232 terrorist incidents were recorded in the state between 1988 and 2019. The number of civilian fatalities for the period is estimated at 14,931. The number of fatalities among the armed, para military and other forces was 6,413. In the same period the state saw the elimination of 23,386 terrorists. The total number of lives lost in the turmoil in the state between 1988 and 2019 thus stands at about 44,730. Article 370 was abrogated on 5 August 2019,” it stated.
However, in contrast, the book stated that in over the five following years, that is till early 2024, the state was witness to 119 civilian deaths in terrorist-related incidents. “The forces saw the loss of 165 of its personnel. This does not include some recent terrorist incidents of June and July 2024. The number of terrorists killed in the same period is an estimated 715. These are tragic figures because even a single killing cannot be condoned,” it added.
It highlighted that abrogation of Article 370 has brought significant improvements in law and order. Stone-pelting incidents, which numbered 2,654 in 2010, dropped to zero by 2023, with no injuries reported in either 2010 or 2023. Similarly, major strikes, which totaled 132 in 2010, ceased by 2023.
The region’s development has also surged. GDP has risen from Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 2.28 lakh crore, and the number of degree colleges has increased from 94 to 147. Key sectors like health, agriculture, housing, and infrastructure have grown. Tourism has flourished, with visitor numbers growing from 1.17 million in 2013 to over 21 million in 2023.
“The list of such development and investment figures is long and clearly reflects the government of India’s resolve to restore this ancient land to its bygone grandeur and also putting it in the same pace of development and progress as other parts of India,” the book stated.
(Edited by Tony Rai)