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Kashmiriyat (also spelled asKashmiriat) is the centuries-old indigenous tradition of communal harmony and religioussyncretism in theKashmir Valley in Indian-administeredKashmir.[3] Emerging around the 16th century, it is characterised by religious and cultural harmony,patriotism and pride for their mountainous homeland of Kashmir.[4]
Kashmiriyat exemplifies the joint Hindu-Muslim culture, festivals, language, cuisine and clothing in the Kashmir Valley.[5] In the spirit of Kashmiriyat, festivals of Hinduism and Islam are celebrated by adherents of both faiths.[5] Kashmiriyat, with theHindu-Muslim unity it encourages, was promoted by Kashmiri sultanZain-ul-Abidin; the story of the Kashmiri mysticLal Ded (also called Lalleswari), in which her body turned into a mound of flowers that was buried by both Hindus and Muslims, serves as an emblem of Kashmiriyat that keeps it alive today.[5]
In recent 2007 poll conducted by theCentre for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi, 84 percent of people inSrinagar want to see the return ofKashmiri Pandits.[6] A 2001 MORI survey of popular opinion in the then-state ofJammu and Kashmir, including theKashmir Valley, found 92% respondents opposed to the state being divided on the basis of religion or ethnicity.[7][8] However, scholarChristopher Snedden states that the concept of Kashmiriyat has been 'romanticised' and Kashmiriyat could not prevent antipathy and rivalry between theKashmiri Pandits and theKashmiri Muslims.[9]
The disputed territory of Kashmir enjoys significant ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. The region has historically been an important centre forHinduism andBuddhism.Islam made inroads in medieval times, andSikhism also spread to the region under the rule of theSikh Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. Kashmir has a significant place in themythology and history of Hinduism and Buddhism. The region is home to many legendary Hindu and Buddhist monuments and institutions. TheHazratbal shrine houses a relic that is believed to be the hair ofMuhammad, the prophet of Islam. In his journeys seeking religious enlightenment,Guru Nanak travelled to Kashmir. Kashmiris believe that the ideas ofKashmiriyat the rule of SultanZain ul Abedin, who gave equal protection, importance and patronage to Kashmir's different religious communities.[10] The tale of the Kashmiri mysticLal Ded, whose body is said to have turned into a mound of flowers that was buried by both Hindus and Muslims, is an ancient emblem of the spirit of Kashmiriyat.[5]
Kashmir's existence is characterised by its insular Himalayan geography, harsh winter climate and isolation in economic and political terms. The region has also seen political turmoil and foreign invasions.Kashmiriyat is believed to be an expression of solidarity, resilience and patriotism regardless of religious differences.[10] It is believed to embody an ethos of harmony and a determination of survival of the people and their heritage. To many Kashmiris,Kashmiriyat demanded religious and social harmony and brotherhood. It has been strongly influenced byKashmir Shaivism,Buddhism andSufism, carrying a long-standing conviction that any and every religion will lead to the same divine goal.[10]
Kashmir was also influenced by the Mughal emperorAkbar's genesis of a syncretic philosophy ofDin-i-Illahi, which emphasized the blending of Hindu and Muslim ideals and values. Works in the Kashmiri language, art, culture and literature strongly expound and emphasizeKashmiriyat as a way of life.[11] However, the impact and importance ofKashmiriyat has been concentrated in theKashmir Valley only, which is the real historical Kashmir. The farther regions ofGilgit,Baltistan,Jammu andLadakh have not been influenced by this philosophy, as these regions are not Kashmiri in terms of culture, language or ethnicity.[citation needed]
Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs celebrate the annualSufi festival ofurs together in the Indian union territory ofJammu and Kashmir.[5]
Kashmiri Muslim carpet weavers have designed carpets that feature the Hindu deitiesDurga,Lakshmi andSaraswati.[12]
Every year on 16 July, the Jwalamukhi Fair is held in the city ofKhrew, which hosts theJwala Ji Mandir, and is attended by Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Muslims.[1]
During the celebration ofEid, it is common for Hindus to wish their Muslim neighbours, a practice that Pran Koul states exemplified the "culture of Kashmiriyat in full".[2]
The culture and ethos ofKashmiriyat was greatly eroded at the onset of theKashmir conflict, when the region was claimed byPakistan andIndia and its territory divided during theIndo-Pakistani War of 1947. In the political debate on sovereignty over Kashmir, some interpretKashmiriyat asnationalism and an expression for political independence from both Pakistan and India. The onset ofmilitancy in Kashmir from 1989 has led to the exodus of almost all Hindus from Kashmir and violent attacks against the remaining communities of Hindus and Sikhs, further eroding the fabric ofKashmiriyat.[10] Amidst the wider dispute between India and Pakistan. Conscious efforts to reviveKashmiriyat have been made by various communities of Muslims and Hindus through united opposition to violence in the state.[13] Efforts to promoteKashmiriyat through cultural activities, social programmes and literature have increased throughout Jammu and Kashmir and amongst expatriate Kashmiri communities.[citation needed]
An important festival is Jwalamukhi fair which is held in village Khrew near Pulwama. The temple is situated on top of a small hillock and is known as Jwalamukhi. The festival falls on or about 16th July and is celebrated by Hindus as well as Muslims. About 250 to 300 stalls are set up by Muslim peasants for the sale of different kinds of commodities. Confectionary shops and such other stalls in which earthen trays with ghee and a cotton wick are available for sale are run by Hindu shopkeepers.
The term Kashmiriyat has come to signify a centuries-old indigenous secularism of Kashmir.
The form of Islam that emerged in Kashmir had been strongly influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. The three religions have produced a unique sociocultural and religious fusion known as Kashmiriyat, with its shared cuisine, music and language, which draws upon the mystical traditions of the devotional worship of Islamic Sufism and Hindu Bhakti. Kashmiriyat had been promoted by the fourteenth-century Muslim ruler Zain-ul-Abideen in order to promote harmony between Hindus and Muslims. The most popular face of worship in the Kashmir Valley are still Sufi shrines, which attract Hindu, Muslims and Sikhs. A Hindu woman mystic, Lal Dedh, is still revered by both Hindus and Muslims. A strikingly beautiful, popular myth in Kashmir is that after her death, Lal Dedh's body turned into a mound of flowers, half of which were buried by Hindus and the other half buried by Muslims. The practice ofurs - an annual festival that is held at the shrines of Sufi saints to mark the anniversaries of their deaths - is traditionally celebrated by Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, despite attempts in recent years by extremists to stop them.
