PART I

LAYING THE SCENE

Kashmiri Pandits, a euphemism for Kashmiri Hindus, have a harrowing and bone-chilling history of gore and blood, torture and religious persecution, molestation and disquiet. Tragically, much like the harassed and bloodied Jews, they have been harried, despoilt and laid waste and as victims to vile oppression and abominable persecution, they have been fleeing every now and then from their home-land, splendorous and sublime in beauty and natural endowments, where they through ages have built a massive edifice of culture and civilisation with few comparable parallels, to sanctuaries outside the purlieux of Kashmir to save their skin and faith from the hurricane of Muslim zealotry and fanaticism. In fact, as evidenced by historical tomes and records, their unmitigated and unabated saga of trials and tribulations, woes and miseries, death and destruction dates back to dark and dismal times when some proselytisers donning the garb of sufis actually fleeing from the persecution of their native Muslim rulers found refuge and patronage in the region of Kashmir, which was dubiously usurped by some rugged tribals (of foreign vintage) converted to Islam.

Orthodox Islam with the characteristic ingredients of a Semitic religion was ruthlessly introduced in and foisted upon Kashmir, which was proverbially known world over as the bastion of Hindu sciences, religion, philosophy and aesthetics. Rinchin, a pagan from Ladakh, was converted to Islam and Qutub-ud-Din, a Muslim ruler, was coerced into submission by prescriptions, fatwas and commands to rid him of un-Islamic and heretical practices, customs and manners and Islamised thus contributed his mite to the transformation campaign against the Hindu dress, culture and language as was unleashed by Mir Ali Hamadani.