The Hindu History of Kashmir

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The only Sanskrit composition yet discovered to which the title of History, can with any propriety be applied is the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir, This work was first introduced to the knowledge of the Muhammadans by the learned minister of Akbar, Abul Fazl, but the summary which he has given of its contents, was taken as he informs us from a Persian translation of the Hindu original, prepared by order of Akbar. The example set by that liberal monarch, introduced amongst his successors, and the literary men of their reigns, a fashion of remodeling, or retransla ting the same work, and continuing the history of the province, to the periods at which they wrote.

The earliest work of this description, after that which was prepared by order of Akbar, is one mentioned by Bernier, who states an abridged translation of the Rajatarangini into Persian, to have been made, by command of Jahangir; he adds, that he was engaged upon rendering this into French, but we have never heard anything more of his translation; at a subsequent period, mention is made in a later composition, of two similar works, by Mulla Hussain, Kari, or the reader, and by Hydar Male, Chandwaria, whilst the work, in which this notice occurs, the Wakiat-i-Kashmir was written in the time of Mohammed Shah, as was another history of the province, entitled the Nawadir-ul-Akhbar. The fashion seems to have continued a very recent date, as Ghulam Hussain, notices the composition of a history of Kashmir having been entrusted to various learned men, by order of Jivana the Sikh, then Governor of the province, and we shall have occasion to specify one history of as recent a date, as the reign of Shah Alam.

The only Sanskrit composition yet discovered to which the title of History, can with any propriety be applied is the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir, This work was first introduced to the knowledge of the Muhammadans by the learned minister of Akbar, Abul Fazl, but the summary which he has given of its contents, was taken as he informs us from a Persian translation of the Hindu original, prepared by order of Akbar. The example set by that liberal monarch, introduced amongst his successors, and the literary men of their reigns, a fashion of remodeling, or retranslating the same work, and continuing the history of the province, to the periods at which they wrote.
The Persian works which I have consulted are the following: the Nawadir-ul Akhbar, the work of Rafiuddin Mohammed, the Wakiat-i-Kashmir by Mohammed Azim, the Tarikh Kashmir of Narayan Kul, and the Goheri Alem Tohfet us shahi, by Badia-ud-din. The first of these authors has the advantage of being a Kashmirian by birth, although descended of a Balkh family. He alludes to the work of Kalhana Pandit, which he avows his purpose of correcting where at variance with the true faith, and it must be acknowledged, that he has altered without remorse, although it may be questioned, whether he has corrected. His chief disagreements are those of omission however, as in the Hindu portion of his history, he occasionally passes over whole dynasties, and connects the disjuncta membra of his original, with very little regard to accuracy of time or descent. The date of his work is 1133 of the Hijra, in the reign of Mohammed Shah.