EVOLUTION OF KASHMIRI LITERATURE
The beauty of Kashmiri literature doesn’t lie only in the natural exquisiteness, but in its timeless culture and rich culture and heritage which permeates through the Kashmiri people and the society. The incomparable beauty and the constant turmoil that this land has faced over the past several centuries, and yet the resilience to life, liveliness & love for art and culture are the powerful drivers for a thriving literary world, which has often remained shadowed by the tumultuous times that Kashmir has been a witness to.
Kashmiri literature has a glorious history surpassing more than 2500 years, tracing back to its days of reflecting in the Sanskrit language. Although a large part of ancient literature in Kashmir was written in non-Kashmiri languages, they bear a close resemblance to the Kashmiri language. There is a vast literature in Sanskrit that was produced in Kashmir, including possibly the best and most scientific work of history that ancient India saw, Kalahana’s Rajatarangini. As the native language of Kashmir grew and evolved, a new and beautiful literature blossomed, initially nurtured by the two streams of spirituality that flowed in Kashmir, Shaivism and Sufism.
The first great Kashmiri literary writer was a 14th century Shaiva woman-saint Lalla Didi, whose sensitivity and mysticism in the verses ‘Vaakh’ were popularly celebrated by all alike including the Hindus, Muslims, scholars and peasants. She has fondly been referred to as Lad Dad or Granny Lal. Another mystic of her time equally revered in Kashmir and popularly known as Nund Reshi wrote powerful poetry. The sayings or shrukhs of another mystic poet Sheikh Nuruddin (1377-1440 AD) have been compiled in the book Nurnama or Rshinama.
During 1500-1800 AD, the literature in Kashmir was witness to a humongous growth. Hubba Khatun (1551 – 1606 AD) emerged as a remarkable poetess, whose lyrics on love and romance still do not fail to captivate the Kashmiri people. Rupabhavani and Aranimal were other great poetesses of Kashmir. Aranimal, the deserted wife of the scholar and savant Munshi Bhavani Kachru, poured out her heart’s agony in titillating 101 lyrics full of such anguish, pathos and harshness that has not been able to be surpassed by anyone after her. We find this deserted, passionate and distressed woman bashing at the doors of the 19th century with an unmatched yearning, intense feelings, dismal frustration but a cherished hope of reunion with her husband whom the Afghans had taken away from Kashmir. The whole of the Kashmir, its mountains, lakes, river and valleys, seemed to echo her heartbeats.
During the 1950s, several well educated youth turned to Kashmiri writing, both poetry and prose, enriching Kashmiri writing by leaps and bounds. Among these writers are Dinanath Nadim (1916-1988), Rahman Rahi, Ghulam Nabi Firaq Amin Kamil, Ali Mohd Lone, Autar Kishen Rahbar, Akhtar Mohiuddin and Sarwanand Kaol Premi. The new wave of writers who emerged in Kashmir post-Independence, were influenced by Marxist ideology like their counterparts in other parts of the country.
The other great contributors are Gulam Nabi Khayal, who has translated Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat into Kashmiri and has received Sahitya Academy Award for it and playwright Moti Lal Keemu who was presented with the Padma Shri in 2012. Today, contemporary Kashmiri literature appears in magazines such as ‘Sheeraza’ published by the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and languages, ‘Anhar’ published by the Kashmiri department of the Kashmir University, and an independent magazine ‘Neab International Kashmiri Magazine’ published from Boston, ‘Vaakh’ published by All India Kashmiri Samaj and ‘Koshur samachar’ published by Kashmiri Sahayak Sammiti.
Though Kashmiri literature had its roots in several different language not native to the land, the unique amalgamation of beauty and pain, love and separation and the aspirations of the Kashmiris is what gives a unique characteristic charm to the Kashmiri literature in the contemporary world.
