Dr Ekta Shaikh
ektashaikh93@gmail.com
Name of Book : Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages – A Visual Narrative of Continuities and Linkages.
Raghuvendra Tanwar (Ed.), Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh, Through the Ages: A Visual Narrative of Continuities & Linkages (New Delhi: National Book Trust, India, 2024), xiii + 212 pp., Rs 865. ISBN: 978-93-5743-289-4 (Paperback).
For decades, discussions about Kashmir have been dominated by geopolitics and conflict. In such a climate, the volume Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh: Through the Ages – A Visual Narrative of Continuities and Linkages, edited by historian Professor Raghuvendra Tanwar, seeks to restore a much longer historical perspective. Published by the National Book Trust in collaboration with the Indian Council of Historical Research, the book accompanies a major historical exhibition inaugurated at the New Delhi World Book Fair in February 2024 and later displayed in Jammu, Srinagar and Leh, respectively. The project has been graciously promoted under the aegis of Ministry of Education. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, in his message to ICHR, observed that the history of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh reflects a timeless journey shaped by culture, architecture, language and trade routes. Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah, have also applauded this initiative for renewed engagement with the region’s historical and diverse cultural heritage.
Together, the exhibition and the volume attempt to present the region’s history in its full civilizational depth. The book appears at a time when scholars increasingly emphasise the importance of geo-cultural history, a field that studies how geography, culture and historical processes interact across regions. In this context, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh occupy a crucial place in the historical imagination of the Indian subcontinent. The present volume contributes to this growing scholarship by tracing the region’s evolution over more than three millennia and situating it firmly within the broader narrative of Indian civilisation.
Divided into seven sections, the book moves from ancient textual references (as old as 8000 years) to the political and constitutional developments of the twenty first century. The introduction by Prof. Tanwar provides a panoramic overview of this long historical journey.
The early sections of the ‘visual narrative’ draws upon classical sources such as the Rigveda, Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana, Nilamatapurana, Rajatarangini and Kathasaritsagara. Megh Kalyanasundaram explore the references to Kashmir in these texts, showing how the region occupied an important place in ancient India’s geographical and cultural consciousness. Archaeological insights discussed by historians like Prof. Vasant Shinde and Dr. B. R. Mani further demonstrate the connections between this Himalayan region and other parts of the subcontinent.
One of the most enriching parts of book is its portrayal of Kashmir as a centre of intellectual and spiritual life. The region has produced influential scholars who have contributed to Sanskrit learning, philosophy and aesthetics. Prof. Shonaleeka Kaul reiterates this by tracing the development of scrips such as Sharada script that is “a communication script par excellence” and Brahmi script is for “enlightenment” and the flourishing of knowledge traditions in Kashmir, which once functioned as an important seat of learning in the Indic world. Equally significant was the region’s role in the transmission of ideas across Asia. The book tries to capture the essence of diversity through a wide reach such as by Kashmiri monks and scholars who travelled widely, carrying Buddhist teachings and Sanskrit texts to distant lands. Figures such as Gunavarman, Kumarajiva, Dharmaraksha and Sanghadeva helped translate Buddhist works into Chinese and contributed to the spread of Mahayana thought in East Asia. These intellectual exchanges demonstrate how Kashmir functioned as a bridge between India and the wider Asian world.
The volume also explores the region’s cultural diversity. Communities such as Dogras, Ladakhis, Baltis, Kargilis and Bakarwals formed a social mosaic that reflected India’s long tradition of unity within diversity. Research by Dr. Lalit Gupta and Rahul Bhola highlights the numerous temples and sacred sites across Jammu and Kashmir, including shrines dedicated to ‘the Nagas’, which indicate the deep religious traditions shared with other parts of India. Spiritual figures also receive attention in the narrative. Saints such as ‘Lal Ded, Noor-ud-din or Nund Rishi and Guru Nanak’ along with the preservation of Buddhism (pre-buddhist heritage also) across the region are presented as symbols of Kashmir’s distinctive ethos of harmony and coexistence. Their teachings shaped the cultural life of the region and remain influential even today. The architectural marvels of the region such as Martand temple, Krimchi temple etc. as highlighted by Professor Shonaleeka Kaul or the Mughal Road, Hari Parvat and cities of Naushera etc as highlighted by Professor Jigar Mohammed nudges us to acknowledge the cultural richness here.
The narrative then turns to later historical developments including the Mughal presence in Kashmir. Historian Professor Jigar Mohammed describes the intellectual engagement of Mughal prince Dara Shikoh, whose construction of the Pari Mahal in 1650 served both as an astronomical observatory and a centre for scholarly pursuits overlooking Dal Lake. The book also recounts the difficult period of Afghan rule before the liberation of Kashmir by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1819, which restored Indian rule in the region after several centuries. The rise of Dogra dynasty, under the leadership of Maharaja Gulab Singh followed by the rule of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, Maharaja Pratap Singh and Maharaja Hari Singh, has been examined at length. The contribution of these rulers has played an intrinsic role in shaping the political structure of the princely state and contributed to institutions that preserved the region’s cultural heritage.
Modern history forms the concluding section of the book. The events of 1947-48, including the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir, the religious solidarity and unity in the region, the accession of the state to India and the subsequent political developments, are documented through archival records and visual material. The book also pays tribute to the war heroes of the 1947-48 conflict, including recipients of the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra, and refers to organisations such as the Bachao Fauj that participated in the defence of the region. The narrative extends to contemporary developments including the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the Supreme Court judgement of December 2023 which upheld the Union government’s decision. These developments are presented as part of the continuing evolution of the region’s constitutional and political history.
The accompanying exhibition played a crucial role in bringing this historical narrative to wider audiences. After its inauguration in New Delhi, it travelled to Jammu, Srinagar and Leh, where visitors encountered the region’s past through photographs, maps, manuscripts and inscriptions carefully selected for the display. In bringing together historians, archaeologists and cultural scholars, Professor Raghuvendra Tanwar and his entire team of Indian Council of Historical Research have produced a work that combines scholarship with accessibility. Richly illustrated and carefully structured, the volume invites readers to rediscover Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh not only as a region shaped by political contestation but also as a vibrant centre of intellectual, spiritual and cultural traditions within the long story of Indian civilisation.
This volume presents an amalgamation of history, archaeology, art and visual documentation. It reminds readers that the story of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh extends far beyond the confines of modern political debates and is deeply embedded in the larger civilizational history of India and Asia. The editor and contributors have succeeded in presenting a work that is both carefully researched and visually compelling. Scholars will find in it a rich collection of references, sources and interpretive insights that invite further research. At the same time, the clarity of its presentation makes it accessible to students and readers who wish to explore the region’s past for the first time. For anyone interested in understanding the historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, this book will serve as a reliable and engaging guide.
(The reviewer is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Dyal Singh Evening College, University of Delhi.)
The post Exploring, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in full civilizational depth appeared first on Daily Excelsior.