Essential Kashmir History by RL Bhat

The history of Kashmir comes from Raajatarangini, the chronicle written by KalhanaPandit, in the 12th century CE. Zainulaabdiin began the official recording of history, selecting Joonaraaja for the task. Joonaraaja took up the record, where Kathane had left it. This updation of Raajataranginii continued till the middle of the 16th century. This is the Raajatarangink series. A notable feature of Sanskrit histories is that they are a record in continuity, as the chroniclers write of their own times. Most of it is an eyewitness account, without any repetition of the earlier record.
Persian historiography of Kashmir begins much later. The Persian histories write as if nothing had been written before. They rarely tell of the times they were written in. Though written afterl6th century, they are focused more on earlier times, especially the three preceding centuries. The Persian chroniclers could not but base their account on the Sanskrit histories, they riddled it with variations and interpolations, apparently from their fancies, as they had no alternate source. They also dilated and contracted the original account, without caring for the source. This has resulted in wild errors of narration. Yet, these later accounts cannot be dismissed, because they form the core of the modem knowledge of Kashmir's history. Essential Kashmir History collates Sanskrit and Persian sources, the primary and secondary accounts, and presents a precise picture of Kashmir history in a demonstrative manner. For this inclusive accounting, Essential Kashmir History takes the Persian histories of Badaayuunii and Firishta, translated them, pointed out the flawed narrations, and supplemented the deficiencies to bring the reader a reliable, fully referenced account of what happened in Kashmir, as per her own historians.

Publisher - Gulshan Books