Kashmir Under Shariyat by RL Bhat

Besides the huge historical fortune in the 12th century Kathana, Kashmir has an eyewitness account of her history from the 13th to 16th centuries CE, in Sanskrit, compiled by official recorders. Yet quirks of accessibility, made history of Kashmir came known through the mid-18th century Persian chronicle of Muhammad Azm Dyadama'ry. As a result, not only the contemporary Sanskrit record from 13th to 16th centuries, but even the first Persian history of Kashmir, written towards end of 16th century, remained unknown. Taariikh of Sayyid Alii is the earliest account of the imposition and operation of the shariyat rule in Kashmir. 

The Persian text of Sayyid Ali's taariikh was published only recently, in the last decade of the 20th century. This author translated the work in that decade itself, but could not publish it. Meanwhile an English translation was published. Strangely, instead of juxtaposing the later Persian chronicles to this first history in Persian, the translator did the reverse, trying to conform the earliest narration to the later chronicles. More importantly, Taariikhi SayyidAlii was never collated with the primary sources i.e., the earlier Sanskrit chronicles, which are all eyewitness accounts. 

Kashmir Under Shariyat is the text of the first Persian history of Kashmir, with annotations comparing and contrasting it with the primary sources and the later narrations. It also includes an extensive examination of the averments of the earlier English translation of this work in a demonstrative manner, hoping to rectify the errors of assertion and interpretation, there. 

Publisher - Gulshan Books