Brief History of Kashmiri Pandits

           The history of the Pandits of Kashmir goes back to the period when the Aryan Sarasvat Brahamins who use to live on the banks of the Saraswati river migrated to the  Kashmir Valley. With the passage of time they assume the name Bhatt  and now they are popularly known as the Kashmiri Pandits. The Kashmiri pundit who formed a significant part of Kashmir were closely associated with it's culture customs and tradition. The land of Kashmir was home to many. the first struggle  for  survival was faced by the Kahmiri pandits was during the rein of the Abhimanu. It was during the 14th century that the Kashmir came in contact with Muslim invaders who took advantage of the weak administration of the Lohra Dynasty and established their rule.
 It is said that during 1089-1101 AD Muslim Generals who were employe by the the King began consolidating their roots as a community in Kashmir.The first direct assault to the Kashmiri Pandits during 1252-1273 AD took place when they conspired against the King and failure in this attempt to overthrow him.The King took actions against them and they faced much tortured.
                                                                                                     

During 1301-1320 AD the Rulers encouraged the influx of  Muslim into the valley to counter the supremacy of Brahmins. Most of the rulers who came later tried to do away with them.Some of them adopted the methods similar to the infamous genocide of the Jews in Germany during the Hitler rule.These rulers tried to exterminate and eradicate all the Hindus from Kashmir
   Ali Shah who ruled the Kashmir during 1413-1430 AD adopted tyranny as his tool of administration.His reign was carried out with killings,conversions and forced taxation on Pandits. He forbade ceremonies and enforced conversions on the Pandits. Fearing conversion many killed themselves.Many others fled from their homes and found refugee in other places.This oppressions of the pandits was one of the most terrible incidences of mass exodus.Throughout this period numerous pandits were banned from attending religious prayers and meetings in temples.However when Sultan Zainul Abidin took over the rule in Kashmir he choosed  the tolerant path.He ensured that the pandit's glory was resurrected and they were given back all that they had lost.This was the phase of peace for pandits who lived in theirs homeland witthout any threat.

Akbar The Great 

Sultan Zainul Abidin 

           In the following year the Kashmiri Pandits suffered terribly under the rule of Shama-Ud-Din Iraqi and Musa Raina.The pandits were stripped off their relegious indentity and their relegious scriptures burnt.Those who opposed were slaughtered mercilessly. When Akbar the Mughal came to power he ruled with tolerance towards the Kashmiri Pandits.His policies towards the religious practices were lenient and all throughout his rule the pandits were respected and given freedom to perform their religious festivals and live secure life.The period between 1753-1819 was again a period of crulety and anarchy.Afghan rule of this period victimised the pandits in the worse form.This was the period of genocide when thousands of Kashmiri Pandits were killed.History provides instances of parents shaving off theirs daughters head and cuuting their nose so as to destroy their beauty and save them from disgrace.

     Sikh rule in Kashmir was a period of relief for pandits afters years of torture and barbarism.By this time a majority of population had already converted to Islam and most had left the state.Those who remained claimed back their honour by rebuliding their home and temples in a hope of starting afresh.

In 1846, during the Dogra rule, the pandits were again targeted when their political religious and cultural freedom were curtailed.The communal distubances of 1931 pushedc away many pandits towards migrations.Their houses were looted,shops burnt,women and children abducted and the whole community tortured.In order to establish the dominance of one community in the region of Kashmir the inhuman acts against the pandits,which had been prevailing since ancient times turned brutal and barbaric in what we call the genocide of the pandits.The Kashmiri pandits with a history of over 5000 years in Kashmir were made victims once again in one of the ugliest chapters of Indian history.

    In the year 1990 following threats against all hindus to leave Kashmir there was widespread chaos in the area when the pandits were targeted and killed.People were shot in open and anti-India slogans were raised.Temples and houses were burnt and their were explosions in various parts.Thousands were reported dead.Those who suvived fled to other parts of country.The extermination of pandits 25 years ago is perhaps the most tragic incidents of the recent past and one that needs to talked about more often.At prsent their are hardly any pandits living in Srinagar or valley.

Nearly 208 Hindu temples have been destroyed in various acts of vandalism in the last two decades. However, none of the mosques have been destroyed in such acts of vandalism.