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Showing posts from September, 2019

The Ballad of Raja Malhi Prakash and Sirmour's History - Some Scrambled Thoughts

I was just walking through some documents I had saved over the years, when it struck me that there has been very little new research work or relook into the history of the hill states. One particular format has been the examination of oral ballads, very few of which seem to be available in popular culture today. However, that was certainly not the case in the British era, when much field work seems to have been done by scholars of Europe on the subject, as they panned across the state of the Lahore kingdom and their adjunct territories. Sirmour was a Small Princely state along the Yamuna river's course While their purpose may have been malevolent in nature, many interesting insights got captured over the course of their work, and replication or improvement on the same seems to be rather scarce, especially in the context of what the European scholars used to call the "Punjab Hill States". One such case was on Sirmour, where very little information can be found in the publi...

Dogra Impact on Kashmir Valley - Some Economic Aspects

A lot of loose talk is put out about the cruelty of the Dogra rule in Kashmir valley, especially on the economic front. However, the picture is myopic to say the least, given how the Dogras, post their control of Kashmir valley, actually did several important changes to the Valley economy, leading it towards modernization on par with the rest of the country, and even ahead of it in several areas. While it may be a point of contention that several of these reforms were put forth under the pressure of the Britishers, the progenitors can never be disputed. One such set of considerations pertains to the revival of the Kashmir economy under the Dogra rule, which is often brushed under the carpet. I will just point out three areas of reforms that the Dogras undertook to highlight how their rule was in fact beneficial to the Kashmir valley, and the normal narrative of oppression is not as straightforward as it seems.  Controlling Famines At the time of accession, Kashmir was a ...

Clearing the Air on 'Purchasing Kashmir'

Maharaja Gulab Singh (sourced from Wikipedia) A lot of controversy goes into the questions about the Treaty of Amritsar and the role played by Maharaja Gulab Singh in taking over the province of Kashmir. One must certainly put into context the manner in which the state came into existence post the treaty to highlight a false notion that has always stuck to the ever false narrative peddled about it. Contrary to what others believe, Maharaja Gulab Singh did not pay any sums to purchase Kashmir. There are several books that will point out that particular instance on the manner in which Kashmir came under Dogra rule. 1845 had seen the fight between the Sikh rulers of Punjab and the British East India Company. While it is fashionable to call Hindus villains, fact remains that a certain section of the Darbar had given the British the opportunity to declare war against the Lahore Darbar. Subsequent to their defeat in the first of the three Anglo-Sikh Wars, vakils were appointed on draw...