Himachal Archives

Panchvaktar Temple of Jammu (Courtesy Amar Ujala) Raja Mal Dev of Jammu of the Dev Dynasty was perhaps one of the greatest rulers of Jammu. At the time of his ascension to the throne, there was a dramatic shift in the geopolitics of North-west India. The Tughlaq control on the throne of Delhi had weakened considerably, and in any case times were difficult for the native Hindus of the region in general. In such a scenario, Timur , the slaughterer, has turned up in India, attracted by the riches and his desire to be called the greatest general. Having created a mountain of "kafir" Hindu skulls in Delhi, he had gone towards Haridwar, causing further chaos and bloodshed there as well of the pilgrims who had come to take a dip in the Ganga. Ascending the throne in 1347 AD, Mal Dev had succeeded Jodh Dev, and was noted for good physical prowess, especially his ability to carry huge boulders upwards from the Tawi River basin. His rule actually saw the twenty two principalit...

Maharaja Pratap Singh (Source: Wikipedia) Maharaja Ranbir Singh was a beacon of the Dogra dynasty, and had certainly much to his credit, including the annexation of Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza and Chitral, criminal and legal reforms like the introduction of the Ranbir Danda Vidhana that also took into account forensic evidences like fingerprints, and pushing for industrialization via support to shawl making, horticulture, silk production and many others. However, in the twilight of his life, frequent illnesses caused him severe disabilities, keeping him away from administrative affairs. In the absence of a strong monarch, corruption, administrative malpractices, and nepotism had taken deep roots into the Jammu and Kashmir state. Several terrible taxes that were originally introduced for the purpose of funding military campaigns continued – in fact, they became routes for siphoning money from the state coffers, rendering it bankrupt. Moreover, Ranbir Singh had three sons – Pratap S...

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 ...

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...

  Barselas of Mandi (Picture Credit: The Off.Info) We are told innumerable stories about what the custom of Sati or widows burning themselves on the funeral pyre was. A horrible practice interestingly, and one that needed to be abolished from the face of this earth given its sheer cruelty and misogyny. However, of late, a lot of revisits have happened that certainly question the prevalence of the custom itself. Professor Meenakshi Jain has written a tome on the subject, and other books exist too. It is interesting however to revisit some of the so called narratives to understand just how frequent or how extensive it really was. Banning something that was neither widespread in geography or in demography seemed a great case being built up to promote India as a backward, barbaric civilization - that is a near certainty that needs not much evidence to prove. Let me in that case also quote an interesting anecdote recorded by a British traveller G T Vigne, while travelling ac...