Ode to Shiva in Persian by Ali Mardan Khan, the Kurdish governor of Kashmir appointed by Shah Jahan. 17th Century.
Image: Bhairava by Triloke Kaul. Private collection of the painter.
Islamic art in Pandit religious art
Left: Goddess Sharada enthroned surrounded by fairies. From a Private collection. Probably 18th century. Kashmir. Notice the way angels are painted around the orb. Came aross the image in “Cosmology and Cosmic Manifestation: Shaiva Thought And Art Of Kashmir by Bansi Lal Malla (2015). While writing about the image, the author missed an important art connection.
Right: 16th century, Ṣafavid Iran. Miraj painted by Sultan Muhammad for a manuscript of Nizami Ganjavi’s Quinary (“Panj Ganj” or “Khamsa”. Art styling inspired by Buddhist China. Khamsa was a work popular in Persian and Mughal courts. Notice the way fairies are drawn and the headgear on them.
In the right image, Khamsa influence on the court culture of Kashmir can be seen as late as 18th century. This mixing of culture, arts and “sacred” was not a phenomena unique to Kashmir, other major cultural centers also experienced it and continue to experience it. Only in case of Kashmir, it is least studied in detail.
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Essential Kashmiri Love Talk
SearchKashmir is going into an unchartered territory of Kashmiri language. Intimacy.
Things you can call your Kashmiri lover. Interestingly, a bulk of them come from Persian.
Janaan/Janaano (Joonam of Persian, Jaanam of Hindustani)
Can be used for male as well as female
Dilbaro (Dilbar of Persian, Charmer)
Haer (myna bird of Hindi)
Used for female
Shereen (Sugar. ‘sweetie’ of English)
Used for female
Zoonie (moon)
Used for female
Tcher (little sparrow)
Golaab Kosum (Rose Bud)
You can just use Kosum also or you can mix it up with Laale‘ (Tulip)
Badaam gooj (Almond seed)
Myaen Maetch (my madwoman)
For men you can use:
Myani Bulbulo (my Bulbul )
Myani Aftaabo (my Sunlight)
Myani Mehtaabo (my Moonlight)
Myani Hamsaaro (my Lover/Partner/Equal)
Myani Gaasho (Light of my eyes)…never to be confused with Bai Gaasho ( that is something you can call your brother)
Myani Shoga (my Parakeet)
Myani Daene’falo (my Pomegranate seed)
Myaani Mastaano (my mad man/my drunken lover)
Men and women can use words like:
Myani Madaano (my lover, from name of Kamdev…Madan)
Myaani Rindo (my flower)
Myaani Armaano (my only wish)
Mout (madman). Koul’a Mout could be offensive but myon Mout should be fine. Kashmiri apparently love been called mad.
One can use phrases like:
Zoo Wandaey (I give you my life)
Navas Lagaii (my everything in your name)
Lol Naraey (let me love you)
Mai che Tchain Maaye (I love you)
Mukk Naas Khyamay (‘I will eat you small flat nose’. Often said to small children, but can be used on a lover)
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Chanama
Give me tea, O Saqi, and let there be no delay;
let me have it bitter, if milk and sugar are not at hand.
let me have it bitter, if milk and sugar are not at hand.
Had Jamshid taken a draught from this pot,
his slow-beating pulse would have run like deer.
his slow-beating pulse would have run like deer.
Have you heard the boiling kettle of tea cry bagg bagg?
Verily you would say it was Mansur shouting ana al-haqq.
Verily you would say it was Mansur shouting ana al-haqq.
There is a reference in the Book of God
Bread to eat and tea to drink
Bread to eat and tea to drink
~ lines from Chanama (“A Tea Poem”) of Mulla Hamidullah ‘Hamid’, (d.1848) Persian poet of Shahabad, Kashmir.
Rajatarangini in Iran Library
Two pages from Rajatarangini by Pandit Raja Ram Kaul Tota, written during Gulab Singh’s time. Claimed to be the only remaining copy.
Manuscript in National Library of Iran. [Link]
Another Rajatarangini available in the library:
A look at reading habits of Kashmiri Pandits a century ago
A few pages from some rare old books in Persian, Sanskrit, Sharda, Urdu and Kashmiri. Shared with SearchKashmir by Anupama Tiku Dhar from personal family collection belonging to her grandfather. Some of them are handwritten. Offers a peek into reading habits of Kashmiris about hundred years ago. Interestingly, a bunch of these books were published in Lahore which was back then an educational hub for Kashmiris. This was a period when Sharda script was well past its prime, Persian was in decline, Urdu was on the rise, Sanskrit was getting revived under State patronage and their were signs English was going to be the language of future.
Anupama writes:
In 2003 when my late maternal grandfather Pandit Jia Lal Khushoo’s ancestral home at Exchange Road, Srinagar was sold, his vast collection of books also had to be appropriately disposed. The books included discourses in English on History, Literature, Indian Philosophy, Religion, bound copies of periodicals as well as some printed books in Persian/Urdu and hand-bound manuscripts in Persian, Urdu and Sharda. The Urdu and Persian manuscripts were rendered in beautiful calligraphy by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo, who was Pandit Jia Lal Khushoo’s grandfather. My grandfather himself was an avid reader proficient in English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu and Sharda. He retired as the Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K.
The books in English were donated to the Jammu University Library as per the family’s decision. Those in Persian, Urdu and Sharda were retained to be gifted to a more suitable recipient. They were kept in storage with my mother in Pune, on behalf of the Khushoo clan. When I learnt about the existence of these rare works recently, I inspected them. I am not literate in Persian, Urdu or Sharda but my grandfather had fortunately annotated each of them in English. This led me to realize that these books were most suited for an institution like the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune. They are now in the process of being formally handed over to the Institute.
Information about the books was provided by various readers of FB: SearchKashmir, particularly Ayaz Rasool Nazki and Ovais Ahmad.
All the info. is compiled below:
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| Dewan-i-Hafiz published by Munshi Nawal Kishore Press Nawal Kishore was based in Lucknow. Published books in Persian/Urdu including those by Chakbast/Sarshar etc. |
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| Shivalagan and Valmiki Ramayan in Kashmiri ( in Urdu/Persian) from a copy by calligrapher Pandit Shridhar Khushoo. |
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Srimad Bhagwat Gita in Urdu , (Ganpat Karit ? ) Doesnt give the name of translator.
A Bhagwat Geeta by a Kashmiri gentleman, Madan, done in early 20th century, was praised by likes of Allama Iqbal and Tej Bahadur Sapru.
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| Back of the same book |
It was published at ‘Gulzar-e-Hind’ Press in Lahore under the supervision of Munshi Gulzar Muhammad, Manager of the press. Published as desired by Haji Chiragudin, Sirajudin, Booksellers , Lahore, Bazar Kashmiri.
Sikandarnama in Persian, handwritten by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo
Top of the front cover has “Om Shri Ganesha Nama” while the lower half glorifies Allah and offers supplication to Prophet Muhammad.
Translation of Mahabharata in Urdu by Malik-u-sho’arā (Poet Laureate) Munshi Dwarka Prashad (Nom de plume – Ufaq Lakhnavi). Published posthumously by M/S Lala Ram Dutta Mal and sons from Kashi Ram Press Lahore. 1926.
A page from ‘Kashmiri (?) Mousiqui’ (Soofiana Kalaam) in Persian.
Handwritten by Pt. Shridhar Khushoo.
[Input by Amir Hosein Pourjavady on FB]:
Left page is about the right time of performing each ragas and raginies.
The right page also contains the famous poem by Zahuri Torshizi [?], written by a Shi’i Muslim since the author is talking about Shi’i ritual of Muharram. The books is probably a 19th century Nawabi musical treatise written in Lucknow.
A page from ‘Dashmas Kandas’ (90 Adhayas) of Bhagwat Gita in Persian handwritten by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo.
Probably one of the 5 from Nizami’s ‘Khamsa of Nizami’, probably the story of Sassanian Prince Bahram Gore titled “Haft Paikar”
‘Bhagwat Gita’ in Sharda script[?]
Vishnu Pooja’ in Sharda script
A page from ‘Shiv Pooja’, tantrik text.
‘Brihat Shiva Pooja’, tantrik text.
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Interesting that while comments on Persian and Urdu texts arrived within hours of posting them to Facebook, Sharda and Sanskrit texts remained without comment and details.
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Untitled Post
The world with snow was silvered for a season,
But emerald came instead of the heaps of silver.
The rich pagoda of Cashmere at springtide
Surrendered to the garden all its pictures.
See how the lake’s whole surface by the March wind
Is raised, like sturgeon’s back, in scaly ridges!
~Abú Mansúr ‘Umára of Merv, flourished under the last king of the House of Sámán and the first of the House of Ghazna.
Achchabal Eyes
The Spring of tears has made my eyes an Achchabal,
a Mar, a Jhelum, [flowering] into the Dal.
~ Mathnavi-yi Kashmir, Dayaram Kachru ‘Khushdil’ (1743-1811) writing in Kabul.
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aan but-e-kashmir
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| Image: ‘Kashmiri belle’ by Gladstone Solomon, 1922. Gladstone Solomon was the principal of Bombay school of art from 1919 to 1936. |
Payaam daadam nazdiike aan but-e-kashmir
Ke zeere halqaye zulfat dilam charaast asiir
Juwab dad, kin deewanuh shood dili too zi ushuq,
Buruh nuyarud deewanuhra mugar zunjeer
I sent a message to that Cashmerian idol, Why is my heart held
captive under the curl of your ringlets? She answered, Because
your heart is distracted with love; and the madman is not suffered
to appear abroad without a chain.
~ unnamed Persian poet.
Came across the lines in ‘Dissertations on the Rhetoric, Prosody, and Rhyme of the Persians (1801), Part 1 by Francis Gladwin. It is provided as an example of ‘Sawal-Jawab’ style of Persian poetry. Gladwin gave the verses in persian script and the translation but didn’t provide the name of the author or the verses in roman script.
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Payaam: message
aan but-e-kashmir: like a Kashmiri idol
mugar: unless
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first Persian verse composed by a Kashmiri
Ay bigird-i sham-i ruyat alami parvana’i
vaz lab-i shirin tu shurist dar har khana’i
Man bi chandi ashna’i mikhuram khun-i jigar
ashna ra hal inast vay bar bigana-i
O candle-faced one, the whole world flutters round thee like a moth;
thy sweet lips have caused commotion (or bitterness) in every home.
Such being the state of affliction of thy friend,
how woeful must be the plight of a stranger!
~ first Persian verse composed by a Kashmiri. Attributed by some chronicles to Sultan Qutub ud-Din [1373-1389] and by some others to Zayn al-Abidin [1420-1470].
From ‘Persian Poetry in Kashmir, 1339— 1846: An Introduction’ (1971) by Girdhari L. Tikku
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| based on a painting of Kashmiri woman by B. Prabha. |
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