On Identity, Memory and Expression
Bebooj Nama: Kashmir History selected readings by our Multilingual poet, scholar, translator and columnist Ayaz Rasool Nazki , is yet another beautiful addition to his series of books wherein he has been creatively engaging his readers with the questions of identity, memory and aspirations of people of Kashmir.
So what is Bebooj Nama all about? What is in the name?
In Kashmiri, “bebooj” means something beyond fixed accountability. It conveys the idea of being beyond any checks or balances. And that is what Mughal, Afghan and Sikh rule covered by the author in the book under review is perceived to be - A history of utter lawlessness, non-accountability, deceit and camouflage. During this era, the suffering, sorrow, loss and pain for people continued unabated. People had no option than to be subjugated under the might of the powerful but did they do anything in response? Did they find any means of expression? What was the expression like? It was our rich oral tradition, our folk lore, our folk tales, our folk poetry and the like that became only means of “catharsis ”. As Ayaz Rasool records; “Kashmiris never accepted their occupation of Kashmir rule and instead demonized it through their literature “ How , with what style and with what modus operandi. This is what I will discuss in the following lines .
The 19th century Persian poet of Kashmir Mullah Hamidullah Shahabadi’s Beboojnama ( Chapters 7 & 8 in the book under my review) was perhaps one of the earliest attempts to capture this essence, using poetry to express unrecorded aspects of life, and cultural values that defied formal histories. Mullah Hamidullah Shahabadi is one among many who left behind collections of their feelings about the events they saw. The Sikh rule is brought out in gruesome detail by this poet in Baboojnama. The English translation of the original text has been included in the book. A manuscript in the hand of famous Kashmir historian of the 19th century Pir Ghulam Hassan Khuihami also titles it as Napursan Nama. Written in an innovative format Baebooj Nama of Shahabadi combines poetry and prose, theatre and story telling, in one landscape to give the reader a sense of utter lawlessness , unaccountably and deceit of the times .
So what does Ayaz Rasool Nazki do. His book in English also titled Bebooj Nama, builds upon this legacy, exploring the richness of Kashmir through an unbounded lens, seeking not just events but the spirit that lies in Kashmiri collective memory.
Nazki’s Babooj nama is not in any way a book of history. it is at the best, as he himself admits, “a limited reading of a small period in history”. What has been attempted is reading conventional history and supplementing it with non-conventional folk sources of history.
This approach by Ayaz Rasool shifts focus from conventional historical documentation to the collective memory embedded in oral traditions and verses. By tracing history through these forms author tries to uncover layers of Kashmiri identity, values, and resilience that have been preserved for centuries. Folk songs, and folk tales for instance, reveal the lived experiences, aspirations, and struggles of ordinary Kashmiris.
The book dedicated to Hamidullah Shah Abadi Kashmiri, great historian Pir Ghulam Hasan Shah Khoihami and all those bold artists who author believes “kept recording history in very difficult times”, this book published by Ink Links Publishing House Pampore J&K has eight chapters: 1. Shinai Mougal 2. Jabbar jandi 3 . Bandipather 4 Gulab Sing 5. Ranjit Singh 6. Kashmir under Sikh rule 7. Mullah Hamidullah Shabadi , 8. Baebooj Nama.
The very first chapter Shinai Mogul covers the Mughul rule and the author records his observation thus: “Kashmir had cast a spell on Mughul emperors and for more than a century and a half they held it tightly to their bosom notwithstanding the fact that for them it was just a pleasure garden and the population was of much less value than the salubrious climate and the scenic splendour. Notwithstanding this love and longing for Kashmir, Kashmiris never approved the loss of their sovereignty of their country at the hands of Mughals and that is evident from the fact that even after more than 4 centuries Kashmiris remember moguls in the most negative sense. The barn owl is named as rati mougal, the Mughal of night. The one bringing ill luck is pougi mougal and the one causing death and destruction is Shinai mougal.
And then the chapter “Jabari Jandi”. Ayaz Records “Replacing Mughals as rulers proved the proverb “out of the frying pan into the fire” true for hapless inhabitants of Kashmir. The rule ended in 1819 AD. The last Afghan governor whose regime lasted only a few months, Jabbar Khan 1819 AD came to be known in ridicule as Jabar Jandi ( Jabbar the rag). The popular saying goes Jabar Jandi, hardus ti korun wande’. ( Jabbar –the Rag turned autumn into winter)
The folk theatre, the Bandi pather, has a razi pather devoted to the subject of exploitation of masses at the hands of Afghan occupiers.
To set the stage, Ayaz Rasool offers a concise account of the troubled realities that shaped life in Kashmir, drawing attention to several pertinent sources, with a particular focus on literary ones. He delves into these references to underscore the themes and challenges that define the region’s complex history.
“The economic exploitation of the population, in particular of the peasantry, is chronicled in a folk ballad “ Grees Bai ti Maanch Tuler ) The peasant woman and the honeybee. This is a dialogue between the peasant women and the honeybee with each narrating the tyranny it is subjected to. The honeybee at the hands of a bear who vandalises the hive for honey and in the process destroys thousands of bees and the peasant women at the hands of cruel officials who destroy the family for taxes.
Similarly there are details of the tax collection system of the times, unique chicken collection system of Kashmir. He also invites our attention to heavy snowfall on the standing and ready to harvest paddy crop in October of 1833, causing famine that was followed by intense cold wave. “The snow fall was so heavy that it lasted months and unleashed a cold wave that froze all water bodies. The demon of famine coupled with harsh winter led to terrible times where mothers did not hesitate eating the flesh of their dead children”
Noted scholar, critic and prominent intellectual Dr Maroof Shah vehemently acknowledges this new approach to reading history in his introduction to this book , and I quote: “Ayaz has pioneered a new approach to Kashmir: reading its history in literary archives. This promises a great deal and we can unearth a treasure of words mostly in manuscript or unpublished or untranslated form. Reading history through literary works, Says Dr Maroof, illuminates aspects of past that historical works miss.
So what is Ayaz upto in handling Bebooj Nama. He has sought to read it in the light of political context and as a commentary on the sorry state of affairs, and provided historical background for the work. He does not discuss the literary qualities of the poem or reads it as literature.
In Baeboojnama Chapter 3, Razi pather - Bandipather, the author explains how Razi Pather, like Bandipather, adapts to the oppressive times through subtle resistance. By using indirect language and humour, it reflects people’s emotions—joys, sorrows, and struggles—without openly challenging authority. This folk theatre’s use of subterfuge and camouflage has allowed it to endure, responding to the needs of the people while avoiding direct confrontation with oppressors. And Rasool records his observations as; “In time, folk theatre became a repository of Kashmiris collective memory, an archive of history . Pather may not be history in the conventional sense but it preserved and conserved the happenings enacted in the distant past.” This experimental approach in Baeboojnama does not in any way challenge conventional histories, but recognises this fact in unequivocal terms that much of what defines Kashmir lies not only in documented events but in the vivid, timeless imagery found in its folk tales and poetry.
Baboojnama by Prof Nazki provides unique insights that official records and conventional historiography often overlook. The author has shown us a new path that folklore and folk literature offer a profound and culturally immersive approach to tracing Kashmir’s history. By exploring these sources, historians can gain a richer, multidimensional understanding of the region, one that encompasses not only political and economic events but also the lived experiences, beliefs, and values of the Kashmiri people. This method highlights the resilience of Kashmiri culture, the strength of its collective memory, and the enduring importance of local voices in understanding a region’s true history.
In chapters 4-6 titled Gulab Sing, Ranjeet Singh and Kashmir under Sikh rule, author also explores these eras through the lens of folklore and folk literature. Author reveals a local perspective on foreign governance, the region’s resilience, and the nuanced interactions between Kashmiri society and these dominant powers.
Kashmiri literature is deeply enriched by its folklore, an aspect that has fascinated several European researchers over time. Scholars such as Jhon Hinton Knowles, Richard Temple, George Abraham Grierson, Walter Lawrence, Frederic Burkard and many more have been captivated by the vast and vibrant world of Kashmiri folklore.
In the preface to Folk-Tales of Kashmir, J. Hinton Knowles remarks; “Kashmir as a field of folklore literature is perhaps not surpassed in fertility by any other country in the world. My interest had been aroused from their rich store of popular lore which Kashmiri presents in its folk tales, songs, proverbs, and the like.”. So one can understand the importance of taking folklore as a source for recording history. This task, of course, comes up with some challenges. Some impediments like Subjectivity and Bias, Lack of Specificity and Chronological Precision, Absence of Clear Dates and Contexts: Ambiguity in Characters and Places, Oral Transmission and Alterations Over Time, Changes with Retelling, Loss of Original Meaning: Difficulty in Distinguishing Myth from Reality: fragmentation and Regional Variations may seemingly prove to be bottlenecks but if one zooms in at these happenings from the prism Ayaz has tried to use, one would agree that folklore remains a valuable tool for understanding the cultural impact and collective memory of these eras.
In the book under review, Kashmiri folklore and folk literature offer a rich, layered understanding of the Mughal, Afghan, and Sikh periods. By exploring these narratives, we gain insight into the local perspective on foreign rule, capturing both the admiration and resentment that shaped Kashmiri society. This approach allows us to see beyond the official accounts, highlighting the resilience, adaptation, and cultural pride of Kashmiris during times of political subjugation. In preserving these stories, Kashmiris have kept alive a collective memory that continues to shape their identity and historical consciousness to this day.
By: Showkat Shafi
