Friday, July 30, 2010

The Lion of kashmir

I have come across a number of websties /posts on the internet and i see Hate Mongers pointing fingers at the large scale conversions that once occured in kashmir. I choose not to argue with them because in my opinion such people do not even understand their own religion, let alone mine. Here is what i have known about kashmiri history and the Gallant soul who deserves all due credit. Save for this brave warrior, Kashmiri's (regardless of the religion they follow) wouldn't even have existed.

Towards the begining of the 13th Century one half of the  kashmiri population was Brahmin and the other half was buddhist. The mongols would often attack Srinagar, the Brahmin emperor Sehdev would find it convenient to scoot to Bihar ( perhaps a very posh locale in those days) . The commander of his forces Rinchana would lead the forces to fight tooth and nail against the tyrant Mongols and Tartars. Subsequently the rightful king would return and remind Rinchana of his lower caste. Whenever the two spoke Rinchana was required to  stay ten paces away from the King, who was a Brahmin of the highest order.

In due course Mongols and their cousins Tartars planned a joint attack. The tyrants vowed to elminate each and every male in Srinagar. Morale was running  low among the troops, People in Srinagar were preparing for their imminent death. This is when Rinchana heard an unfamiliar chant from across the Jhelum. Taking his most prized soldiers along, he crossed the river and found a man in some kind of prayer. Rinchana kept threatening the seemingly harmless soul   trying to sound as vicious as he could , unable to break the man's union with his God the Strong character of this human struck him with awe. The prayer ended and this man introduced himself as "Syed Abdul Rehman" . Rinchana wanted to know more about this religion which had no idol and it's follower had absolutely no fear. They spoke all night and by the morning Rinchana had decided to change his faith. The unseen God of  "Syed abdul Rehman" had made an impact on the prince of Kashgar.He  and his 1000 gallant warriors immediately turned muslim. Mongols attacked --- the attack was repulsed, people rushed to their Saviour Rinchana who was now titled "Sher - i - Kashmir" (kashmiri for lion of Kashmir). Rinchana advocated the religion of the unseen God and the people followed suit with the courageous and righteous Rinchana. As for Sehdev, he was spared the trouble to return from Bihar.

My question is if pointing fingers at Islam why refer Kashmir, the actual starting point of Islam is Abraham. And islam is spread all over the Globle. Anybody pointing fingers at our conversions has to start with Abrahams(PBUH) destruction of statues, David's defiance of Goliath, Moses resistance against Pharoah, The passion of the Christ, The faith of Prophet islam loves the most, the martyrdom of Imam hussein. Save for these the entire humanity would have been bland and ignorant.