Kashmir in War and Diplomacy

Kashmiryat a new cliche was added to the political lexicon of Kashmir in early nineties of the past century. This word that sounds alien to etymology of Kashmir language found some ready takers in the government and made it a part of Kashmir's political discourse. Some made it look as sub-nationalism and some projected it as syncretism of Sufism and Shaivism. Many used it as one word substitution for Kashmir identity and many others preferred to use it as a synonym for Reshi tradition of Kashmir. In their enthusiasm some have been making efforts to project great missionaries like Mir Syed All Hamadni who played pioneering role in the spread of Islam and bringing socioeconomic revolution in Kashmir as a hermits. The book based on papers presented by the author in various Seminars is not an in-depth study into Kashmir identity but it provides a perspectives that would help in understanding the sociopolitical dimensions of what is termed as Kashmir identity. The book also provides slits to peep through at the cultural and literary traditions of Kashmir that have waxed emperors and soldiers lyrical. The book also provides an insight into the urges and aspiration of people of this fabulous land. It also provides an understanding into economic potentialities of this land that has given the subcontinent like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru a scholar like Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri, a poet like lqbal and Politician like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It also opens windows to look into a various facets of changes that occurred in Kashmir after the advent of Islam and that gave Kashmir an identity of its own. The book also looks into the literary and culture heritage of Kashmir.

Zahid G. Muhammad born in Srinagar. Graduated from Islamia College of Science and Commerce. Had his masters in Literature from the University of Kashmir. He has been writing from his student days. He started writing in Urdu newspapers the Daily Aftab and Daily Hamadard, Srinagar during school days. He Contributed articles on politics, literature, culture, and history to various newspapers within and outside country. He wrote for the Radiance, the Statesman, the Onlooker, Bombay, the Sunday Calcutta, Free Press Journal, Bombay, the Kashmir Times, Jammu, the Greater Kashmir, the Kashmir Observer, Srinagar and the Journal of Peace Studies, New Delhi. He contributed a weekly column for the Press Asia International New Delhi, reviewed scores of books on Kashmir history, literature and politics. He organized number of seminars on sociocultural life of Kashmir. He is a script writer and wrote scripts for number of documentaries on life, culture, architecture, fauna and flora of Kashmir.

**Contents and Sample Pages**