Watch "Insha-i-Darab" on YouTube
#Kashmir, this small landlocked region in the sub-continent has remained the centre of natural and spiritual aesthetics.
Hinduism flourished here, Bhuddism had a golden era and Islam came to be adopted without the use of sword. Faith and aesthetic beauty runs deep in the Kashmiri blood. #Sufi confluence is therefore deeply embedded in the soul of #Kashmiriyat.
Sanskrit was the language of the sages and Persian became the beloved language of the elites, poets and the rulers. Silk route brought in a flux of intellectuals and distinguished seers from Central Asia to the valley. #Cultural #influences travelled through the route and traversed the intellectual terrains of the valley. Kashmir became Iran e Sagheer or mini #Persia.
Budshah aka King Zainulabideen was a connoisseur of arts and promoted learning . His age was the golden age of schloraship He established an institution for the translation of various texts from Sanskrit and Arabic to Persian and Kashmiri. Significantly Kashmiri is a concoction of three languages: Sanskrit, Persian and Urdu.
The Persian language flourished in the valley for about 50 years. And poetry found its zenith in the aesthetic eloquence of the poets.
The linkages are long and naming a few local poets like Mohammad Yaqoob Sarfi of the 16th century was a poet and a hermeneutic genius. Mohammad Amin Owaisi aks Woosi Saeb(1884) through Firati, Mehdi, Tahir Ghani aka Ghani Kashmiri et al to Mohammad Amin Darab(1891-1979) to lay only a small acclaim.
It was Maharaja Pratap Singh who replaced Persian by Urdu.
Nonetheless our connection is sweet and persists with the language of beauty-Persian.
#INTACH organised an exhibition of rare manuscripts of Khawaja Mohammad Amin Drabu (Darab/pen name) a 20th century poet rooted in Persian literature.
Darab is again the name of a famous poet of Kashmir Mirza Darab Beg Joya(1706).
He meticulously documented the literary treasures of Ghani Kashmiri in his book titled, Diwan e Ghani. He was a calligrapher who wrote chronograms, invitations and letters in Persian. The handwritten documents are exquisite in their beauty and nonetheless and connect between our rich cultural and literary heritage to the present indifferent times.
This video is a presentation of the exhibits preserved by the Drabu family.
The video ends on a wintery note where #Kangri the firepot indispensable to our winters takes the center of our fascination. Wishing the viewers a warm winter ahead full of literary warmth.