Reviving Kashmir’s Composite Culture called Kashmiriyat: Sufism, Rishism and the Hope for Peace

By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam 19 June 2025 This article explores Kashmiriyat, Kashmir’s rich blend of Sufism, Rishism, and shared traditions, illustrating its role in fostering peace, unity, understanding, and reconciliation amid growing conflict. Main Points: 1. Kashmiriyat brings together Sufism, Rishism, Sanskrit heritage and Islamic traditions, fostering peace, unity and understanding amongst Kashmir’s people across generations, even in difficult and divided times. 2. Sufi saints played a key role in spreading compassion, humility and reconciliation, helping ease tensions and unite communities in a land rich in culture and shared history. 3. Hazrat Nund Rishi and Lalleshwari blended spirituality and kindness, creating a powerful tradition that resonates in Kashmir’s collective heart today, reflecting universal peace, fairness and moral purity. 4. Rising conflict, attacks on Sufi shrines and growing suspicion have challenged Kashmiriyat, threatening its ability to bring people together under their shared traditions, stories and ceremonies. 5. Preserving Kashmiriyat through education, conserving heritage sites, promoting handicrafts and fostering dialogue can aid reconciliation, healing deep divides and securing peace for future generations in Kashmir. ---- Introduction Kashmiriyat, a term that resonates profoundly across Kashmir, signifies far more than just a geographical or ethnic designation. It describes a composite culture created by the synthesis of Sufism, Rishism, Kashmir’s Sanskrit legacy, and subsequent Islamic reform. Kashmiriyat stands as a testament to Kashmir’s capacity to achieve cohesion in diversity, a collective consciousness that resonates through its art, literature, institutions, and interpersonal relations. This synthesised culture was the product of a fertile mix of traditions and historical interactions, representing a unique process by which various religions and ethnic groups forged a common way of life. Kashmiriyat cannot be comprehensively understood without researching its historical roots, its principal contributors, and its eventual decline under growing pressures stemming from political unrest and growing religious radicalism. The Historical Roots of Kashmiriyat Before Islam arrived in Kashmir, this land had been a bastion of Sanskrit learning, Shaivism, and a rich tradition of Yoga. Both Buddhism and Shaivism had a significant impact on Kashmir, creating a fertile intellectual ground in which subsequent traditions were able to grow alongside their predecessors. This background made Kashmir a singular place where Hindu and Muslim traditions had the ability to merge and flourish together. The Sanskrit heritage provided a robust linguistic and philosophical foundation, with the later Islamic influence adding new perspectives on mysticism and religiosity. This synthesis forms the very basis upon which Kashmiriyat stands today, an expression of unity in diversity. The Arrival of Sufism and its Impact Sufism came to Kashmir after the 13th-century. The Sufi orders and their saints were instrumental in shaping Kashmir’s composite culture. The major orders that came to Kashmir were Qadiriyya, Suhrawardiyya, Naqshbandiyya, and Kubrawiyya, all these orders promoted a less rigid yet universal understanding of Islam and Sufism. This universal approach fostered dialogue, reconciliation, and peace, enriching Kashmir’s composite heritage. Hazrat Syed Sharf-Ud-Din Abdul Rehman Shah alias Bulbul Shah of 14th-century was a central figure in this process. His way of life – service, simplicity, humility, and generosity, had a deep impact on Kashmir’s moral environment. His constructed langar (free food distribution) for the needy drew individuals from all walks of life, an expression of communal fellowship and empathy. Besides, Shah-e-Hamadan Hazrat Mir Sayyed Ali Hamadani of 14th-century also contributed substantially. His extensive travel from Iran and Central Asia resulted in the transmission of advanced handicrafts, agricultural innovations, and educational centres. His policy fostered reconciliation and co-existing traditions, strengthening Kashmir’s composite character. The Rishi Movement: Synthesis of Traditions One of the most characteristic contributions by Kashmir to its integrative culture is the Rishi movement, a synthesis of Sufism with indigenous traditions, Yoga, Shaivism, and Sanskrit erudition. The most representative figure of this movement was Nund Rishi Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din (1377–1440). Hazrat Nund Rishi preached universal brotherhood, love, humility, peace, and a natural way of living. He drew upon both Islamic monotheism and Kashmir’s Yoga traditions, creating a blend that transcends religious boundaries. His poetry, infused with moral teachings and humanistic themes, found its way into the popular imagination of Kashmiris, their relationships, ceremonies, and concept of community. Furthermore, Lalleshwari alias Lal Ded, a 14th-century Shaiva mystic, profoundly influenced Hazrat Nund Rishi’s thinking. Her verses, which challenged rigid distinctions and stressed the ultimate unity of all, provided a powerful precedent for Kashmir’s composite culture. The two together fostered an understanding that piety is not a matter of belonging to a particular religious group but a reflection of moral character, compassion, and fairness. Communal Harmony in Kashmir’s Cultural Life For many decades, Kashmiriyat meant Hindus and Muslims co-existing peacefully and harmoniously. It was reflected in their joint participation in ceremonies, their collective reverence for Sufi shrines, their sharing of food and stories, and their capacity to celebrate each other’s festivals. Some of the old institutions are the best examples of this composite culture. The Kashmir Badamwari festival, which takes place annually with the blooming of almonds, attracted members of both communities. The ceremonies at Sufi shrines, like those for Nund Rishi Hazrat Nur-ud-Din or Hazrat Shaykh Hamza Makdoomi, were often attended by Kashmiris of all faiths. Furthermore, Kashmir’s rulers, especially Ghiyath al-Din Shah Rukh Shahi Khan alias Budshah (1420–1470), enforced policy initiatives meant to facilitate communal harmony. Budshah abolished unfair taxes, supported education for all and civic institutions where both Hindus and Muslims could make contributions to the common good. His era stands as a high point in Kashmiriyat, a time when communal harmony was not an ideal but a reality. The Impact of External Factors and Rising Radicalism Though Kashmiriyat was strong for several generations, its pluralist culture started declining under increasing political pressures and the advent of religious militancy and radicalism after 1989. The mass exodus of Kashmir’s Pandit community, prompted by persecution and violence, dealt a critical blow to Kashmir’s capacity to maintain its traditional institutions of peace and reconciliation. Furthermore, attacks upon Sufi shrines by extremist groups, for example, the destruction of Chrar-e-Sharif in 1995, represented the growing rejection by hardline forces of Kashmir’s composite culture. The destruction of those sites severed a physical link to Kashmir’s rich past, adding to the growing rift between its communities. This process was also influenced by geopolitical pressures and policy decisions that disregarded Kashmir’s unique history of communal co-existing. The growing atmosphere of suspicion, communal polarisation, and escalating violence undermined the mechanisms through which Kashmiriyat had historically fostered understanding and peace. The Future of Kashmiriyat: Preservation and Renewal Kashmir is at a crossroads today. Its composite culture, forged over many centuries, is threatened, but not lost. The memories and traditions of Kashmiriyat continue to live in its people, in their tales, their cuisine, their rituals, their shrines, their verse, their handicrafts, and their shared imagination. Recovering and securing Kashmiriyat will take conscious policy efforts and grassroots action. Some of the key steps could be: 1. The restoration and refurbishment of Sufi shrines and sites of joint pilgrimage. 2. The compilation and publication of Kashmir’s rich oral literature and poetry honoring unity and compassion across religious divides. 3. The promotion of education and dialogue initiatives for both Kashmir’s youth and its diaspora, with a focus on a shared history, reconciliation, and peace. 4. Support for cultural institutions, handicrafts, traditional arts, and communal rituals that help to foster interpersonal relationships instead of conflict. Conclusion Kashmir’s composite culture, built over centuries, stands as a strong testament to the capacity of various faiths to exist together in peace and harmony. Kashmiriyat is not something historical; it is a living tradition which still reverberates in the hearts of Kashmiris today. While political pressures and violence have interrupted its expression, its foundations remain a powerful medium for reconciliation. The revival of Kashmiriyat, a revival that involves honoring its rich history while addressing its contemporary crises, offers the most realistic path to peace, stability, and unity in Kashmir. References (24 March 2009) Farooq Abdullah defines ‘Kashmiriat’; The Hindu. Tak, Toru (20 April 2013). "The Term Kashmiriyat". Economic & Political Weekly Hans Classroom (19 March 2018). "Kashmiriyat". The Hans India. ----- Syed Amjad Hussain is an author and Independent research scholar on Sufism and Islam. He is the author of 'Bihar Aur Sufivad', a research book based on the history of Sufism in Bihar. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/composite-culture-kashmiriyat-sufism-rishism-peace/d/135916 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism