It is highly satisfying that there is a renewed focus on the individuals, and the families, that made immense contribution to the culture and heritage of Kashmir. I do not wish to recount the pain and agony one goes through on seeing how badly we, as a community, faulted on preserving what was given in trust to us by our ancestors.
Many of the treasures and cultural assets of the past were lost to natural disasters, and vicissitudes of time. Among these, the written records and books have suffered the most. In our family memory, floods of July 1903 AD resulted in heavy damage, among other things, to the house of my great, great, great grandfather Moulvi Abdus Salam Shah Qureshi. His house was located at Babdemb in Mohalla Saidwari (Khanyar) adjacent to Khankah-i-Khawja Shah Niyaiz Sahib Naqashbandi (RA).
The fortunes of our ancestors were closely linked with the Naqshbandis, a highly venerated family that settled in Kashmir. Our family memory dates to the migration of our ancestors to Kashmir around the time of the migration of Hazrat Khwaja Khawand Mahmood Naqshbandi, who migrated from Kashghar, Bukhara to Gujrat during the reign of Akbar. The author of Tuhfa Naqshbandya, Kh. Abdur-Rahman Naqshbandi writes about his ancestor: ‘Mahboob iIlahi Hazrat Khwaja Khawand Mahmood Naqshbandi entered this paradise in 1010 H in the reign of Akbar, by the route of Gujarat and in 1017H constructed ‘Khanqah Faiz Panah’ in Mohalla Sikandar Pora, now known as Khwaja Bazar, and appointed his son Hazrat Kh. Moin-ud-Din as his successor for the propagation of Naqshbandi order, and as caretaker of Naqshbandi Khanqah, and that of the jagirs attached to it’. Kh. Azam Dedmri writes in ‘Waqat-i-Kashmir’ that this khanqah was actually the house of the King of Kashmir, Sultan Husain Shah.
Hazrat Khwaja Khawand Mahmood and his family had to leave Kashmir along with his father, and reside at Lahore on the royal orders. Later, Kh. Moin-ud-Din returned to Kashmir to settle permanently, and to serve the Naqshbandi Silsila.
Besides propagation of Naqshbandi order, he was engaged in writing books. It is the noble pursuit of writing, and calligraphing of books on religious and temporal subjects that became a common bond and linkage with our ancestors, and the Naqshbandi family of the former times.
Our ancestors migrated to Kashmir during late 16th century from Multan as scions of Hazrat Makhdoom Sheikh Bahu-ud-Din Sahib (RA) Al-Qureshi/ Al-Hashmi alias Zakaria Multani, coinciding with the establishment of Mughal rule in Kashmir.
Our illustrious ancestor Moulvi Abdus Salam Sahib was a learned Arabic scholar, Aalim-u-Fazil, Hafiz-e-Quran, and Imam of Masjid Khanqahi Naqashbandia. He was also a reputed calligrapher having expertise in Khat-i-Arabi, a calligraphic style popular in those times. His calligraphy, the ‘Qalmi Nasq’ of Holy Quran, and other related Islamic manuscripts and write ups may be available with most of the Naqashbandi families who are now living in Kashmir, and have also settled outside in Pakistan and beyond. This has also been documented in the book, Tazkira Khush Nawinsaan (Page 63).
Heavy floods are reported to have caused a breach near present Khonakhan, inundating the entire area down Bishamber Nagar up to Idgah on the right side of Nalamar. The flood waters over flowed the Amirakadal bridge as well. This disaster was followed by an outbreak of plague in the city. In our history floods have always been followed by famines and plague in the past. Moulvi Abdus Salam Qureshi sahib passed away in 1884 AD.
His son Khawja Sad-ud-Din Sahib was away at Ladakh when floods damaged their ancestral property, house(s), at Mohalla Saidwari Khanyar. His only son Kh. Mohammed Amin Qureshi Sahib was just 4-5 years old with his three sisters and mother at home. The family could hardly rescue themselves, let alone salvage some domestic articles. The family was forced to seek refuge with their relatives (Nqashbandis/Andrabis) living in the same Mohalla at a higher elevation, and therefore away from the floods. Also lost were calligraphy materials and tools which were part of the family possession from the date they had migrated to Srinagar (Kashmir).
The family has produced famous calligraphers – Mulla Fatahullah and Kh. Mohi-ud-Din Sahib Qureshi to name a few, who are in our memory. Not widely known now, Kashmir was a major source for production of books and these books were in high demand in the Persianate world across Central Asia. Production of high quality paper – Koshur Kagaz – and the calligraphic skills drove this demand and resulted in making Kashmiri calligraphers famous in the markets, and Muslim societies outside.
The merchandising records on Central Asian trade on Leh-Yarkand route, even upto early 20th Century, reveal that books formed a significant item of trade through the Silk Route, mostly passing through Yarkand where there was a sizable presence of Kashmiri merchants.
The family genealogy (Shajra Nasb), and other records of properties and revenue of the land were washed away along with the houses; sadly all was lost. This tragedy which befell on my ancestors more than a century ago has prompted me belatedly to write these few lines, about the family tree (Shajara Nasb) and revenue record of the land.
My father has recorded his memoirs, Zikr-i-Hayat. Among other things, it provides references to those of the members who made lasting contribution to art, calligraphy and literature, and whose mention is found in other historic sources as well. Part of the details of the “Shajara Nasb” which my father could lately record in his memoir “Zikr-i-Hayat” as transferred from I elders is reproduced here.
Mullah Inayatullah, MullaLutufullah, Fatahullah (Zareen qalam), Mulla Mohammad Munawar Shah, Makhdoom Baha-ud-Din (Author of Lub-u-Tawrikh), Maulana Abdul Salaam, (Zareen Qalam)
It may be noted that the title, Zareen Qalam, is the official recognition granted to the finest of the calligraphers during the Muslim rule and this tradition continued beyond that as well.
We all owe it to our illustrious ancestors and our community that we document these records. Otherwise this precious information will be irretrievably lost. It would be great if it is augmented by further details from those references that may have come to the notice of scholars and elders, who have accessed these during the course of their study and research.