Patial RC

Kashmir is not merely a region; it is “The Cradle of Indian Civilization”, deeply embedded in its rich history, folklore, cultural contributions, particularly its role in shaping Hinduism, its intellectual traditions and spiritual fabric of India.
Attempts to redefine its identity through outdated metaphors such as “Kashmir is Pakistan’s jugular vein” serve only as political rhetoric—rallying cries a National Rallying Cry holding no legal, historical, or moral weight. Designations like IHK (Indian Held Kashmir) or IOK (Indian Occupied Kashmir) or IIOJK (Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir) are political inventions that ignore centuries of cultural and civilizational continuity. These labels are not recognized by history or by the people of India, and they only serve to mislead and perpetuate conflict.
Kashmir is, was, and will always be an inseparable part of India. This is not just a matter of territorial integrity—it is a matter of civilizational truth. Pakistan needs to move beyond slogans and metaphors, and focus instead on peace, development, and mutual respect grounded in reality.

Kashmir is India’s Heart and Soul

To those who still parrot the outdated slogan “Kashmir is Pakistan’s jugular vein” — let’s be clear. Kashmir is not a bargaining chip, nor a poetic metaphor. It is the living heart and soul of the Indian civilization — culturally, historically, and constitutionally. And “Not Your Jugular Vein. “Slogans like “Indian Held Kashmir” or “IIOJK” are propaganda tools, not facts. They serve only to mislead people and justify a false narrative.
Kashmir: Integral part of Indian Millennia Civilization
Kashmir has been an integral part of India’s civilizational history for millennia—home to great scholars, saints, and spiritual traditions. Misleading metaphors such as “Pakistan’s jugular vein” or politicized terms like “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)” are rhetorical constructs lacking historical, legal, and ethical grounding. Coming to Hard Truth and Facts:

Sanskrit and Scholarly Heritage

Kashmir was a major center of Sanskrit learning, particularly between the 5th and 12th centuries.
Great scholars like Abhinavagupta, Vasu Gupta, grammarians like Patanjali and Kalhana (author of Rajatarangini, the oldest historical chronicle of India) and countless others shaped metaphysics, aesthetics (like the theory of Rasa), and philosophy came from Kashmir.
Shaivism, especially the Kashmir Shaivism school, is one of the most sophisticated and profound expressions of Hindu philosophy and mysticism. One of the most profound non-dualistic philosophical schools in Hinduism.

Philosophy and Literature

The region nurtured deep traditions of Nyaya (logic), grammar (Panini school), aesthetics (Rasa theory), and Tantra.
Texts written in Kashmir were widely studied in Nalanda, Takshila, and even in Southeast Asia.

Cultural Influence

The art, sculpture, and architecture of Kashmir influenced other parts of India.
It has long been a Melting Pot of Vedic, Buddhist, Shaiva, and Sufi traditions. Buddhism from Kashmir even spread into Central Asia and China.

Language and Linguistics

Sanskrit flourished there; Kashmiris helped refine grammar and literary traditions for centuries. The Kashmiri language itself has deep Sanskrit roots, and many classical Sanskrit works were preserved and commented upon in Kashmir.
It acted as a bridge between Sanskrit and other Prakrits (Pali, Magadhi, and Maharashtri) and vernacular languages that evolved across the subcontinent.
Why Pakistan Clings to a Claim Kashmir
It’s a combination of political opportunism, religious identity politics, and geostrategic goals:

Two-Nation Theory

Pakistan was founded on the idea that Muslims and Hindus are distinct nations. Since Kashmir had a Muslim majority, claiming it helped reinforce Pakistan’s very reason for existence.

Symbolic Leverage

Kashmir became a rallying point to unite a fragmented new country under a single cause.

Strategic Depth

Geographically, controlling Kashmir would have given Pakistan military advantages.

Identity Politics

Over decades, Pakistan built a national mythology around “Kashmir Banega Pakistan” (“Kashmir will become Pakistan”) to fuel domestic nationalism.

Global Diplomacy

Keeping Kashmir in dispute gave Pakistan leverage on the world stage especially the Muslim world.
Pakistani claim isn’t based on Kashmir’s civilizational history, because if it were, they’d have to admit it’s thoroughly Indian. Their claim is based on religious demographics and modern political ambitions, not on cultural or historical legitimacy.

Key Historical Moments

Let’s walk through (the author has literally walked through the valley and especially Pahalgam in the 1990s, the latest hot spot of Terror target of the innocent tourist Hindus) the key historical moments that show how Kashmir was naturally a part of India’s civilizational and political fabric even before 1947:

Ancient Kashmir: Part of Indian Civilization

Kashmir is mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and Buddhist texts.
The famous text Nilamata Purana describes Kashmir as the “Land of the Gods.”
Medieval Kashmir: Flourishing with Indian Traditions
Kings like Lalitaditya Muktapida (8th century) ruled a powerful kingdom linked closely with the rest of India.
Even after the Islamic conquest in later centuries, Kashmir retained a distinct syncretic tradition (for example, Rishi-Sufi culture where Hindu and Muslim mystics respected each other deeply).

Sikh and Dogra Rule (19th Century)

After the fall of the Mughal Empire, Kashmir came under Afghan rule (which was brutal and unpopular).
Then Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit Singh took control in 1819, integrating Kashmir into the Sikh Empire — which was very much a part of greater Indian political life.
After Ranjit Singh’s death, the British made a deal with Gulab Singh, a Dogra Rajput, through the Treaty of Amritsar (1846) — Kashmir officially became part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir under Dogra rule. General Zorawar Singh the Dogra General extended the territory into Tibet in December 1841 where he died fighting in the battle at Taklakot near Kailash Mansarovar.

The 1947 Moment: Accession to India

In 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan, and princely states were given the choice to join either.
The Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, wanted to stay independent initially. But when Pakistan sent tribal raiders (Pashtun militias backed by its army) into Kashmir in October 1947 to forcibly take it, Hari Singh formally signed the Instrument of Accession to India on October 26, 1947.
The Governor-General of India (Lord Mountbatten) accepted it, and Indian troops were airlifted to defend Kashmir.
The slogan ‘Kashmir is Pakistan’s Jugular Vein’ was once used to forge a national identity in the wake of Pakistan’s creation in 1947, during a time when the young nation was searching for a unifying theme a National Rallying Cry. Such expressions have so far served only to inflame tensions and obscure the region’s true heritage. India’s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir is both constitutional and civilizational. Pakistan needs to shift from rhetoric fake emotional slogans to respectful dialogue rooted in historical truth and mutual understanding and ditch the drama to face the real facts. Clinging to such slogans has not propelled the country forward. It is time for Pakistan to leave behind these outdated narratives and move ahead as a modern, forward-looking nation, built on principles of innovation, development, and global integration.”
Kashmir therefore is rightly called “The Cradle of Indian Civilization” a Mother of Indian Spiritual, Intellectual, and linguistic traditions. It’s not just geographically beautiful; it’s also a jewel of Indian heritage.

Email: -------------------------rcpat311@gmail.com