Kashmiri Muslims

Kashmiri Muslims are people currently living in the Kashmir region or those originally with Kashmiri kinship and descent living elsewhere.

History

Up to about the beginning of the fourteenth century the population of the valley was predominantly Hindu and Buddhist. In the 13th century, Islam became the dominant religion in Kashmir. The Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir lived in relative harmony, since the Sufi-Islamic way of life that ordinary Muslims followed in Kashmir complemented the Rishi tradition of Kashmiri Pandits. This led to a syncretic culture where Hindus and Muslims revered the same local saints and prayed at the same shrines. Famous Sufi saint Bulbul Shah was able to persuade the king of the time Rinchan Shah who was prince of Kashgar Ladakh, through his intellectual power to adopt Islamic way of life and the foundation of Sufiana composite culture was laid when Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists were co-existing in the atmosphere of love and brotherhood. Some Kashmiri rulers, such as Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, were tolerant of all religions in a manner comparable to Akbar. However, several Muslim rulers of Kashmir were intolerant to other religions.

Conversion to Islam

After the advent of Islam into Kashmir a traditional centre of Buddhist and Hindu religions conversion of Hindus to Islam has resulted in numerically significant population of the Kashmiri Muslims being descendants of Hindus . The prevalence of common Kashmiri Pandit family names among contemporary Kashmiri Muslims is indicative of Hindu lineage.

Partition

After partition many Kashmiri Muslims were forced out of their homes and fled to Pakistan. Today many Kashmiri Muslims are found in upper Punjab and Azad Kashmir mainly in the cities of Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot and Muzaffarabad.

Kashmiri Famalies

Butt/Bhatt

Were Kashmiri Pandits before the advent of Islam. The majority today are Muslim. The word "Butt/Bhatt" is derived from Sanskrit (भट) meaning "scholar".

Dar/Dhar

Were Brahmins before the advent of Islam. The majority today are Muslim. The word "Dar/Dhar" is derived from Sanskrit (भट) meaning "supporter".

Lone

Is a Kashmiri tribe in the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan. It is also used as family name.

haikh/Sheikh

Kahmiri Shaikhs are considered to be a clan of Punjabi Muslims of Kashmiri origin found predominantly in Punjab, Pakistan.