Life and works of Ḥabbah K̲h̲ātūn, d. 1605, Kashmiri religious poet.

This volume delves into the literary lives of four Muslim women in pre-modern India. Three of them, Gulbadan Begam (1523-1603), the youngest daughter of Emperor Babur, Jahanara (1614-1681), the eldest daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, and Zeb-un-Nissa (1638-1702), the eldest daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb, belonged to royalty. Thus, they were inhabitants of the Mughal 'zenana', an enigmatic liminal space of qualified autonomy and complex equations of gender politics. Amidst such constructs, Gulbadan Begam’s 'Humayun-Nama' (biography of her half-brother Humayun, reflecting on the lives of Babur’s wives and daughters), Jahanara’s hagiographies glorifying Mughal monarchy, and Zeb-un-Nissa’s free-spirited poetry that landed her in Aurangzeb’s prison, are discursive literary outputs from a position of gendered subalternity. While the subjective selves of these women never much surfaced under extant rigid conventions, their indomitable understanding of ‘home-world’ antinomies determinedly emerge from their works. This monograph explores the political imagination of these Mughal women that was constructed through statist interactions of their royal fathers and brothers, and how such knowledge percolated through the relatively cloistered communal life of the 'zenana'. The fourth woman, Habba Khatoon (1554-1609), famously known as ‘the Nightingale of Kashmir’, offers an interesting counterpoint to her royal peers. As a common woman who married into royalty (her husband Yusuf Shah Chak was the ruler of Kashmir in 1579-1586), her happiness was short-lived with her husband being treacherously exiled by Emperor Akbar. Khatoon’s verse, which voices the pangs of separation, was that of an ascetic who allegedly roamed the valley, and is famed to have introduced the ‘lol’ (lyric) into Kashmiri poetry. Across genres and social positions of all these writers, this volume intends to cast hitherto unfocused light on the emergent literary sensibilities shown by Muslim women in pre-modern India.

Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir in 1989 was their seventh such exodus since the arrival of Islam in Kashmir in the fourteenth century. This was precipitated by the outbreak of Pakistan-sponsored insurgency across Kashmir Valley in 1989. The radical Islamists targeted Pandits - a minuscule community in Muslim dominated society creating enormous fear, panic and grave sense of insecurity. In the face of ruthless atrocities inflicted on them, the Pandits’ sole concern was ensuring their own physical safety and their resolve not to convert to Islam. Over 350,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee en masse leaving their home and hearth. This was the single largest forced displacement of people of a particular ethnicity after partition of India. Pandits’ travails did not end with the exodus. The obstructive and intimidating attitude of the State administration towards the Pandit refugees made their post-exodus existence even more miserable. The Government at the Centre too remained indifferent to their plight. This book traces the Pandits’ economic and political marginalization in the State over the past six decades and covers in detail the events that led to their eventual exodus. In the light of ethnic cleansing of Pandits from the Valley, the book also examines some critical issues so crucial to India’s survival as a multi-cultural, liberal and secular democracy.

1. Know your state’ series provides the entire description of the state 2. Present edition on Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh has been divided into units 3. It provides chapter wise Theory for thorough learning 4. MCQs are provided for quick practice 5. Special section for current Affairs for a quick look 6. The book contains detailed information on “Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh” along with latest current updates 7. Highly useful for JKPSC and other state-level exams. The alluring natural beauty, picture psyche sceneries and world class famous handicrafts of Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh, attract many tourists towards these states. Aspirants who are preparing for the JKPSC other state Civil exams must have good general knowledge about the states. Enrich yourself with the revised edition of ‘Know Your State – Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh’that is a one-stop solution supported with the latest updates & figures. This book provides detailed study material of History, Geography, Economics, Politics, Art & Culture, Centre & State Government of Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh states. Along with the Chapterwise information, there are ample MCQs provided for the revision afterevery chapters simultaneously. A special section is given to Current Affairs that provides a quick look over recent incidents. Housed with the best available resources, prepare yourself with the complete general knowledge of Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh with this complete reference book. TOC Current Affairs, Basic Information, History of Jammu, History of Kashmir, History of Ladakh, Formation of the State Jammu and Kashmir, Physiography, Climate, Drainage System, Soils and Minerals, Forest Resources, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, Agriculture and Irrigation, Animal Husbandry, Energy Resources, The Industrial Sector, Transport and Communication, Tourism, Constitutional Formation, Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, Panchayati Raj, District Profile, Language and Literature, Art and Crafts, Folk Music and Dances, Fairs and Festivals, Cuisines, Education and Health, Tribes and Tribal Populations, Schemes and Programmes, Sports, Awards, Famous Personalities, Demographic Profiles.