By DR.ABDUL AHAD
Soon after the inauguration of Sultanate era, Kashmir entered into a definitive phase of its industrial and economic development which was made possible by the conscious and genuine efforts of its rulers and active cooperation of their subjects. In collaboration with the Central Asian Sufis and Saints they introduced the Karkhana system not only for overhauling the economy to ensure the well-being of the people but also for promoting the interests of Islamic Civilization in the Valley. They used this system as an instrument for consolidating their power and for welding together diverse groups of people who, before the advent of Islam in Kashmir, were essentially caste-ridden and parochial. The development proved qualitative enough to create ample employment opportunities by bringing about revolutionary changes in production of goods, marketing system and production relations. The resultant marketing elaboration accelerated the development of division of labour and the commodity economy to create, eventually, an objective basis for the growth of a vibrant Kashmiri identity and personality that became more assertive in the third decade of the past century.
The term medieval signifies the central epoch of history; the gist, crux or heart of the Middle Ages. It symbolizes an indispensable nucleus link between the primordial and the modern eras; a prelude to the present and an unavoidable guide to the future. What accumulates as the bonus of the experience, enterprise and labour of our distant ancestors does incessantly proceed to bring in the medieval edifice of our history. Indubitably, it is a large historical dividend accruing due to never-ending human effort put in getting better societal and institutional nitty-gritty of a nation that makes history’s transition from one Stage to another possible. The sequence of forms of production from one mode to another, which this change unfolds, is a huge leap forward that facilitates awesome development of a given territory. Also, it is indicative of its chronological transformation in the realms of science, technology, agriculture and religion. But this revolution is not a result of any motorized process. It is, undoubtedly, the outcome of constant interplay of various historical forces; an upshot of human labours to band together and strive for better, superior ambiance. The following is a humble attempt to elucidate this historical phenomenon by analysing the Karkhana system of medieval Kashmir; a scheme was introduced to help combat unemployment; give a face-lift to Kashmiri identity and enable the public to enjoy a huge socio-economic surge in the wake of Islam.
With the beginning of the 14 century, Kashmir witnessed a great historical upheaval which, in the course of time, nurtured huge possibilities of restructuring its society on healthy lines. Coming in the wake of Islam, this unprecedented tumult let loose dynamic forces of sweeping consequences which inspired people to transform their life in harmony with principles as enshrined in the Quran. In the process they threw away outdated traditions and refurbished their socio-economic stocks with a fresh, vibrant, sound industrial arrangement which manifested itself in the establishment of Karkhanas a mode of production entirely dependent on a complex division of labour, an organized manufacturing system and an elaborate marketing structure.
Apart from revamping ideological and institutional mould of medieval Kashmir, the change made possible for its people to earn their livelihood through the pursuit of well thought-out manufacturing activities. The commodities and yard goods, thus, produced were of considerable significance and economic worth; enabling Kashmir to become known as a commercial and industrial hub on the map of medieval Asia; more chiefly of Central Asia.
This is not to suggest here that the pre-Islamic or ancient Kashmir was altogether lacking in industrial and manufacturing base. It could never have been, because the early Kashmiris, living in a land-locked society without any easy contact with the outside world, felt obligated – in consequences of geohistorical circumstances to bring into form whatever they had need of, vindicating, thus, the proverbial wisdom: necessity is the mother of invention They created all material goods, including food and cloth, for their sustenance and did not depend on outside world with which they had no communication link and easy connectivity owing to technological constraints of the times.
The economic system of ancient Kashmir was irrefutably and increasingly undifferentiated. It was a mixed one; not allowing people to pursue manufacturing activity as an independent occupation and instead making them to subordinate it to agriculture; vegetable and crop growing It also necessitated them to produce goods in the village households where the conditions for the
entire economic activity were created in the family unit itself’. This system reigned Kashmir over a long span of history; making the establishment of factories a distant possibility.
Such a traditional economy of Kashmir, in which the society as a whole had become an amalgam of self-sufficient and self-dependent village economic units and where the people were working as both agriculturists and artisans, was fraught with the consequences increasıngly unfavorable to the growth of industry. These were so harsh that they did not encourage people to chase
industry as an independent manufacturing activity on full-time basis. Also they did not permit any multifaceted or a complex variety of social division of labour and commodity based and market oriented relations to develop. As a result, no refined and artistic goods were produced in Kashmir in early times more so because of non-availability of elaborate facilities of buying and selling’ which are extremely unavoidable for the development of both social division of labour and commodity economy; a technical advancement which makes elegance, classiness in textile manufacturing self-confidently possible.
Dr. Abdul Ahad is a well-known historian of Kashmir. He presents a perspective on the Kashmir issue and talks about Kashmir’s history and individuality and personality.
