For centuries, Kashmir has been a meeting point of civilizations, faiths and ideas. In this in-depth conversation, historian and author Prof. Ashraf Wani traces the journey of Islam in Kashmir—from the Valley’s Buddhist and Shaivite past to the arrival of Sufi saints, the rise of the Shah Mir Sultanate, the influence of Shah-e-Hamadan, the Rishi tradition, and the evolution of Kashmiri identity.
Was Kashmir’s conversion to Islam driven by spirituality, politics, social change, or all three? How did Lal Ded and Nund Rishi shape Kashmir’s unique religious culture? And what do modern Kashmiris often misunderstand about their own history?
Watch this fascinating discussion on a thousand years of change that shaped Kashmir as we know it today.
