Which of the following is known as first Kashmiri Historian?

Question

Which of the following is known as first Kashmiri Historian?

1. A. Habba Khatoon
2. B. Lal Ded
3. C. Kalhana (Correct answer)
4. D. Yousuf Shah Chak

Correct Answer

Option C — Kalhana

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Kalhana.

Key Points

• Kalhana is regarded as the first Kashmiri historian, author of the Rajatarangini ("River of Kings") in about 1148 CE.
• The work chronicles the rulers of Kashmir in Sanskrit verse and is among the earliest Indian texts written in a genuinely historical rather than mythological mode.

Additional Information

• Its eight books trace the dynastic sequence Gonanda → Karkota → Utpala → Lohara, with Lalitaditya Muktapida the greatest conqueror and Avantivarman the great builder.
• Kalhana drew on inscriptions, coins, land grants and earlier chronicles, and his critical handling of sources is what earns him the description.
• The chronicle was continued by Jonaraja and Srivara, and translated into English by Aurel Stein.