Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai (1910–2007) was a Kashmiri

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researc ...

and historian who wrote several books on the history of Kashmir and Central Asia. P. N. K. Bamzai was born in 1910 into a

Kashmiri Pandit The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountainous region l ...

family of scholarly traditions, and received his first lessons in historical research from his father, Anand Koul, who was a pioneer of research on the history and folklore of Kashmir. Bamzai graduated from the Punjab University with honours in English Literature. During his tenure as a student, he accumulated a series of accomplishments and awards, notable among which were the Lord Chelsford Gold Medal for all-round best graduate and the Suraj Narain Gold Medal for his research on the social and economic condition of Kashmir during his student life. Bamzai then joined the Kashmir State Information Department as Special Officer. During this period, he was requested by Kashmir's prime minister,

Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah (5 December 1905 – 8 September 1982) was an Indian politician who played a central role in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir Abdullah was the founding leader of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (later re ...

, to research and write a comprehensive

history of Kashmir The history of Kashmir is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions, comprising the areas of Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia. Historically, Kashmir referred to the Kashmir Valley. Today, ...

. In 1954, Bamzai joined the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

, as Editor of the ''Illustrated Kashmir''. He went on to serve as Editor of almost every journal published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and was instrumental in launching the ''March of India'', a journal that recorded the aspirations and advances of newly independent India. Subsequently, he was deputed by the Government of India to work as Adviser to the Government of Ethiopia, where he established the publication wing of the ministry. During this period, he was awarded numerous fellowships and felicitations by several government and non-government organisations for his contribution to Kashmiri history. Bamzai's articles and papers pertaining to the history of Kashmir have been published in several journals in India and abroad. His books on the subject include ''A History of Kashmir'', which carries a foreword by

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

. Dr R. K. Parmu observed that Bamzai's book lacked historical research and did not separate the historical material from the non-historical content. Sten Widmalm, an academic who specialises in comparative politics, has also expressed reservations, saying that Bamzai's three-volume history of Kashmir is "an important source of information but also contain descriptions of the population that only reproduce the race biology of the 1930s". He also intimates that Bamzai may have re-used or closely copied "formulations" previously published by others. More contemporaneous with publication was a 1965 review in ''

The English Historical Review ''The English Historical Review'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1886 and published by Oxford University Press (formerly Longman). It publishes articles on all aspects of history – British, European, and ...

'' which noted that ''A History of Kashmir'' was the first attempt by anyone to produce a comprehensive study of the region from pre-history to the present day and that it generally succeeded.

Bibliography

*Bamzai, P. N. K. (1962), ''A History of Kashmir: Political, Social, Cultural, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day''. Delhi: Metropolitan Book Co. OCLC 1097578 *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1966), ''Kashmir and Power Politics: From Lake Success to Tashkent.'' Delhi: Metropolitan Book Co. OCLC 249511312 *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1973), ''A History of Kashmir: Political, Social, Cultural, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day.'' 2nd ed. New Delhi: Metropolitan Book Co. OCLC 693704 *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1973),'' Jammu and Kashmir''. ew Delhi Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. *Koul, Anand, and Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai (1978), ''Geography of the Jammu & Kashmir State.'' New Delhi: Light & Life Publishers. *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1980), ''Kashmir and Central Asia.'' New Delhi: Light & Life Publishers. *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1987),'' Socio-Economic History of Kashmir'', 1846-1925. New Delhi: Metropolitan Book Co. *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1994a), ''Culture and Political History of Kashmir. Volume 1: Ancient Kashmir.'' New Delhi: M.D. Publications. *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1994b), ''Culture and Political History of Kashmir. Volume 2: Mediaeval Kashmir.'' New Delhi: M.D. Publications. *Bamzai, P. N. K. (1994c), ''Culture and Political History of Kashmir. Volume 3: Modern Kashmir.'' New Delhi: M.D. Publications.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaul Bamzai, P.N. 1910 births 2007 deaths Indian Hindus Kashmiri people Kashmiri Pandits Indian people of Kashmiri descent 20th-century Indian essayists 20th-century Indian historians 20th-century Indian male writers 20th-century Indian non-fiction writers 20th-century Indian scholars