>DahafSipah at 12:55, 3 May 2021

2021-05-03T12:55:45Z

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{{About|the feudal landlords of ancient Kashmir||Damara (disambiguation)}}

A '''damara''' was a feudal landlord of ancient [[Kashmir]].

Kashmiri society was organised somewhat differently from other areas of India in which Hinduism flourished, this being due to the influence that Buddhism came to have from the time of the reign of [[Asoka]] around the third century BC. The more common social and economic demarcation lines of [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]] - a ritual ranking system comprising [[Brahmin]], [[Kshatriya]], [[Vaishya]] and [[Shudra]] - became blurred, with the exception of that between the Brahmins and all other Hindus. Instead, it was occupation that formed the primary differentiator and of the occupations it was that of agriculture which was most important.<ref>{{cite book |title=Culture and political history of Kashmir, Volume 1 |first=Prithivi Nath Kaul |last=Bamzai |authorlink=Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. |year=1994 |pages=191–192 |isbn=978-81-85880-31-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1eMfzTBcXcYC}}</ref><ref name=Kaw>{{cite book |title=Kashmir and its people: studies in the evolution of Kashmiri society |series=Volume 4 of KECSS research series: Culture and heritage of Kashmir |first=M. K. |last=Kaw |publisher=APH Publishing |year=2004 |pages=90–91 |isbn=978-81-7648-537-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QpjKpK7ywPIC}}</ref>

As landholders and agriculturalists, the damaras were the most important of the occupational classes and their power could be considerable.<ref name=Kaw/> It was in part as a consequence of their many disputes with the kings of the [[Lohara dynasty]], during a prolonged period of corruption, internecine fighting and misrule, that the region eventually passed into control by Muslim rulers.<ref>{{cite book |first=Mohibbul |last=Hasan |title=Kashmir Under the Sultans |location=Delhi |publisher=Aakar Books |edition=Reprinted |year=2005 |origyear=1959 |pages=32–35 |isbn=978-81-87879-49-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUlwmXjE9DQC |accessdate=2012-04-29}}</ref> Mohibul Hassan described that {{quote|The Dãmaras or feudal chiefs grew powerful, defied royal authority, and by their constant revolts plunged the country into confusion. Life and property were not safe, agriculture declined, and there were periods when trade came to a standstill. Socially and morally too the court and the country had sunk to the depths of degradations.<ref>{{cite book |first=Mohibbul |last=Hasan |title=Kashmir Under the Sultans |location=Delhi |publisher=Aakar Books |edition=Reprinted |year=2005 |origyear=1959 |page=32 |isbn=978-81-87879-49-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUlwmXjE9DQC |accessdate=2012-04-29}}</ref>}}Present day Kashmiri [[Lone (caste)|Lone]] tribe is said to be the descendant of the surviving Damaras.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kalhana|url=https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=KzxTkI9iAxkC&lpg=PA425&vq=Dar&pg=PA307#v=snippet&q=Lavanya&f=false|title=Kalhana's Rajatarangini: A Chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir: Vol 1 & 2|date=1989|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|isbn=978-81-208-0370-1|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:History of Kashmir]]
[[Category:Indian landlords| Damara]]
[[Category:Ancient landowners]]
{{India-hist-stub}}

Damara feudal landlord - Revision history

>DahafSipah at 12:55, 3 May 2021