Rajatarangini and the Background of Historiography in India

The present article is an account of the background of historigraphy in India and the significance of one of the historical works, namely Rajatarangini, in the history of Keshmir kings. This work is the beginning of a fundamental revolution in India’s historiography. Older works were influenced by the Indian exta-history style of writing and the spirit of evading history and basically relying on myths and religious epics. However, this work, whose principles are similar to the today’s principles of historiography, is a critical look at those works. The author, Kalhana, employs a scientific and non-mythical approach to write about the kings of Keshmir. In his work, he benefits from petrographs, inscriptions, coins, archeological monuments, and pedigrees. At the concluding part of the book, the author, like a sociologist, depicts the economic, cultural and religious conditions of Keshmir. This revolution in the chronicle of India is probably influenced by the manner of Islamic historiography and geographical studies. Prevalent in these times in west India.