Educational Backwardness of Muslims in Princely Kashmir: An Inferential Analysis of the Legacy of Dogra Raj

Abstract

The paper attempts to show the relationship between the Dogra State, Muslims, and educational development in Kashmir. It examines the State's responsibility of educating the Kashmiri Muslims. The paper exposed and enquires into the stereotype of Muslim apathy to modern education due to their religious conservatism. It shows that relative deprivation of Muslims in different opportunities led to their poverty, consequently to their illiteracy. The paper finds that Muslims did not see education as necessarily translating into formal employment. The low representation of Muslims in employment and perception of discrimination in securing salaried jobs make them attach less importance to formal secular education in comparison to other communities. The first part of the paper studies the state's role in the development of education in Kashmir. Second part examines the attitude of Muslims to modern education. It examines the indifferent role of state vis-a-vis education of Muslims. Part third look into the government biased recruitment policy in state services. It also includes the unwilling of State and leadership to accept Kashmiri as the medium of instruction. The paper concludes with the dismal educational condition of Jammu and Kashmir in general and Muslims in particular, which can be said is the legacy it inherited from the Dogra state.