ALLAMA Muhammad Iqbal had a deep and lasting attachment to Kashmir, its geography and people. In his poetry, we come across references to Kashmiri personalities, such as Syed Ali Hamadani, Ghani Kashmiri, as well as places in Kashmir, such as Lolab Valley and Wular Lake. Iqbal affectionately recalls Kashmir on different occasions, calling it ‘Iran-i-sagheer’ (little Iran), ‘jannat-i-Kashmir’ (paradise of Kashmir) and ‘khitta-i-gul’, (the floral region). But, at the same time, Iqbal often sounds aggrieved in his poetry when he talks of Kashmir as Kashmir was enslaved by the Dogra dynasty and the entire subcontinent was under British colonial rule during the Iqbal’s lifetime.

One of the reasons for his emotional attachment to Kashmir was that Iqbal was of a Kashmiri descent and his ancestors, belonging to a caste of Kashmiri Brahmins called Sapru, had embraced Islam a few centuries ago. This empathy with Kashmiris had begun, says Abdul Vahid Moini, a well-known authority on Iqbal, when Iqbal was a student. With the passage of time, it evolved into his sincere belief that Kashmir and its people had been subjected to centuries of injustices and maltreatment and their grievances must be redressed.

So, when in February 1896 Lahore’s Kashmiri community established Anjuman-i-Kashmiri Musalmaan, or Kashmiri Muslim Association, a social welfare organisation, Iqbal, a student and young poet living in Lahore, joined it. Iqbal would recite his poems during the Anjuman’s sessions, often singing of Kashmir.

Iqbal visited Kashmir in 1921 and, as narrated by Dr Sabir Aafaqi (1933-2011) in his Iqbal Aur Kashmir (Lahore, 1977), was much inspired by the beauty of Kashmir. While in a small boat, Iqbal composed a few couplets in Persian, portraying the setting sun as reflected in the waters of Srinagar’s Dal Lake. During this visit, he had composed another brief poem in Persian titled ‘Kashmir’. But it is Payam-i-Mashriq, first published in 1923, that includes a poem in Persian — composed in Srinagar’s historical Nishat Bagh and titled ‘Saqi Nama’ — that not only appreciates the natural beauty of Kashmir but also carries a message for the Kashmiris: you have given in to slavery, whither is your self-respect? Rich wear silk that you weave but you wear torn clothes. Iqbal then prays to God: kindle the flame of revolution in the hearts of Kashmiris. Surprisingly, in 1924, Kashmiri silk workers protested and clashed with the Dogra forces. It was just a minor sign of the suppressed emotions that Iqbal had sensed earlier during his visit to Kashmir. The incident echoed in Punjab and All India Muslim Kashmiri Conference held rallies in Amritsar and Lahore.

In his Javed Nama (1932), a masterpiece in Persian, Iqbal presented an imaginary dialogue between Syed Ali Gilani and Ghani Kashmiri. There are about 100 couplets on Kashmir, narrating how nations survive and make progress. Iqbal asks Kashmiri people to get ready for struggle and sacrifice, hoping that they would rise as their “hearts were still alive”.

In his Armughaan-i-Hijaz (1938), Iqbal wrote 19 poems addressing Kashmiri people through an imaginary character, named Zaigham Lolabi Kashmiri, asking Kashmiris to strive for their freedom. He says there are two kinds of death, the physical death and slavery, because slavery makes heart die and in slavery spirit is but a burden on the body.

Not only did Iqbal presented Kashmiris’ point of view in his poetry but he also practically participated in Kashmiris’ struggle. July 13, 1931, was a turning point in the history of Kashmir as Dogra forces had gunned down 22 and injured hundreds of Kashmiris protesting outside Srinagar jail. This sparked widespread protests and a political movement against Kashmir’s ruler Maharaja Hari Singh began. To find out a way ahead, All India Kashmir Committee was formed and Iqbal was among the prominent figures who were made members of the committee. The committee decided to hold protest rallies in Punjab on Aug 14 and 15, 1931. A huge rally was organised jointly by different organisations at Lahore with Iqbal in the chair. In his address Iqbal said the unrest in Kashmir was an outcome of atrocities committed against Kashmiris just for demanding their lawful rights.

Maharaja of Kashmir had co-opted some Muslim members into Kashmir assembly. During the meeting of All India Muslim Conference held on March 22, 1932, Iqbal, while presiding over, criticised the move, saying that it was done without the consent of the Muslims and was disproportionate to the Muslim population in Kashmir. As president of Kashmir committee, writes Hafeez Malik in his Iqbal in Politics (Lahore, 2009), “in contemplating the Kashmir problem, Iqbal issued a statement on June 7, 1933, in which he advised the Kashmiri Muslims to remain united and devoted to one political organisation, he deplored the arrest of Kashmiri leaders and subsequent flogging of people and firing and baton charges on women and children”.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2026