Was Shri Badat, the last Buddhist ruler of Gilgit,
an anthropophagus?
Author: Ashfaq Ahmed Advocate
Translation: Ahmed Nayyar
Shri Badat was the last local Buddhist ruler of the ancient
principality of Balor. His real name was Chandar Shri Deva Vikramaditya, but he
was famously known as Cannibal King. He is believed to have reigned around the
eighth century CE. For centuries, Shri Badat’s legendary story has existed in the
vernacular language. It is evident from these fables that he was a charismatic
personage who was likely portrayed as a cannibal king. During the colonial
period, it is interesting to note that the relief of Buddha at Kargah was also
regarded as a demon and witch-like spirit, which appears unrealistic because of
the fact that it was merely a carved Buddha on a cliff.
There are several traditions about
Shri Badat’s legendary story in Gilgit-Baltistan. Most written accounts came to
us from Western scholars and travellers who employ their own lenses,
perspectives and interpretations. They include G. W Leitner, H. C Marsh, John
Clarke, John Biddulph, Reginald Schomberg, David Lorimer, H.L. Haughton, John
Mock (who wrote a PhD thesis on Shri Badat), Munshi Ghulam Muhammad, and Ahmad
Hassan Dani.
Historical evidence tells us that
Shri Badat ruled around 749 CE. He was an indigenous ruler who governed a large
territory through his governors, comprising Hunza, Nagar, Chilas, Darel,
Haramosh, Astor, Guraiz, Punyal, Yasin, Ghizer and even expanded to Chitral.
According to Ahmad Hassan Dani, the rock carvings and petroglyphs at Haldeikish
Hunza suggest his reign year as 749 CE.
G. W. Leitner was the first European to record the myth of
Shri Badat in 1866, which was published as “Historical mythical fables of
Gilgit” in 1877. In his book ‘Dardistan’, Leitner mentions that according to
local traditions, Shri Badat was born with evil spirits (P. 9-16). He wrongly wrote Azur Shamsher instead of Azur
Jamshed, the prince who killed Shri Badat. Leitner tells us that the prince
captivated Shri Badat’s daughter and acquired secrets of his life that his
“soul is made of ice” and his life can only be ended by fire.
According to a local tradition, Shri
Badat was living in a palace. His tastes were capricious. He was fond of Polo
and there was a Polo ground in front of his palace, and in every one of his
actions, his fiendish origin could be discerned. However, the country was
rendered fertile and around the capital bloomed attractive gardens. Yet, he was
the cannibal king. This taste had been developed by accident.
It is commonly believed that Shri Badat received a sheep daily
as levy from his peasants. One day, while having a meal, he perceived a different
taste in mutton which was more delicious than before. He inquired about the sheep
from his chef. After much inquiry, it was eventually traced to an old woman
from Barmas village, its first owner. The king ordered to present the woman in
his court. Unaware of her production order and the king’s court, the woman got
terrified. When she was brought to the court of Shri Badat, her fears were
eased with the questions asked by the king. She happily answered: “Lo! the
great king of Gilgit, may peace be upon you.
She continues, her child and the sheep were born on the same
day. Her child died after some days; similarly, the ewe died after giving birth
to the sheep. Along with the ewe, she had lost her child; therefore, she had
consoled herself by suckling the sheep until it learned to graze. Recently, she
had presented that lamb to your highness.” Shri Badat contented while listening
to her story; he provided a gift and allowed her to go.
Sitting alone! He started thinking
about savoring sheep’s broth.
Shri Badat inferred that the sheep which
was fed by human milk for a while tastes so delicious, then how tasty would-be
human fetus that is nurtured by human milk be? Upon reaching this conclusion,
he ordered to change his levy rules; he replaced sheep with children of tender
age as his new duty. He commanded his servants to serve the dish at his dinner.
Thus, he became anthropophagus.
The people of the country were dismayed at such things, and
sought slightly to improve it by sacrificing, in the first place, orphans and children
of neighboring tribes. Gradually, it became everyone’s fate. The people of the
country were hopeless, and soon his oppression was felt by many families at
Gilgit, who were unwillingly forced to give up their children to slaughter. The
local population was unable to stand up against his oppression due to his supernatural
powers.
“Relief came at last. At the top of the mountain Ko, which it
takes a day to ascend, and which overlooks the village of Doyur (Danyor), below
Gilgit, on the side of the river, appeared three figures. They looked like men,
but much stronger and more handsome. In their arms, they carried bows and
arrows.” They were angels. According to Leitner, Azur Shamsher told Shari
Badat’s daughter that he was an angel. This made her captivated and break the
secret of her father’s life to Azur Shamsher. Subsequently, with the help of
local population, he managed to burn his palace, ultimately killing Shri Badat.
Azur Jamshed married Shri Badat’s daughter and proclaimed
himself as the ruler of Gilgit. One of the interesting aspects of this story is
that Shri Badat’s daughter was renamed as Noor Bakht. Apparently, it happened
after the arrival of Islam.
It appears that Leitner interpreted
the legend of Shri Badat as a synthesis of fact and fiction. This approach is
evident from his choice of topic and his reference to both ‘historical’ and
‘purely literary’ perspectives. Yet, it is the historical perspective that
subsequently attracted the attention of many scholars following Leitner.
On the other hand, Munshi Ghulam
Muhammad, chief clerk at the British political agent’s office in Gilgit, wrote
one version on the legend of Shri Badat, focusing on historical identity in his
book “Historical folklore of Gilgit-Baltistan”. He shares an interesting story
about Shri Badat, stating his palace was situated some 200 meters away from the
polo ground. As per traditions, Shri Badat’s daughter and his wazir
colluded with Azur Jamshed to kill Shri Badat since the secret of his supernatural
power was not known to anyone except his daughter. He was invincible and
mortal. But his daughter, who became acquittance of Azur Jamshed, told his
secret that he can only be killed by fire. Therefore, Azur Jamshed incited the local
population against Shri Badat and planned to set his palace on fire.
It is believed that Shri Badat made
a fortified fort at Agortham boulder near the river Gilgit. According to one
tradition, when Shri Badat came to know about the conspiracy to topple his rule
and his planned murder, he confined his treacherous daughter in this fort.
Today, Agortham boulder is locally known as Agortham Gerri (stone) and can be
seen in the middle of the river Gilgit. Moreover, Shri Badat is also known as
Agortham and in Burushaski, ‘tham’ means ruler.
In one traditional account, when
Shri Badat saw that his palace was set on fire, he understood the conspiracy.
There was no time to punish his colluded daughter. He immediately mounted his
horse and jumped out of the walls of the palace. He flew towards Chatorkhand,
in Ishkomen valley, soaring in the air because of his mythical character and supernatural
powers.
It is generally held that Shri
Badat rested for some while in Yashpur village (located some 20 km west of
Gilgit), where he asked a local for a glass of water. Yashpur had an abundance
of grapes at that time, and the local population produced wine from them. So
instead of providing water, the person presented a glass of wine to Shri Badat.
He furiously refused to drink wine, uttering that he was critically injured
while escaping from fire, therefore he needed water.
But no one provided water to him.
Disappointed with the unpleasant attitude of villagers, he cursed the village
of Yashpur that it would be destroyed, so that there would be no more grapes to
grow. As per tradition, the very next year, the village of Yashpur was washed
away by the melting of the nearby glacier, which was once a source of drinking
water. The village was destroyed and ruins can be spotted today.
Traditions hold that Shri Badat
travelled to Ishkoman valley and covered himself under a glacier in
Chatorkhand. It is believed that this spot is still present there. It is
interesting to note that another mythical creature, Mirza Kachat’ is famous in
Chatorkhand and in Ghizer in general. There are many myths related to this
creature. It is possible that Shri Badat has been symbolized later in the form
of Mirza Kachat to psychologically intimidating local population. However, this
narrative requires a deeper engagement and systematic investigation in order to
arrive at a well-grounded contextual interpretation.
Nevertheless, Ghulam Muhammad is of
the position that “it is a strong belief of locals that one day Shri Badat
would return to Gilgit and once again revive his rule. Revival of his fearful
rule had led local people to mark the end of his rule as a celebration held in
the month of November each year. Locals lit fires in their houses and stayed
awake all night to keep his evil spirit away.
Munshi Ghulam Muhammad maintained that no one slept that night; rather,
they stay whole night, dancing and singing around the fire. According
to Munshi Ghulam Muhammad, it is noteworthy that the descendants of Shri Badat’s
chefs are still residing in Gilgit. Owing to their loyalty to him, they refrained
from participating in the fire celebrations, as they believed that one day he
would return.”
During the colonial period, an attempt was made to overlook
and erase elements that could foster a sense of harmony, unity and shared
identity among the local population. Therefore, local rulers were depicted as
evil in literary works. External invaders and aggressors were represented as liberator
which seems to portray colonialist thought and exoticism. Thus, the new
generation of Gilgit-Baltistan needs to critically examine the history written
by colonialists.
Unfortunately, the history of
Gilgit-Baltistan is lost in the darkness of captivity during external
oppressive rule. Nonetheless, historical narratives can be found in the form of
oral traditions and rock carvings. There are more than fifty thousand
petroglyphs, motifs and symbols carved on different rocks as a stunning gallery
that offers rich historical evidence about the region. Likewise, the ancient manuscripts in the Gilgit
library, which were excavated from Naupura village near Gilgit, are also a
source of historical evidence about past civilizations including Palola Sahis
or Balor Sahi rulers.
According to Schomberg, the last
ruler of Gilgit reputed to have been a Hindu was Shri Badat; … he was a real person
but has become legendary on account of his reputed cannibalism.
In his book, “Tribes of the Hindoo Koosh” John Biddulph, the
first British political agent in Gilgit, asserted that “despite the
supernatural attributes now assigned to him, there can be no doubt that Shri
Badat was a real personage.” The term Shri is doubtless the title of respect
still given to Hindu princes. Some scholars are skeptical about his name; they
believe that he was Hindu; however, this argument does not convince modern
intelligentsia.
According to Karl Jettmar, a huge number of Buddhist
monasteries and stupas were constructed during the fourth century CE.
Gradually, Gilgit became an important seat of Buddhism. In those days, the
ruling Balor dynasty of Gilgit-Baltistan were followers of Buddhism. Similarly,
the local population also adhere to Buddhism. This is a historical fact that
Gilgit became the centre for Buddhism and Buddhist monks in that period. The
relief of Buddha at Kargah, Henzal stupa, ancient library of Buddhism in
Gilgit, Gilgit manuscripts, relief of Buddha at Manthal and many other remains
and traces of Buddhism in Gilgit-Baltistan are testaments.
John Biddulph, in his book “Tribes
of Hindoo Kush”, while referring to Leitner states that “in his legendary story
about Shri Badat, he wrote, there are various perspectives among the local
population on Shri Badat which are mostly derived from oral traditions.
However, there are similarities among all these tales. Yet, it appears that the
supernatural elements are inserted in these stories. Besides associating Shri
Badat with mythical creatures in fables, there is no doubt that in reality, he
was a human being.” Biddulph describes the story of Shri Badat as a combination
of fact and fiction.
It is significant to look at the
legendary story of Cannibalism attributed to Shri Badat employing new lenses.
Since this is not merely an important mythology, but in fact, it exposes us to
the collective consciousness and contextual reality of that period. Clearly,
the story offers evidence to hundred years old struggles of our forefathers.
While examining the legendary story based on oral traditions,
it suggests that Shri Badat and Azur Jamshed were both portrayed as
mythological characters. These traditions assert that Azur Jamshed is depicted
as fairy-like and Shri Badat is presented as an evil spirit and anthropophagous.
However, it is not surprising to note that such unique creatures, fairies and
deities, can be found in mythological stories and folklores in every civilization.
On the other hand, in fact, there are traditions related to
Cannibalism in the historical narratives, which are underscored by the famous
British philosopher Bertrand Russel in his award-winning book “A history of western
philosophy”. He states that “sacrifices of sacred animal and human were offered
and consumed during the evolutionary period of religions around the world. This
phase was prevalent at different times and spaces. Human sacrifices lasted
longer than cannibalism. This tradition remained enacted in the evolutionary
period of the Greek empire. Productive rituals were common throughout Greek
society, without these oppressive aspects. Deities were considered to be
entirely human, but they are different from humans in the sense that they are
immortal and possess supernatural powers.”
Shri Badat was characterized as a supernatural
creature in the historical traditions of Gilgit-Baltistan. It can be understood
based on his murder plot, which highlights his character as having mythical
powers; therefore, he was portrayed as a cannibal king and evil symbol. In the
same way relief of Buddha at Kargah was represented as an evil spirit and an anthropophagus.
Conversely, Azur Jamshed, who is the
murderer of Shri Badat, was depicted as a liberator. Nowadays, some people
claim to be descendants of Azur Jamshed who live in the foothills of the Hindukush
and Karakoram. For example, in an interview with Sadaf Munshi from the University
of North Texas, Raja Jamshed Ali Khan from Hunza claimed that he is a descendant
of Shri Badat’s daughter.
It is noteworthy that there were various socio-economic and
political motives behind the portrayal of Shri Badat as the embodiment of evil
spirit. Closer analysis of these facets would make it easier to discern the
truth. This prompts a critical question:
whether Shri Badat was an anthropophagus in reality, or was it merely a hateful
and false propaganda spread by his enemies to pave the way for external
aggression? There are two types of scholarly opinions on this matter. For
instance, according to John Mock, who wrote PhD dissertation on Shri Badat at
California University, underlines that the last Buddhist king of Gilgit has
been turned into a tyrant and a cannibal to discredit the old social structure
and "demonization" of history to validate a new social order.
Aziz Ali Dad, in his research paper
“Cannibalism in Gilgit,” cites that it is more likely that famine might have
occurred during Shri Badat’s rule, which had compelled people to Cannibalism
for survival. Perhaps, famine had created internal strife, a state of civil war
and made everyone against everyone, which has destroyed the state.
Regarding such circumstances,
French philosopher Thomas Hobbes in his treatise “Leviathan” states that
the natural state of man is
either war or conflict, unless the rules of societal principles are enforced. According to
Hobbes, “with the end of the social contract, conflicts would erupt in society,
thus humanity is trapped in a perpetual state of ‘war of all against all.”
Obviously, this would lead society to such a state of war without the rule of
law, where the natural condition of human life would be marked by solitary,
poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
Shri Badat’s reign is around 749 CE, four years after the
disintegration of the Balor dynasty. It was a war-torn society. After
evaluating the available historical evidence, it appears that the Balor dynasty
collapsed as a result of the war between Tibet and China, which was fought in
the valleys of Gilgit between 740 and 747 CE. In an effort to capture little
Balor, a bloody war was fought between Tibet and China in the valleys of Gilgit
in 747 CE, resulting in the defeat of Tibetan forces. Regarding these
historical conflicts, Susan Whitfield shares valuable evidence in the chapter
titled ‘The Soldier’s Tale: Seg Lhaton, 747–790’ in her book Life along
the Silk Road, published by the University of California. She notes that Seg
Lhaton was part of the Tibetan military front that confronted Chinese
aggression. Seg Lhaton’s account indicates that the Tibetans exercised control
over several small principalities, which in turn controlled the routes along the
Gilgit river leading toward northern India.”
The Tibetan army had previously faced Chinese aggression in
these valleys for several times from 740 CE onwards and was defeated on each
occasion. However, in 747 CE, they were unable to secure a victory. Seg Lhaton
clearly recalls this battle, in which his army of nine thousand men fought the
Chinese forces in these mountainous regions. The
battle between China and Tibet was fought in the “little Balor” in the valleys
of Gilgit. General Gao was commanding ten thousand troops of the Chinese
against the well-armed nine thousand Tibetan troops. Subsequently, the Chinese
army defeated the Tibetan forces in the spring of 747 CE.
In light of available historical accounts, it is possible that
the economic system of the Balor principality was deteriorated by war, and the state suffered from famine. As a result, society fell
into a state of conflict and the internal strife created conditions such as
cannibalism. Interestingly, in the local Shina language, fighting is called
"akse ek khok". It is possible that this was later interpreted
as cannibalism.
Aziz Ali Dad is of the position that externally imposed war
and famine had led to internal strife. Likewise, the tyrannical rule of Shri
Badat and internal strife had provided a safe space for external powers to
exert their rule and exploit for their own interests. The society was also
marked by internal conflicts and conspiracies; consequently, Shri Badat’s
daughter and his minister (wazir) played a significant role in the plot
to assassinate him.
In fact, based on historical evidence, it is quite clear that
Shri Badat was the last local Buddhist ruler of little Balor. His real name was
Chandra Shri Deva Vikramaditya, who is commonly known as Shri Badat in
Gilgit-Baltistan. The legend of Shri
Badat is essentially a fable from the Buddhist era, and over time, people have
added supernatural elements to it.
Among the ancient rulers of
Gilgit-Baltistan, Shri Badat is the figure most widely remembered by the local
population, albeit in a largely hostile and negative manner. During the
colonial period, the fable was recorded by European writers through their own
perspectives and interpretive frameworks, in which the local ruler was depicted
as a cannibal and an embodiment of evil. Thus, foreign domination was presented
in a manner that encouraged its acceptance by the local population as a form of
salvation.
The German scholar Professor Oskar
von Hinüber of the University of Freiburg states that the expanding Tibetan
Empire attacked the Balor principality, resulting in its disintegration in 747
CE.
As a result of the Tibetan-Chinese
war fought in the valleys of Gilgit between 700 and 747 CE, the society was
engulfed in a state of war. Thus, it is not surprising that taking advantage of
the ongoing situation created due to the collapse of the Balor dynasty
(Gilgit), the last local ruler, Shri Badat, was portrayed as anthropophagus and
the local population was turned against him and manipulated for their own
benefits, leading to the abolition of local rule. The outcome of such
consequences has been felt across generations till today. Ironically, Kargah
Buddha is also perceived as a cannibalistic demon like Shri Badat, even though this
perception has no basis in historical reality.
Picture credit: Artist rendition
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