The story of ancient library in Gilgit

Author: Ashfaq Ahmed Adv

Translation: Ahmed Nayyar

In contemporary times, the region of Gilgit-Baltistan lacks access to higher education institutions particularly in medicine and engineering. Thousands of students had to travel outside of the region to different parts of Pakistan in quest for knowledge. When asked whether their ancestors were literate, most of these students would respond ‘No’. Central reason for this seems to be unavailability of educational institutions in the recent past. In such circumstances, the discovery of an ancient library of manuscripts in Naupura, a village near Gilgit, is extremely surprising and extraordinary event. Indeed, the discovery marks an important contribution to our understanding of the history of Gilgit-Baltistan.

In 1931, a set of Buddhist manuscripts were discovered from Naupura, marking it an important archeological site. Evidently, these manuscripts were discovered during the period when Gilgit Agency was leased to British Empire by the then Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir. Another set of manuscripts were discovered in a systematic excavation at the site in 1938. Since then, these manuscripts have been extensively examined and critically studied by scholars across the globe.      

According to lease agreement of 1935, the civil and military administration of Gilgit Agency was handed over to British Empire. Seemingly, this agreement delegated authority to the British, a process that also led to the transfer of an artefact, a rhyton (a ceremonial drinking vessel), discovered in Immit, Ishkoman Valley, to the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford. The artefact is referenced in the writings of Sir Marc Aurel Stein. Similarly, the manuscripts discovered in Naupura were taken to India, United States, Britain, and Pakistan, where they are preserved in different museums and archival collections. Nevertheless, a large segment of population of Gilgit-Baltistan remains unaware of this rich and intellectually significant historical heritage. It is evident that the discovery of Gilgit manuscripts, together with the subsequent body of scholarly research, has opened new avenues for study of the ancient history of Gilgit-Baltistan, particularly in relation to Buddhism.

Scientific research in this field formally started in Gilgit-Baltistan in 1979. In 1980, these investigations were expanded with financial support from the German Research Foundation. Joint efforts of Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani and German scholars, together with the financial help of the German Embassy in Islamabad and the Pakistani authorities, culminated in the formation of the ‘Pak-German Study Group for Anthropological Research in the Northern Areas’. Under the auspices of this group, multiple German scholars conducted extensive research work on projects related to anthropology, archeology and linguistics in northern Pakistan including Hunza, Gilgit and Baltistan. A team of German archeologists documented rock carvings, inscriptions and petroglyphs at Haldeikish, Hunza, along with representatives from National Institute of Folk Heritage and the Department of Archeology. Initial findings suggest that the Gilgit manuscripts constitutes highly significant Buddhist religious texts and valuable historical sources. However, the manuscripts were widely dispersed across various locations and fragmented among multiple publications, which hindered comprehensive analysis.

This complex research task was carried out with extraordinary efforts, dedication and diligence of Prof. Oskar von Hinüber. He identified the names of the rulers of the Palola Sahi dynasty of the ancient principality of Balor, along with their wives, administrative officials, and scribes through textual analysis of the manuscripts and inscriptions. In addition, official records of the Chinese Tang dynasty also contain references to Little Balor and its rulers. In his book ‘Beyond the Gorges of Indus’, Karl Jettmar, head of the Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology at the South Asia Institute (SAI) of the University of Heidelberg, concludes that the inscriptions in Gilgit, Hatun, and Danyor dates back to seventh or eighth century CE. He further suggests that these historical evidences go back to the period before the Tibetan invasion and Chinese intervention in the Balor state.

The manuscripts are commonly known as ‘Naupura Manuscripts’ although, Naupura is an ancient settlement and part of Gilgit. According to local traditions, Naupura once housed a royal palace and a Buddhist stupa, the ruins of which are still visible today. Based on local traditions, a shepherd discovered artefacts and wooden column in the grazing area of Naupura. Upon further excavation the shepherd discovered wooden box containing birch wood parchments in a chamber, which were considered as books. Subsequently, the box was handed over or sold to the then authorities in Gilgit and imposed a ban on further excavation at the site. Archeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein published an article on Gilgit manuscripts in 1931 and secured a set of manuscripts from local people. Afterwards, formal excavation work started in 1938. A report published in 1939 claims that during excavation a large wooden stupa was discovered with three elevational levels.       

In his essay, ‘Inside the hidden chamber’ published in The News International, Dr. Ijlal Hussainpur, mentions that “roughly 60 manuscripts and 17 Avadnas emerging from Naupura are of unmatched significance in Buddhist studies. These are the oldest surviving collection of religious texts in the subcontinent. Based on the paleographical evidence, scholars agree that local Buddhist devotees compiled these texts between the fifth and sixth century CE.

Most of the manuscripts were written on birch bark. The birch bark that does not decay or decompose and the cool climate of the area helped the manuscripts survive till the day. The Gilgit Manuscripts cover a wide range of subjects such as religion, religious rituals, philosophy, iconometry, monastic discipline, folk tales, medicine and culinary art. The manuscripts contain sutras from the Buddhist canon, the Samadhiraja Sutra, Lotus Sutra, and Bhaisajyaguru Sutra. Lotus Sutra was the most venerated sutra of the Buddhists from the Gilgit area.”

An important artefact – a bronze statue – was eventually discovered in the chamber alongside the manuscripts published in Paul works. The inscriptions mention name of Palola Sahi or Balor dynasty ruler Nandi Vikramaditya. It depicts that the statue was presented as a donation. It was transferred to Kashmir during the ruler’s reign.  

Dr. N. Chakravarti who conducted first study of the Hatun inscriptions notes that the name of ruler mentioned in the concluding remarks of Buddhist manuscripts also appears in Hatun inscriptions with the name Jayamangala Vikramaditya Nandi. Moreover, based on the research conducted by Dr. Ahmed Hassan Dani, the rock inscriptions in Danyor, known in Shina as “likhto giri” or “stone with inscriptions”, actually belongs to the line of Balor Sahi rulers mentioned in the Hatun inscriptions, which was engraved by the prince Kumar Umtiya. The inscriptions denoted royal titles like Palola Sahi, Shahansahi and Param Bhattrak to the ruler Jaya Mangal Vikram Aditya Nandi (Vikram Aditya dynasty). Likewise, it mentions two other names of his successors, marking it a very significant discovery. It is important to note that concealment of library at Naupura cannot be simply linked to the immediate political turmoil of mid eighth century CE. It seems that, if religious texts/objects need to be protected, the builders would not have chosen such a complex and robust wooden structure.   

Karl Jettmar emphasizes that it needs proper investigation to reach on a position that whether the dates given by historians to the wooden book covers indicates a much later date or the construction of structure or simply indicate the time when this large “stupa chamber” was last closed. Jettmar believes that despite excavation many questions still remain unresolved. The biggest mystery lies in the fact that why there was a need to bury an entire library in a stupa, if Buddhist activities were ongoing? Was this a result of fear of Tibetan invasion or part of a specific religious tradition? Even though such questions exist yet these manuscripts offer researchers new directions and interpretations. Apparently, the Gilgit manuscripts are not merely historical documents; rather, they represent civilizational, religious and political evidence of Gilgit-Baltistan. Their discovery, along with subsequent scholarly research, demonstrates that the region functioned as a center of learning for centuries.    

The Italian scholar and expert in Eastern religions, Giuseppe Tucci, observes that “the discovery of Buddhist manuscripts in Gilgit underscores the presence of learned communities in Gilgit and Hunza.” However, it is unfortunate that much of the population of Gilgit-Baltistan remains unaware of their distinctive intellectual heritage. Consequently, they have neither benefited from it nor contributed towards it, largely due to limited access to higher educational institutions. It appears that, with the concealment of the ancient library, a prolonged period of intellectual stagnation persisted in the region. As a result, the written history of Gilgit that has come down to us was largely produced by outsiders during the colonial period. In contrast, local population remains unaware of their own historical legacy. Therefore, it is crucial to establish department of history, archaeology, culture, and language study at Karakoram International University, so that future generations may inquire and gain a deeper understanding of their heritage.

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