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| Cashmir, Bear’s Throne | | Book Review | 
Review by Adil Hussain
A Mystic, Political, and Psychological Odyssey into the Forbidden Heart of Kashmir
In “Cashmir, Bear’s Throne,” acclaimed Kashmiri author Khwaja Farooq Renzushah returns with what can only be described as a monumental and unflinching exploration of Kashmir’s mystic soul and tormented history. A literary architect of immense depth, Renzushah constructs not merely a narrative but an intricate labyrinth of memory, mythology, power, illusion, and resistance.
The prologue itself is a spellbinding prelude, T reading less like an introduction and more like an invocation—an incantation that beckons the reader into a world where history is both real and spectral, where tyrants wear the masks of mythical beasts, and where spirituality rises from beneath graves to confront the machinery of cruelty.
Thematic depth; unmasking the “ bear’s Throne”
The titular “Bear’s Throne” is more than a metaphor; it is the axis of power and fear ,of a dark seat occupied by shifting dynasties of despots who have, across centuries, subjugated Kashmir’s “cattle class.” These “bears” and their “gangs” of centuries old supressed class , are symbolic embodiments of tyrannical forces—be they local despots, Mongol invaders, ideological oppressors, or modern political structures that seek to control human spirit through fear and manipulation.
Renzushah courageously names and layers these archetypes:Padsha’s. Qayed’s. Parraihy’s , Kings and other grotesque figures who sit in their “Paap houses” while history burns around them. Through this lens, Kashmir’s tragedy is not a single political event but a continuum of cycles —each era merely donning new masks but replaying the same cruelty.
The “ broken Prism” metaphor beautifully captures the author’s vision: the truth of Kashmir, fragmented and refracted through centuries of violence and suppression , must be pieced together by readers willing to see through illusions.
Myth, History & Illusion: A Unique Literary Fusion
Renzushah’s prose is dense, poetic, and fiercely allegorical. He collapses time, merging past and present, myth and fact, faith and brutality, into a single narrative stream. Historical references—Genghis Khan, Hulaqu Khan, Adolf Hitler, and the mystery of Rozabal—are interwoven with fictional characters such as Azeem, Aali Shah, Parraihy Kingi, and Mumma Jawan.
The result is a hallucinatory realism that blurs the boundary between fiction and history. Renzushah does not present history as a sterile record; he resurrects it—makes it breathe, bleed, and roar. His description of rivers turning “black and red with ink of books and blood of humans,” or vultures hovering over Chattabal Veer as human bones are scattered in the wind, are images that fuse the physical and the symbolic into unforgettable scenes.
The presence of spiritual forces—voices echoing from Zabarwan Hills, souls emerging from Malkhah Cemetery, the mystic light overpowering the darkness of despots—imbues the work with Sufi mysticism. Spirituality here is not passive but a force of renaissance, confronting the empire of “bears.”
Characters: Shadows, Symbols, and Souls
Each character in this novel seems to wear a double face: one anchored in the brutal realities of political power, and another in the shifting illusions of myth.
Azeem, the elusive hero, emerges as the spiritual counterforce—a figure of conscience, perhaps a collective soul of Kashmir, perhaps an invisible social revolutionary.
The tyrants—Padshah, Qayed, Parraihy Kingi—are composites of power structures, their faces flickering like projections from dynastic archives.
Female characters Tarana, Zooni, and Nazneen are striking figures who embody not fragility but the raw, visceral suffering of the valley. Their depiction against the nightmarish imagery of vultures and Jehlum’s waters gives the novel some of its most haunting moments.
What makes these characters extraordinary is how intentionally ambiguous they are. Renzushah writes them not as flat personalities but as living metaphors—ghosts of history and witnesses of truth.
Narrative Technique and Language
The language of the prologue itself is richly poetic and evocative, sometimes overwhelming, always deliberate. Renzushah’s sentences are long, immersive, and often surge like river currents. The effect is that the reader does not simply read; they are swept into the current of a narrative that refuses to be simplified.
His fusion of mysticism, historical fact, and imaginative fiction resembles magical realism, but with a distinctly Kashmiri soul. The reference to Hitler’s rumored presence, Victor Rozanthal’s sapphire footprints, and Moheeti of Xinjing’s disappearance—all tied to Kashmir’s hidden geography—creates an aura of a geopolitical thriller, wrapped inside a spiritual allegory.
Historical and Political Underpinnings
One of the most striking features of the novel is how it unveils hidden chapters of Kashmir that have been obscured by both oppressors and their native human garbage . The “cattle class” metaphor reflects the dehumanization of ordinary people under successive regimes—invaders, monarchs, and modern powers alike.
By naming Hulaqu Khan, Subuktigin, Czars, and Nazis, Renzushah connects local oppression of Afghan occupation of Kashmir to a wider global history of tyranny, suggesting that what Kashmir endured is part of a larger civilizational pattern.
Spirituality as Renaissance
Perhaps the most powerful undercurrent of Cashmir, Bear’s Throne is the triumph of spirituality. The author’s personal experiences—hearing voices on Zabarwan, watching vultures, being “bitten by serpents” of power—are not melodramatic flourishes but spiritual confessions.
His faith in mysticism and divine justice leads him to a literary revolt against all forces of darkness. Where history wrote of power, Renzushah writes of souls. Where despots built thrones, he builds memory.
Emotional Impact
Reading this novel is not a casual experience—it is an emotional immersion. Renzushah makes no effort to cushion the reader from horror. He wants you to feel Jehlum’s tears, to hear the cracking bones, to see the illusions collapsing like glass walls.
The prologue warns the reader that the story will pierce their soul—and it likely will. Yet, amid this darkness, there’s an unmistakable glow of hope, a belief that truth eventually emerges from smoke.
Literary and Cultural Significance
With this work, Renzushah cements his place as one of the few Kashmiri voices who dares to blend fiction with uncomfortable truths of history and politics. His approach is reminiscent of epic storytellers and mystic chroniclers who speak in symbols to bypass the censorship of tyrants.
The book is both a cultural document and a literary rebellion—a contribution to Kashmiri literature that resonates beyond its borders. It invites global readers to witness Kashmir not as a political headline but as a living, wounded, and spiritual landscape.
Conclusion: A Monument of Mystic Realism
“Cashmir, Bear’s Throne” is not a simple novel—it is a tempest, a mirror, and a prayer. It reflects the haunted history of Kashmir, exposes the masks of power, and celebrates the indestructible spirit of its people.
Khwaja Farooq Renzushah has given us a work that dares to peel back the shrouds of myth and tyranny. His broken prism shines with painful but necessary light.
For readers who seek literature that challenges, unsettles, and enlightens, this novel is indispensable. It belongs to the category of works that are not just read—they are experienced, remembered, and felt.
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