Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai

Who was Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai?

Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai was an eminent Kashmiri scholar and historian who wrote several books on the history of Kashmir and related topics.

P.N.K. Bamzai was born in 1910 into a Kashmir Pandit Family of scholarly traditions, and received his first lessons in historical research from his father, Pandit Anand Koul who was the pioneer of modern research on the history and folklore of Kashmir.

He graduated from the Panjab University with honors in English Literature. During his tenure as a student, he accumulated a series of accomplishments and awards, notable among which were the ‘Lord Chelsford Gold Medal’ for all-round best graduate and the ‘Suraj Narain Gold Medal’ for his research on the social and economic condition of Kashmir during his student life.

Bamzai then joined the Kashmir State Information Department as Special Officer. During this period, he was requested by Sheikh Abdullah to research and write a comprehensive history of Kashmir. In 1954, he joined the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India as Editor of the Illustrated Kashmir. He went on to serve as Editor of almost every journal published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, and was instrumental in launching the ‘March of India’, a prestigious journal that recorded the aspirations and advances of an infant nation. Subsequently, he was deputed by the Government of India to work as Adviser to the Government of Ethiopia, where he established the publication wing of the ministry. During this period, he was awarded numerous fellowships and felicitations by several government and non-government organizations for his contribution to Kashmir history.