Robert Ballard, an underwater archaeologist, who found Titanic claimed that the great deluge was based on real events. His hypothesis depended on a questionable hypothesis proposed by two researchers from Columbia University that there was an enormous flood in the Black Sea region. He further uncovered that around 12000 years back a significant part of the world was surrounded by ice and the Black Sea was a freshwater lake encompassed by farmland. There was a period when the temperature of the earth rose. This made the icy masses soften and surge towards the world seas. Around 60,000 Sq. miles of land was flooded, the ocean level rose by many feet, the power of the water was multiple times that of Niagara Falls, and 150,000 square kilometers went under the ocean. As indicated by the Oceanologist, the flood occurred around 5000 B.C.E.
Even though Ballard has discovered an antiquated wreck which is from 500 B.C.E and stoneware, he is yet to discover hints of the Ark made by Noah. Notwithstanding, he discovered hints of the presence of people from the time. After over 150 days, the Ark of Noah made contact with land. Most of the people of that era were wiped out. The notice of a flood is additionally referenced in different human settlements including Mesopotamian, Mayan, as well as scriptures of Christianity, and Islam. The earth was left to Noah and his supporters who will later discover settlements around the globe. Noah had four children: Sham, Ham, Yam, and Japheth.
The Kassite or Cush tribe:
Cush was the son of Ham, grandson of Noah who founded various settlements around Mesopotamia, Iran, and Kashmir. So the Kassite tribe or Cush tribe was named after the grandson of Noah who was its founder. In their bid to find necessities of shelter and survival, wherever they went they named places after Cush.
They named villages, cities, rivers, settlements and even mountains after Cush. They named the Kashan river in Mesopotamia, Kashmar in Iran. In Central Asia, they named Kashm-mora, Kashân a village of Baghdad, Kashmohra, and Kashania in Samarkand. In Afghanistan, they settled at Kash-Kar, Kash-Hil, Kash-Ek, and Kashu. They also founded Kashan, Kashaf, and Kashi in Mesopotamia. Later on, they named Hindu-Kush mountains, when they entered Kashmir.
South of Hindu-Kush there likewise lies a settlement as Kashmorâ. Here they settled at Kishtwar and from that day the valley came to be referred to as Kasheer and its occupants as Koshur. When the clan settled in Kashmir, the clan was driven by Kashyap. Kashyap was a capable leader. He succeeded in bringing harmony and maintaining peace between insiders and outsiders. This time Kashmir was submerged by water and individuals lived in mountains and caverns. Early individuals of Kashmir were cavern occupants around 3000 B.C. It was the time Kashmir was managed by local Kings.
It is during the time of these rulers, Kashmir was founded. Despite what might be in the folklore, there is no archeological proof that there was ever a Naga kingdom in Kashmir. The legend has it that Kashmir has been derived from Kashyapa-pura. This is absurd as the word Pura represents the city not nation. It means the City of Kashyapa rather than the nation of Kashyapa.
Depleting of the Lake:
The hour of Kashyapa saw an extreme geological change in the scene of Kashmir. Regardless of being encompassed by water, the valley would observe frequent earthquakes and floods every once in a while. A continuous and abrupt eruption of nature and successive tremors cut the mountain obstruction close to Varmul which made a pathway for the water to stream into neighboring Indian territory; Punjab.
The entry depleted the water and an oval-formed valley came to presence. There is little or no research on the tribe that gave Kashmir its name, and its completely understood as Kashmiris have never held the patronage to debunk the myths in their history. However, the work of historians like Fida Hasnain is what has put some of the accounts in the Kashmiri history in the limelight, however there yet more that falls on the scholarly shoulders of Kashmiris. It remains to see as for how long Kashmiri’s continue to let others ravage their history and destruct their identity.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the editor of the Kashmir Discourse.
Author is a data consultant and a writer based in Indian Occupied Kashmir and can be reached at hrhsulayman@gmail.com.
It’s beautiful article