Tribes, Sacred Landscape and Environment in Early Kashmir: A Study of the Nilamata Purana and Rajatarangini

This paper explores the relationship between tribes, sacred geography, and environmental transformation in early Kashmir through a study of the Nilamata Purana and the Rajatarangini. The Nilamata Purana presents the Valley as a sacred space originally inhabited by indigenous tribes such as the Nagas and Pisachas, whose presence shaped its territorial and ecological identity. These tribes are closely associated with rivers, mountains, and settlement patterns, reflecting an early tribal-sacral order. In contrast, the Rajatarangini depicts a later stage in which many tribal groups occupied peripheral regions while centralized administrative and agrarian structures emerged within the core Valley. The paper argues that early Kashmir evolved from a sacred tribal landscape into a territorially organized polity. This transformation highlights the dynamic interaction between tribe, environment, and political consolidation in the region’s historical development.