Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga - A born Philosopher and original thinker

By Dr B.N. Sharga

Hinduism is the oldest religion which has not been confined to any time frame and is generally considered as the way of life, based on scientific approach for an all round development of human personality. That is why Hinduism has the greatest power of absorbing and assimilating different faiths and even divergent views into it. It is simply because the Hindus have received their religion through revelation, the Vedas. They hold that the Vedas are without beginning and without end. According to this concept every body is born as a Hindu and is then taken to different faiths after going through certain prescribed customs and rituals to have his separate distinct identity in the society.

The Vedas are not merely books but they are the accumulated treasure of divine laws discovered by different persons in different times. The discoverers of those divine laws are called as “Rishis” and we honour them as perfect beings. They were actually the original Hindu Philosophers who defined the way of life for all human beings and initiated a process of thought in them.

It is because of all this wisdom and knowledge contained in the Vedas and its interpretation in Brahmanas, Arankyas and Upanishads that it is generally believed that the Hindu Philosophy starts where the Western Philosophy ends. In India Kashmir has always been regarded  as the highest seat of learning from times immemorial, which has produced a galaxy of original thinkers and eminent Philosophers like Kshemendra, Mammat, Kaiyyat, Vijrat, Uvvat, Kalhan, Bilhan, Bhallat and Kantak etc. Acharya Abhinavgupt is being regarded as the founder of Kashmir’s Shaiva Philosophy, which was further elucidated through Tantra Shastra by Acharya Vasugupt. One such outstanding Kashmiri Philosopher and original thinker was Professor Iqbal Krishna Sharga, who elucidated the Vedantic Philosophy in an entirely new perspective correlating it with the modern thought about the theory of evolution after deeply studying the works of reputed western scholars and thinkers.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga’s ancestor Pt. Zind Ram Kaul “Dattatreya” was originally a resident of Rainawari Mohalla in the Srinagar district of the Kashmir valley, who came to the imperial capital Delhi during the rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707) from the Valley after taking refuge at different places on the way like Murree, Rawalpindi and Lahore. He was a Sanskrit and a Persian scholar. After some time he got a job in the Mughal court and started living in Bazaar Sita Ram with his family members. Not much is known about his son Pandit Sahab Kaul “Dattatreya” as to what type of job he did for his livelihood. Pandit Sahab Kaul “Dattatreya” had two sons. They were Laxmi Narain Kaul and Niranjan Das Kaul.

Since the decline of the Mughal empire started after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, so both these brothers Laxmi Narain Kaul and Niranjan Das Kaul after completing their traditional education in Urdu and Persian language at Delhi came to Oudh during the rule of Nawab Shujaud Daula (1753-1775) to get a good job in his court at Faizabad which was the seat of the provincial government at that time. Since both these brothers were quite robust in health and were stoutely built with very good physique so they got a job very easily in the Shahi Fauj and were made the commanders of its mounted division by the Nawab Shujaud Daula. The Nawab then made them responsible for the security of his daughter in law, Begum Shamsul Nisa and her jagir. The Nawab’s wife Jenab Bahu Begum Ammat-uz-Zuhara became so much pleased with the work of both Laxmi Narain Kaul and Niranjan Das Kaul that she granted them a royal Wasiqa in 1813, a sort of hereditary pension.

When Nawab Asafud Daula shifted his seat of government from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775 after the death of his father Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula, both these brothers Pandit Laxmi Narain Kaul and Pandit Niranjan Das Kaul came to Lucknow along with the royal entourage and started living in Rani Katra Mohalla which was founded around 1720 by Rani, the wife of a Hindu Risaldar Girdhar Nagar during the rule of Mughal Emperor Mohammed Shah. Pandit Laxmi Narain Kaul and Pandit Niranjan Das Kaul after getting the royal recognition for their services in the form of Wasiqa started writing Kaul Sharga as their surname.

The elder brother Pandit Laxmi Narain Kaul Sharga had three sons. Durga Prasad, Sheo Prasad and Prem Narain while the younger brother Niranjan Das Kaul Sharga had four sons Nar Singh Dutt, Badri Nath, Kanhaiyya Lal and Kedar Nath besides two daughters Chando married in a Mushran family and Meena. Pandit Niranjan Das Kaul Sharga died in 1824. His third son Pandit Kanhaiyya Lal Kaul Sharga had a son whose name was Pandit Sheo Krishna Sharga. The name of his wife was Rameshwari who died around 1878.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga was the son of Pt. Sheo Krishna Sharga. He was born around 1861 in Rani Katra, Lucknow. He had his traditional education in Urdu and Persian language under the guidance of learned Maulvis in a nearby Maktab. He then took admission in Government Jubilee College and did his matriculation around 1877. He took admission in Canning College for higher studies which was established by the Taluqdars of Oudh, originally in 1862 in a rented building in Aminabad in memory of Lord Canning. He did his F.A. in 1879 and B.A. in 1881 from this institution, which was affiliated with the Calcutta University at that time. Here it must be kept in mind that the British after taking over the administration of India from the East India Company in 1858, in order to introduce the European pattern of education in this country established initially three universities in India, at its important port cities Calcutta, Bombay and Madras around 1862. The whole of north India from Calcutta to Peshawar was then placed under the jurisdiction of the Calcutta University for conducting the examinations and for awarding the degrees.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga after completing his education took up a teaching job around 1883 to became a Professor of Philosophy in Bareilly College, Bareilly. He was a voracious reader and an original thinker, so he became quite popular among his students, who used to listen to his lecturers on Hindu Philosophy with rapt attention. He wrote some books and became a well recognised authority on Hindu Philosophy for his original ideas and interpretations. His basic concept was that the whole Hindu Philosophy originates from the syllable “Om”. This syllable is indeed Brahma; this syllable is highest, whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires.

The goals which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which men desire when they lead a life of contentment is symbolized with this syllable “Om” as per the following saying.

“Na the jab Ved or Brahma

Hua tab Shabd Onkara”

Impressed by Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga’s originality of thought and his interpretation of the Vedantic Philosophy Prof. William Knight of the St. Andrews University of Scotland while commenting on one of his books wrote the following lines “I rejoice that such teachings are given to the young men who attend the lectures at Bareilly”.

Likewise another Professor of Philosophy of the St. Andrews University of Scotland Prof. DG Ritchie commented on Prof. Sharga’s book that it was most admirably written.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga was such a learned person that although he was simply a B.A. but he used to teach the Philosophy even to M.A. students with great authority. He was very progressive in his ideas and views and therefore used to keep himself always ahead of his time. He used to command a great respect in the society for his academic depth.

When the annual convention of the Kashmiri Pandits’ National Club was held in 1882 in the historic “Ganju Walon Ka Shadikhana” in Kashmiri Mohalla, Lucknow, he took an active part in that convention in which the prominent leaders of the community from all over the country like Pt. Ayodhya Nath Kunzru, Pt. Shyam Narain Masaldan, Pt. Jagat Narain Malla, Pt. Ganga Prasad Taimni, Pt. Bishna Narain Dar, Pt. Rattan Nath Dar “Sarshar”, Pt. Manohar Nath Sapru, Pt. Bisheshwar Nath Hangal, Pt. Madho Prasad Sharga, Pt. Sangam Lal Chak, Pt. Sri Krishna Tikku, Pt. Bishan Narain Razdan Pt. Brij Narain Gurtu, etc. had participated. The emphasis was laid in this historic convention to bring about social reforms in the community and to encourage the members of the younger generation towards the European education so that they may not feel any difficulty in getting good jobs under the fast changing social and political scenario in the country with the British at its helm of affairs.

Dr. Annie Besant came to India in 1893 to study the Vedas in depth. Later on she formed the Theosophical Society of India for the revival of the Vedantic philosophy and way of life in the country. Pt. Suraj Narain Bahadur, who was a sub judge and an educationist became the secretary of this society. He used to organise its meetings at his residence in Kashmiri Mohalla in which progressive minded and liberal Pandits of the locality like Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga, Hari Krishna Kaul, Sri Krishna Tikku, Jagat Narain Mulla, Bishan Narain Dar, Madho Prasad Sharga and Ratan Nath Dar “Sarshar” etc. generally used to take part in the deliberations. In this way Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga came into close contact with Dr. Annie Besant, who became highly impressed by Prof. Sharga’s command over the English language and his deep knowledge of the Vedantic Philosophy.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga also helped and guided Pt. Brij Narain Chakbast to start a library and to form Kashmiri Youngmen’s Association in Kashmiri Mohalla in 1905 to prepare young Kashmiri Pandit boys to face the challenges of life with grit and determination.

In Kashmir after the death of Maharaja Ranbir Singh (1857-1885) in 1885, his son Maharaja Pratap Singh became the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir Riyasat. To provide good education to the people of the Kashmir valley, on the initiative of Dr Annie Besant, Sir Pratap Singh Hindu School was established around 1898 in Srinagar in a rented house at Sattho Barbar Shah which later on became famous as S.P. College at Kothi Bagh on Maulana Azad Road, imputing European pattern of education to its students in the Valley. Actually S.P. College, the prestigious institution of higher education in the Kashmir valley was founded in 1905 as an intermediate college managed by the Central Hindu College Trust, Benaras. Its first Principal was Prof. M.U. Moore a reputed Irish scholar and a graduate of the Cambridge University, London.

He functioned as Principal of this institution upto 1908. After that another European scholar Prof. E. William Collie was appointed as the Principal of this college in 1908, who unfortunately died in the same year due to a fire accident in the houseboat in which he was staying. Then in his place Prof. Vinamali Chakarvorty, a Bengal fellow was appointed as the first Indian Principal of this college. But he could not function as Principal due to certain reasons.

In 1909 Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga along with another Mohalla fellow Pt. Chand Narain Bahadur went to Kashmir just for excursion from Kashmiri Mohalla, Lucknow and became the first Indian and a Kashmiri Principal of SP College whereas Pt. Chand Narain Bahadur became the Professor of English in the same institution. Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga due to his awe inspiring personality and deep knowledge about his subject soon became very popular among his students who used to respect him like anything. He used to live near Amira Kadal, on the Residency Road, besides a famous bakery shop owned by a Parsi fellow nicknamed as Odu. He was fond of wearing the European dress and was a reserved person by temperament. He never used to indulge in loose talks during college hours and was a very strict disciplinarian. He was also a very good chess and Bridge player and a lover of Urdu and Persian poetry. Due to the untirring efforts of Iqbal Krishna Sharga, S.P. College became a degree college in 1911 which was affiliated with the Benaras Hindu University initially. After its take over by the state government in 1911 under the pressure of the British who became alarmed due to the growing influence of Annie Besant in the valley this college was then in 1912, affiliated with the Punjab University of Lahore and the word Hindu was dropped from its name. It was during the tenure of Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga that science classes were introduced upto the intermediate level in this institution. He also started the tradition of celebrating the spring festival in the college premises on a lavish scale every year. Now this college is affiliated with the Kashmir University, Srinagar and Dr SG Sarwar is its Principal at present.

Swami Vivekanand was the first Indian who introduced the essence of the Hindu Philosophy to the Western World when he kept the Americans spell bound for three days by delivering an extempore lecture on Zeero in Chicago in 1894. According to him it can not be proved that thought has been evolved out of matter, and if a philosophical monism is inevitable then spiritual monism is certainly logical and no less desirable than a materialistic monism.

In his words “this life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live, who live for others the rest are more dead than alive”.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga during his tenure as the Principal of S.P. College not only toned up its administration but also tried his best to maintain high academic standards in the institution by imparting good education to its students to build up the reputation of the college just to make it one of the best educational institution of the valley and he succeeded to a very great extent in his mission and that too during that period when the percentage of literacy was very low in the Valley. Due to his efforts M.A. classes were started in 1917 in the college. His pioneering efforts in the field of higher education in the Valley will always be remembered. He retired from service in 1921 and after that he went to Benaras (Varanasi) to live with his son who was employed there. He was succeeded by Lawrence Marcdermat, again a British scholar of repute.

Actually Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga was an authority on all the branches of modern Philosophy. He had written a number of books and treatises on various aspects of this subject, which won him both admiration and fame in Europe and America. His comprehensive treatise on the famous Barkley’s theory of vision was highly appreciated in the foreign countries. He used to teach English and Philosophy with equal case. He used to derive great pleasure while teaching his pet subject Philosophy to the post graduate students. He had evolved his own style of teaching. His lectures were always very rich in their contents and his way of explaining even the most complex theories was really very superb. He all through maintained poise and dignity of his profession like a savant. Though his independence of character was not very much appreciated by the then minister in charge of higher education Dr. A. Mitra, a Bengali fellow with a great liking for sycophants around him. To bring about a better understanding between the Hindu and Muslim students in the college he founded the common tea club for them and he used to subsidise it. To encourage the meritorious students he used to give them prizes and awards from his own pocket. He also used to give the financial aid to widows and orphans from his income. To improve the over all performance of the students, he introduced the monthly examination system in the college to assess their knowledge. He used to organise debates and lectures of the eminent people in the college regularly just to broaden the outlook of his students.

Naturally being the Principal of a prestigious college, he was well known among the elite of the town. He also developed a good rapport with Mr. Neidu, the owner of the Neidu’s Hotel in Srinagar.

He was a member of that coterie of Kashmiri Pandits, who went from Kashmiri Mohalla, Lucknow and other places to Kashmir during the British period to take up various jobs there like Pt. Har Sahai Bahadur and his grandson Prof. Chand Narain Bahadur, Raja Suraj Kaul and his son Raja Sir Daya Krishna Kaul, Dr. Roop Narain Haksar, Pt. Sri Ram Taimni, Pt. Brij Lal Nehru, Pt. Shiv Narain Bhan, Pt. Brij Mohan Dattatreya, Pt. Autar Krishna Wattal and Pt. Praduman Krishna Kitchlu etc. who were very close to Maharaja Pratap Singh (1885-1925) and all of them were regarded as his most trusted people at that time.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga was married around 1874 with Jai Kishori (Iqbal Rani) who was the daughter of Pt. Kedar Nath Muttoo of Khetgali, Rani Katra. He had a son and a daughter. The name of his son was Pt. Hari Krishna Sharga and that of his daughter was Raj Dulari who was married with Dr. Roop Narain Haksar, the son of Dewan Swaroop Narain Haksar of the Indore State. Dr Roop Narain Haksar was the personal Physician of Maharaja Pratap Singh. He used to live in Srinagar. He died quite young. His wife could not bear the shock of his death and committed suicide by jumping into the well. She had three sons Shyam Sunder Haksar, Ram Chandra Haksar and Mahendra Haksar.

Pt. Hari Krishna Sharga was employed in the education department in the then United Provinces and used to live in Kamachcha in Benaras now Varanasi. He was married with Krishna Dulari who was the daughter of Pt. Ram Narani Channa of Kashmir. He had three daughter Lalita, Kamla and Girja. His eldest daughter Lalita was married with Pt. Chand Narain Haksar. His second daughter Kamla was married with Pt. Madan Mohan Lal Kitchlu the son of Pt. Kishori Lal Kitchlu who was a sub judge in Jammu. His third and youngest daughter Girija was married with Pt. Shyam Sunder Padru.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga in the fag end of his life developed throat Cancer, perhaps due to intake of tobacco with beetle leaves, a Lucknavi fad and died due to this dreadful disease around 1925 at the age of about 64 years in Benaras at his son’s place.

Prof. Iqbal Krishna Sharga enjoyed his life in full measure and did remarkable work in the field of Hindu Philosophy. He used to say that Vedas teach us that creation is with out any beginning or end. The science on the other hand has proved that the sum total of cosmic energy always remains the same. Then if there was a time when nothing existed, where was all this manifested energy then? This million dollar question is still eluding a clear cut convincing answer to satisfy the seekers of knowledge. This fallacy forces me to quote the following words of Adlai Stevensen in this regard.

“It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge, if you think you look funny on a horse”.

*The writer has authored four volume history of Kashmiri Pandits, 'Kashmir Ke Anmol Ratan' and is based in Lucknow. His researches into unknown aspects of social history of Kashmiri  Pandits have won wide acclaim. He has been making untiring effforts to bring old Kashmiri Pandits, who have lost their language, closer to Kashmiri-speaking Pandits.

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