Book Review
Cashmir, Bear’s Throne
Author: Khwaja Farooq Renzushah
Publisher: Gulshan Publication
Review by: Adil Hussain
A Mystic, Political, and Psychological Odyssey into the Forbidden Heart of Kashmir
In Cashmir, Bear’s Throne, celebrated Kashmiri author Khwaja Farooq Renzushah presents a powerful, genre-defying work that delves deep into the mystic consciousness and wounded history of Kashmir. This is not merely a novel—it is an act of literary excavation, peeling back the layers of time, tyranny, and transcendence to expose the soul of a land perpetually torn between power and prayer.
Unmasking the “Bear’s Throne”
The novel’s title, Bear’s Throne, is not just a metaphor but the dark axis around which Renzushah’s narrative revolves—a symbol of fear and dominance, of despots who have occupied Kashmir’s destiny for centuries. The “bears” and their cohorts personify the eternal cycle of tyranny—be it Mongol invaders, local despots, or modern political overlords who govern through manipulation and fear.
Renzushah paints these figures—Padshahs, Qayeds, and Parraihy Kings—as grotesque archetypes of oppression, their palaces (“Paap houses”) standing as monuments to moral decay. Through them, Kashmir’s tragedy unfolds not as a single event, but as a recurring cycle of subjugation, a historical continuum that wears new masks but repeats the same cruelty.
His striking metaphor of the “broken prism” captures this brilliantly—the idea that Kashmir’s truth, shattered through centuries of violence, must be reassembled by those who dare to look beyond illusion.
Myth, History, and Hallucination
Renzushah’s prose is dense, lyrical, and fiercely allegorical. He dissolves boundaries between past and present, myth and fact, faith and ferocity. Historical figures like Genghis Khan, Hulagu Khan, and Adolf Hitler coexist with fictional characters such as Azeem, Aali Shah, and Parraihy Kingi, creating a dreamlike fusion of history and hallucination.
The imagery is unforgettable—rivers turning “black and red with the ink of books and blood of humans,” vultures circling over Chattabal Veer, and the restless voices rising from Zabarwan Hills. Through such scenes, the author resurrects history not as a record but as a living, bleeding entity.
Mysticism permeates the novel. The light that shines from graveyards, the voices that echo through valleys, and the spiritual rebellion against despotic darkness—all evoke a Sufi undercurrent. Here, spirituality is not retreat but resistance; not silence, but song.
Characters as Living Symbols
Each character carries both flesh and metaphor.
Azeem, the elusive protagonist, emerges as the moral compass—perhaps the conscience of Kashmir itself, or a mystical everyman defying power through spirit.
The tyrants—Padshah, Qayed, Parraihy Kingi—embody the machinery of control. Their shifting faces mirror the continuity of domination.
Female characters—Tarana, Zooni, and Nazneen—stand out as embodiments of endurance and sorrow. They are not victims but voices of suppressed truth, their presence lending the story its emotional gravitas.
Renzushah’s characters are not merely individuals—they are shadows, echoes, and symbols of a collective history. They haunt the narrative like spectral witnesses.
Language and Technique
Renzushah writes with an intensity that borders on trance. His sentences are long, rhythmic, and immersive—like the Jehlum itself, swelling and receding in spiritual tides. The language demands engagement; the reader must surrender to its current.
Stylistically, the novel draws from magical realism, but its roots are distinctly Kashmiri. References to Hitler’s rumored sojourns, Rozabal’s mysteries, and secret maps of Xinjiang lend it the intrigue of a geopolitical thriller wrapped in mystic allegory.
Politics, History, and the “Cattle Class”
Among the book’s most arresting dimensions is its political candor. Renzushah’s portrayal of Kashmir’s “cattle class”—the ordinary people crushed under successive empires—reflects a deep moral outrage. He threads together global tyrannies, from Hulagu Khan to the Nazis, suggesting that the oppression of Kashmir is part of a universal pattern of domination.
The novel’s political critique is searing but never didactic. It emerges organically from the characters’ pain and the land’s memory.
Spiritual Resistance and Emotional Impact
At its heart, Cashmir, Bear’s Throne is a spiritual rebellion. Renzushah’s own mystic encounters—voices from the Zabarwan, serpents of power, and the triumph of divine justice—are woven as visionary experiences rather than rhetorical devices.
The novel is emotionally overwhelming. Renzushah does not shield the reader from horror. He wants you to feel Jehlum’s lament, to witness illusions collapse, to see hope shimmer in the smoke of ruin. Amid the agony, a quiet promise endures—that truth, however buried, will rise again.
Cultural and Literary Significance
With this work, Renzushah asserts himself as a singular voice in contemporary Kashmiri literature—fearless, visionary, and unafraid of confrontation. Cashmir, Bear’s Throne blurs the line between fiction and testimony, myth and manifesto. It speaks in metaphors because literal truth in times of tyranny can be perilous.
It stands as both a literary and cultural monument—a narrative mirror held up to the haunted face of Kashmir.
Conclusion: A Monument of Mystic Realism
Cashmir, Bear’s Throne is not just a novel—it is a mirror, a storm, and a supplication. It reflects the wounds of Kashmir, exposes the masks of power, and reaffirms the endurance of its spirit.
Khwaja Farooq Renzushah has written a work of haunting beauty and philosophical courage. His broken prism does not distort the truth—it refracts it, casting necessary light on forgotten shadows.
For those who seek literature that disturbs, enlightens, and transcends, Cashmir, Bear’s Throne is indispensable.
⭐ Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
📚 Genre: Mystic Realism | Historical Fiction | Political Allegory
🏞️ Recommended for: Readers of literary fiction, students of Kashmiri history and culture, political thinkers, mystics, and anyone who believes that stories can reveal forbidden truths.
