Mohammad Asif Reyaz
In past Brahmins used to live in parts of Kashmir. They were of many sections (gotras), including Kaul, Bhat, Raina, and Saproo etc.
The first Prime Minister of India Pandit Nehru was from Kaul section, while the great Urdu poet Allama Iqbal who is also called Shaire Mashriq was from Saproo gotra. It is said that Saproos are of Iranian descendants. They were called Shahpore in Iran migrated to India and called Saproo.
The great Urdu poet Allama Iqbal has written that his father used to say that “Saproos’ are the descendants of those Kashmiri Brahman families who were first to learn Persian and other Islamic studies, during the Muslim rule. ‘Saproo means a person who is first to learn a new thing’’۔
Now back to the point! People in our country are frequently seen asking questions like why Brahmins are always in the leading role. Why they lead instead of being led? Before asking this question I think one should know that to lead society or a nation one requires knowledge. He who keeps increasing his knowledge is better fitted to lead a nation or a society. Since Brahmins are able to do this they are always in the leading role. If you take note, you will get the fact that Brahmins are always ahead in learning anything that is new.
History suggests that there was a time when Muslims were leading in acquiring knowledge and hence leading the world. They were so fond of learning new things that they used to put their lives at risk! Nothing seemed to stop them from learning and acquiring a new knowledge!
An event from history
In Andalusia (Spain) there used to live a man known as Abbas Ibn Firnas. He was an inventor, physician, chemist, engineer, musician and Arabic-language poet.
Some seven centuries after his death, the Algerian historian Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari wrote a description of Firnas that included the following:
“Among other very curious experiments which he made, one is his trying to fly. He covered himself with feathers for the purpose, attached a couple of wings to his body, and, getting on an eminence, flung himself down into the air, when according to the testimony of several trustworthy writers who witnessed the performance, he flew a considerable distance, as if he had been a bird, but, in alighting again on the place whence he had started, his back was very much hurt, for not knowing that birds when they alight come down upon their tails, he forgot to provide himself with one”.
This was the spirit of learning! Muslims in the past were always ready for doing new experiment even death could not deter them from doing this. In the word of an Urdu poet, they were always ready to put their feet in new waters. Agla Paun Nae Pani Main!