Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 23: The second day of national seminar on ‘Maharaja Pratap Singh: Life and Legacy’ concluded here today at University of Jammu.
The seminar was jointly organized by Department of History, University of Jammu and Maharaja Gulab Singh Research Centre.
The day began with academic session chaired by Prof. Daljeet Ahluwalia of Punjabi University, Patiala. Notable papers included Dr. Abdul Rashid Lone’s presentation on ‘The Dawn of Archaeological Research in Kashmir’ and Dr. Bheem Bakshi’s exploration of Maharaja Pratap Singh’s reforms amidst colonial interventions.
Another session was chaired by Dr. Younus Rashid from University of Kashmir and he focused on broader historical perspectives with Advocate Sumer Khajuria presenting a paper on Maharaja Pratap Singh’s role in shaping the national narrative.
A joint paper by Dr. Thinlay Norboo and Dr. Gulam Murtaza highlighted the geopolitical legacy of the Dogra dynasty in Ladakh.
Other sessions were chaired by Dr. Madhulika Singh and Dr. Siraz Ahmad with scholars presenting papers on Maharaja Pratap Singh’s developmental reforms, agricultural conservation and architectural heritage.
In a session chaired by Nidhi Bahuguna she showcased research on Maharaja Pratap Singh’s role in heritage conservation and economic strategies.
A major highlight of the seminar was the engaging panel discussion on the theme ‘A Direction to Future Research: Erstwhile State of J&K’ which brought together distinguished scholars Padma Shri Prof. K.N Pandita, Ashutosh Bhatnagar and Dr. Abdul Rashid Lone.
Prof. Shyam Narayan Lal and Prof. Suman Jamwal contributed valuable insights during the discussion further enriching the dialogue by highlighting the intersection of historical sources and contemporary regional studies and calling for more interdisciplinary approaches to research.
The seminar concluded with the valedictory session, marked by the felicitation of chief guests—Dr. Kuldeep C. Agnihotri, former Vice Chancellor of Central University Himachal Pradesh and Padma Shri Prof. K.N Pandita.
The function concluded with vote of thanks by Dr. Sushma Jamwal, Research Consultant, Maharaja Gulab Singh Research Centre.
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