But how is one to explain the acceptance of Urdu by the Kashmiri Muslims? After all, Kashmiris had a more glorious past. To understand this, one should know the psychology of the Central Asian and other migrants in the Kashmir Valley, who controlled the mosques and the National Conference. They preferred Urdu, which was closer to Persian and Arabic. The Pandit converts to Islam would have preferred Kashmiri. The same can be said on why some Muslims in India prefer Urdu. They are, by their own admission, of Persian and Central Asian stock. They constitute about 15 per cent of the Muslim population in India.
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