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Demographics of Kashmir Best of Jammu N Kashmir Srinagar Hotels Information |
History of Kashmir Kashmir History, “The Paradise on Earth”, is a history in making. Kashmir has a glorious past, a painful present and an uncertain future. The history of Kashmir is well documented and there are ample reminders of the ancient inhabitants of this valley, still lying around in Kashmir History 1947. Mythological tradition has it that, the valley originally was a huge lake called “Satisar” (land of Goddess Sati, consort of Lord Shiva], and its waters were blocked near Varamulla [present town of Baramulla). Modern geologists also confirm this myth as true. According to the oldest manuscript on Kashmir History Conflict “Nilvat Puran”, in Satisar there lived a demon named Jalod Bowa who killed and devoured the people of this region. A great saint named Kashyap, heard about the havoc that this demon was wrecking and performed penance for a long time. He was blessed by god and was able to cut the mountain, near Varamulla. This made it possible for the Satisar Lake to be drained into the plains below, and the land of Kashmir History India Pakistan appeared. The demon was killed and the grateful people named the valley as "Kashyap-mar" and "Kashyap Pura". Kashmir also implies "land desicated from water", as it is derived from two words viz., “ka” (water) and Shimeer (to desicate). Over the years it was ruled by different ruler including Ashoka the great who founded srinagar & spread buddhism in the kashmir region. It was from here that Buddhism travelled to Central Asia, Tibet, China etc over the ages. Then Kashmir Historical Places came under attack from the Huns, who brought untold miseries to the people of Kashmir. The next notable dynasty was the KARKOTA dynasty (beginning of the 8th century).
Huen Tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim, visited Kashmir during the rule of the 1st Karkota ruler Durlabhvardhan. After the Karkota rule, Kashmir again fell upon bad days and it was in 855 - 56 A.D that Maharaja Avantivarman of the Utpal dynasty brought some semblance to the chaos that was reigning. From 1089 to 1101 A.D., King Harsha ruled Kashmir. His reign was however a story of lawlessness and misdeeds. During this period, Mongols invaded Kashmir and plundered the state extensively. In 1579 the greatest of all the Mughal rulers Akbar, visited Kashmir and fell in love with it. Thus began a love affair which was to result in some of the most beautiful gardens and monuments that cannot be found anywhere in India. The Mughals aptly called Kashmir ‘Paradise on Earth’. Here they laid, with great love and care, Srinagar’s many formal waterfront gardens, now collectively known as the Mughal Gardens. Anecdotes of four and five centuries ago describe their love for these gardens, and the rivalries that centred around their ownership. They also patronized the development of art & craft among the people of Kashmir, leaving behind a heritage of exquisite artisanship among thes people and making the handicrafts of the land prized gifts all over the world. Shalimar and Nishat gardens built on the banks of Dal lake, were Jehangir's gift to the valley. Jehangir also laid down gardens at Achable and Verinag.
From 1752-1819, Afghan rulers controlled Kashmir for nearly 67 years. The Pathan rule can easily be called the darkest period of Kashmiri history. The valley was plundered and looted and the people were in a bad shape. In 1819, 50,000 troops of the Maharaja invaded Kashmir and drove out the Pathans. Sikh rule lasted for 27 years. The fighting between the Sikhs and the Britishers lead to Kashmir being transferred to Maharaja Gulab Singh who belonged to the DOGRA CLAN. In fact Maharaja Gulab Singh was the only Indian ruler to have carved out a state from the ruins of the Sikh empire. India became independent on the 15th of August 1947 but Kashmir became the bone of contention between the newly formed countries of India and Pakistan. Kashmir at the time of India’s independence was a Muslim majority state ruled by a Hindu Maharaja. As the king was vascillating about which country to join, a Pakistani invasion prompted the king to seek help from India. Since then Kashmir has become the flash point between the two neighbors. As of now, India occupies 2/3rds of Kashmir. Further, in 1962, the Chinese invaded and occupied a part of Ladakh, increasing tensions in this area. The situation is still not normal as yet, but the people of Kashmir wait eagerly for peace to return.
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