History of Kashmir

According to folk etymology, the name “Kashmir” means “wet land” (from Sanskrit ” water and shamira”). In Rajatarangi, a history of Kashmir written by Kalhana in the mid-12th century, it is stated that the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake. According to Hindu mythology, this lake originated from the great Rishi or sage, Kashyapa, son of Murichi. Herodotus is also believed to refer to Kashmir by Ptolemy’s Casparia. Kashmir has an archaic spelling, and is still spelled that way in some countries.The history of Kashmir is intertwined with the history of the wider Indian subcontinent in South Asia with influences from the surrounding regions of Central and East Asia. Historically, Kashmir refers only to the Kashmir valley in the western Himalayas. Today, it refers to a larger area that includes the Indian-administered center region of Jammu and Kashmir (comprising the Jammu and Kashmir Valley) and the Pakistan-administered territories of Ladakh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and China. Includes administered areas. Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram tract regions.In the first half of the 1st century, the Kashmir region became an important center of Hinduism and later—under the Mauryas and the Kushanas—of Buddhism. Later in the 9th century, during the Kurkota dynasty, a local tradition of Shaivism arose. It flourished through seven centuries of Hindu rule, continuing under the Utpal and Lohara dynasties, ending in the mid-14th century. Islamization in Kashmir began during the 13th century, accelerated under Muslim rule during the 14th and 15th centuries, and led to the decline of Kashmir Shaivism in Kashmir.In 1339, Shah Mir became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir, inaugurating the Shah Mir dynasty. For the next five centuries, Muslim kings ruled Kashmir, including the Mughal Empire, which ruled from 1586 to 1751, and the Afghan Durrani Empire, which ruled from 1747 to 1819. In the same year, under Ranjit Singh, the Sikhs captured Kashmir. In 1846, after the defeat of the Sikhs in the First Anglo-Sikh War, the Treaty of Lahore was signed and the territory was purchased from the British under the Treaty of Amritsar, with Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu becoming the new ruler. Kashmir was ruled by its descendants, under the suzerainty (or guardianship) of the British Crown, until 1947, when the former royal state became a disputed territory, now administered by three countries: India, Pakistan, and People’s Republic of China.

**History writing**

The Nilamata Purana (compiled c. 500-600 CE) contains accounts of the early history of Kashmir. Be that as it may, being a Puranic source, it has been contended that it is to some degree conflicting and questionable. Kalhana’s Rajatarangini (Stream of Lords), all 8000 Sanskrit verses of which were completed by 1150 CE, chronicles the lines of Kashmir from the 1st to the 12th century. It depends on conventional sources such as the Nalmata Purana, engravings, coins, landmarks and Kalhana’s individual perceptions that emerged from his family’s political encounters. The anecdotal depictions at the conclusion of the work deliver way to judicious and basic analyzes of the emotional occasions that took put between the 11th and 12th centuries, for which Kalhana is regularly called “India’s to begin with historian”.

During the rule of Muslim rulers in Kashmir, three reference sections to the Rajatrangini were composed by Junaraja (1411-1463 CE), Srivara, and Prajiabhat and Soka, finishing with Akbar’s victory of Kashmir in 1586 CE. This content was interpreted into Persian by Muslim researchers such as Nizamuddin, Farishta and Abul Fazl. Biharistan Shahi and Hyder Malik’s History of Kashmir (completed in 1621 CE) are the most imperative works on the history of Kashmir amid the Sultanate period. Both writings were composed in Persian and utilized Rajatrangini and Persian history as their sources.

Initial date

Buddha, Jammu and Kashmir, 7th-8th century.

Under Turmana, the Ulcho Huns crossed the Hindu Kush mountains and prevailed expansive parts of western India, counting Kashmir. His child Mehrakula (c. 502-530 CE) driven a military campaign to prevail all of northern India. He was contradicted by Baladitya in Magadha and at long last vanquished by Yesodharman in Malwa. After the overcome, Mihirakula returned to Kashmir where he driven a revolt against the ruler. He at that point prevailed Gandhara where he incurred numerous abominations on the Buddhists and annihilated their hallowed places. The impact of the Huns finished after the passing of Mehrikula.

Hindu family

A progression of Hindu lines ruled the locale from the 7th-14th centuries. After the 7th century, Kashmiri Hinduism made critical advance. In the centuries that taken after, Kashmir created numerous artists, rationalists, and craftsmen who contributed to Sanskrit writing and Hinduism. Among the eminent researchers of this period was Vasugupta (c. 875-925 CE) who composed the Shiva Sutras that laid the establishments of the Shaiva framework known as Kashmir Shaivism. The dualistic translation of the Shaivite sacred writings was vanquished by Abhinavagupta (c. 975-1025 CE) who composed numerous philosophical works on Kashmir Shaivism. Kashmir Shaivism was received by the common individuals of Kashmir and unequivocally affected Shaivism in South India.

The Martin Sun Sanctuary is devoted to the primary holy place, the god Surya. The sanctuary complex was built by the third ruler of the Karkota tradition, Lalithaditya Muktapada, in the 8th century Advertisement. It is one of the biggest sanctuaries in the Indian subcontinent.

In the 8th century, the Kurkota Realm set up itself as the ruler of Kashmir. Kashmir thrived as an majestic control beneath the Karkotas. Chandra Peda of this family was recognized as the lord of Kashmir by an royal arrange of the Chinese sovereign. His successor Lalitaditya Muktapada driven a effective military campaign against the Tibetans. He at that point crushed Yeshvarman of Kanyakubja and along these lines prevailed the eastern kingdoms of Magadha, Kamrup, Gauda and Kalinga. Lalitaditya amplified his impact over Malwa and Gujarat and vanquished the Middle easterners in Sindh. After his passing, Kashmir’s impact on other kingdoms declined and the tradition came to an conclusion in 1000 Advertisement. 855-856 AD.

The Utpal line established by Avantivarman taken after the Karkotas. His successor Shankaravarman (885-902 CE) driven a effective military campaign against the Gurjars in the Punjab. Political precariousness in the 10th century made the illustrious bodyguards (tantrins) exceptionally effective in Kashmir. Beneath the Tantris, the gracious organization collapsed and chaos ruled in Kashmir until they were vanquished by Chakravarman. Ruler Deda, who had a place to the Hindu illustrious family of Udabhandpura on her mother’s side, took over as ruler in the moment half of the 10th century. After his passing in Advertisement, the position of royalty passed to the Lohara family. The final ruler of the Lohara line, Sahadeva, fled Kashmir after driving a brutal attack of Kashmir by the Turko-Mongol chieftain Zuljo (Dlacha). He is frequently credited with the development of a canal, named “Kate Kool” after him, which redirected the waters of the Jhelum to anticipate the visit flooding of Srinagar.