History of Kashmir

300 B.C - The Great emperor Ashoka

About three centuries before Chirst Kashmir was the part of the empire of Emperor Ashoka. Kashmir region became an important center of Hinduism and later of Buddhism. Ashoka spread Buddhism in Kashmir, Tibet, China and Central Asian Republics. 

7^th and 8th A.D. - The Hindu ruler

In the 7th and 8th centuries, there was a succession of Hindu kings who gave Kashmir its first impressive monuments.

1338 A.D. - Tibetan Muslim

Then power passes from one ruthless commander to another till a Tibetan Muslim prince took over, he died in 1338. 

In 1349- Muslim ruler

In 1349, Shah Mir became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and inaugurated the Sultan dynasty or Swati dynasty. The eighth Sultan of this dynasty was Zainul-Abdin, also known as Badshah or the Great king. He was the lover of art, music and encouraged studies in Hindu and Buddhist scriptures. The king was very popular with the local people as they considered him their patron saint who introduced such arts like shawl making, embroidery, carpet-weaving, papier-mâché, silver and wood carvings. He invited guilds of craftsmen from Persia and Samarkand to settle down in the Kashmir valley. 

1526 to 1751- Mughal empire

When Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Kashmir in 1587. he lost his heart to the valley. He declared Kashmir as his private gardens. Akbar's son Jehangir also found the natural paradise of Kashmir captivating and built various gardens in Srinagar. The Mughal kings (ruled upto1751)created elaborate pleasure gardens, marble pavilion and intricate irrigation systems in the valley. As the Mughal power decline,

1747 to 1820 Durrani empire                                                                                                

Afghan Emperor Durrani defeated the mughal in 1747 and ruled in Kashmir upto1820. 

In1846 Sikh empire

Later In1846 the Kashmir became part of the Sikh empire when Sikhs ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh won this and annexed Kashmir in his state.

 

In 1846 to 1947 A.D.- The Dogra dynasty

In 1846, the British defeated the Sikhs and sold it to Ghulab Singh The  Dogra Maharaja of Jammu under the Treaty of Amritsar and gave him the status of an independent princely ruler of Kashmir, and thus became the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. He conquered Ladakh and added it to his dominion. Later succeeded by Maharaja Ranbir Singh, Maharaja Partab Singh and Maharaja Hari Singh. Raja Hari singh was the ruler of Kashmir during the Partition of India in 1947 king Hari Singh was the rular of Kashmir. It was choice given to freely accede to either India or Pakistan or to remain independent to Raja Hari singh. However, since the Maharaja of Kashmir was a Hindu, he chose to join India despite the majority of the