The earliest known
Neolithic sites in the
Kashmir Valley are from around 3000 BCE, of which
Burzahom is the most significant. These sites provide evidence of early human settlement, including dwellings, tools and domesticated animals. During the later
Vedic period, the
Uttara–Kurus tribe settled in Kashmir. During the
Ashoka reign (304–232 BCE), Kashmir became part of the
Maurya Empire and the city of Srinagari (
Srinagar) was built. Kashmir was later conquered by
Kanishka, an emperor from the
Kushan dynasty. In the eighth century, during the
Karkota Empire, Kashmir grew as an imperial power.
Lalitaditya Muktapida defeated
Yashovarman of
Kanyakubja and conquered the eastern kingdoms of Magadha,
Kamarupa,
Gauda, and
Kalinga, he also defeated the
Arabs in
Sindh. Later came the
Utpala dynasty, founded by
Avantivarman, which was followed by the
Karkotas dynasty. In the latter half of the 10th century,
Queen Didda, a descendant of the
Hindu Shahis of
Udabhandapura on her mother's side, took over as ruler. After her death in 1003 CE, the
Lohara dynasty ruled the region. In 1339,
Shah Mir became the ruler of Kashmir, establishing the
Shah Mir dynasty, which brought Islam to the Kashmir region. From 1586 to 1751, the
Mughal Empire ruled Kashmir, followed by the Afghan
Durrani Empire which ruled from 1747 until 1819. The
Sikhs, under
Ranjit Singh, annexed Kashmir in 1819. In 1846, after the
First Anglo-Sikh War, the
Treaty of Lahore was signed and upon the purchase of the region from the
British under the
Treaty of Amritsar, the King of Jammu,
Gulab Singh, became ruler of Kashmir. Thereafter, the
Dogra dynasty ruled under the British Crown until 1947, when the princely state of
Jammu and Kashmir joined India.
Kashmir is currently a disputed territory, administered by three countries, India, Pakistan, and China. == Geographic distribution==