94 articles

History of Kashmir

The centuries before 1947, from the first settlements to the Dogra rulers, with a few later entries that fall outside the four sections.

Early settlements

c. 3000–1000 BCEBurzahom: life before the modern dispute
Before 3000 to c. 2000 BCEEarly settlement at Kanispur
c. third to early second millennium BCEGufkral: farming, tools and changing homes
Proposed beginnings c. 1500 or 700 BCE; through c. 200 BCESemthan before the Indo-Greek period
c. third century BCE; later historical traditionsAshoka in Kashmir’s historical traditions
c. 200 BCE to first century CEHellenistic material at Semthan

Early historical Kashmir

c. first to fourth century CEKushan-period settlement at Kanispur
c. 127–150 CE; dates of Kanishka IKanishka and Buddhist patronage in Kashmir
c. second century CE; traditionally associated with KanishkaTraditions of the Buddhist council in Kashmir
c. fourth to sixth century CE; museum datings varyHarwan’s terracotta temple pavement
c. middle to later fourth century CE; study dates uncertainKumarajiva’s Kashmir connections
c. 515–540 CE; approximate reignMihirakula and the Huna period
c. late sixth to seventh century CE; proposed numismatic settingMeghavahana’s reign and remembered prohibition of killing
c. sixth to early seventh century CE; foundation date uncertainPravarasena II and Pravarapura

The Karkota period

c. 625 CE; reconstructed accession dateDurlabhavardhana
Seventh century CEThe Karkota dynasty
c. 631–633 CE; arrival month not establishedXuanzang’s visit to Kashmir
c. 661 CE; reconstructed accession dateDurlabhaka Pratapaditya
c. 712 CE; reconstructed accession dateChandrapida
c. 720–724 CE; reconstructed reignTarapida
Eighth century CELalitaditya Muktapida’s reign
c. eighth century CE; career dates uncertainCankuna and Kashmir’s Central Asian connections
Eighth century CEMartand Sun Temple
Eighth century CE; exact foundation date unknownParihaspora and its religious foundations
c. 759–763 CE; chronology has uncertaintiesOu-k’ong’s stay in Kashmir
c. 760 CE onward; succession dates uncertainKuvalayapida and Vajraditya
Late eighth century CE; accession date uncertainJayapida
c. 800 CE; period of activity, not a birth dateUdbhata and early Kashmiri literary criticism
c. 825 CE onward; early to mid-ninth-century court strugglesCippata Jayapida and the late Karkota court
c. 850 CE; ninth-century activityAnandavardhana and the Dhvanyaloka
c. 850 CE; ninth-century activityKallata and the Spanda tradition
c. 850 CE; ninth-century activityRatnakara and the Haravijaya
c. 850 CE onward; early Utpala courtSura and the making of the Utpala court
c. 850 CE; approximate period of activityVasugupta and the Shiva Sutras

The Utpala kings and later courts

Ninth century CE; foundations before and after accessionAvantiswami and Avantisvara temples
855 or 856 CEAvantivarman takes the throne
During Avantivarman’s reign, 855/6–883 CESuyya and the regulation of the Jhelum
883 CESankaravarman succeeds Avantivarman
902 CEGopalavarman succeeds Sankaravarman
904 CE; ten-day reign reported, month unknownSankata’s brief succession
904–906 CESugandha rules Kashmir
906 CEPartha’s first accession
917–918 CE; Laukika year 3993Flood and famine during Partha’s reign
921 CENirjitavarman’s accession
923 CECakravarman first takes the throne
c. 925–975 CE; approximate scholarly period, months unknownUtpaladeva and the Pratyabhijna tradition
933–934 CE; accession month unknownSuravarman I takes the throne
934 CEPartha returns to the throne
935–936 CECakravarman’s restorations and another interruption
937 CEUnmattavanti’s accession
939 CE; brief reign, Gregorian month unestablishedSuravarman II’s brief rule
939 CEYasaskara becomes king
948–949 CE; Gregorian months unestablishedVarnata and Samgramadeva
949 CEParvagupta’s accession
950 CEKsemagupta becomes king
958 CEDidda begins her regency
During 958–972 CE; exact year and month unestablishedThe Srinagar fire during Abhimanyu’s reign
972–973 CE; Gregorian months unestablishedAbhimanyu’s death and Nandigupta’s accession
973–975 CE; Gregorian months unestablishedTribhuvanagupta’s succession
c. 975–1025 CE; author’s approximate period, composition date unestablishedAbhinavagupta and the Tantraloka
975–980/981 CE; exact months unestablishedBhimagupta’s reign
During c. 975–980/981 onward; exact beginning and months unknownTunga and the politics of ministerial power
c. 980/1–1003 CEDidda rules in her own name
c. 1000–1050 CE; author’s approximate period, composition months unknownKshemaraja’s commentaries

The Lohara kings

1003 CESangramaraja and the Lohara succession
c. 1013–1014 CE; Gregorian battle month not establishedTunga’s expedition in support of Trilochanapala
c. 1015–1016 CE; first siege month not establishedMahmud’s unsuccessful approach to Lohara
September–October 1021 departure (Nazim); campaign through spring 1022Mahmud’s second expedition towards Lohara
1028 CE; before Ananta, Gregorian month not establishedHariraja’s brief reign
1028 CE; after Hariraja, Gregorian month not establishedAnanta takes the throne
1036 or 1055 CE proposed; traditional Chaitra date unconvertedThe Dachhan inscription naming Nantadeva
c. 1049–1050 CE anchor; individual works have different datesKshemendra’s social satire
c. 1050 CE patronage period; individual foundation dates uncertainQueen Suryamati and royal patronage
1063 CE accession; reign to 1089Kalasa’s accession
c. 1070 CE; composition commonly placed within 1063–1081Somadeva and the Kathasaritsagara
November 1089 accession; twenty-two-day reign before HarshaUtkarsa’s succession crisis
December 1089 accession; reign to 1101Harsha becomes king after Utkarsa
c. 1100 CE thematic anchor; examples from earlier and later reignsBrahman fasts as political pressure
c. 1100 CE thematic anchor; evidence spans several centuriesCoinage and royal authority in medieval Kashmir
c. 1100 CE thematic anchor; examples from earlier and later reignsDamaras and landed power in medieval Kashmir
1101 CE accession; reign to 1111Uchchala takes the throne
December 1111The killing of Uchchala and the succession crisis
December 1111 accession; Salhana ruled until April 1112Radda-Sankharaja and Salhana
April 1112 accession; first reign ended November 1120Sussala’s first accession
November 1120 accession; reign ended May 1121Bhikshachara displaces Sussala
May 1121 restoration; second reign ended 1128Sussala returns to power
1121; Shravana, bright half, day 12The burning of Chakradhara and the refugee killings
1122; Jyeshtha, dark half, day 6The Gambhira bridge collapse
1122; after the Gambhira bridge collapseSilla and the defence of the stranded royal troops
c. 1122; final winter campaign 1122–1123Chudda and the struggle for Lahara
c. 1148–1150Kalhana and the writing of history
14th centuryLal Ded and the poetic tradition

Mughal, Afghan and Sikh rule

1586–1587Kashmir comes under Mughal rule

Dogra rule

16 March 1846The Treaty of Amritsar: Kashmir sold

Since 1947: other entries

1949A ceasefire divides the former state
30 March 1951Constituent assembly and the UN framework
24 January 1957UN restates its position on final status
August–September 1965The war of 1965
2 July 1972The Simla Agreement and the Line of Control
4 July 1999The Kargil war of 1999
September–October 2024Assembly elections and an elected government
22 April 2025The killing of civilians at Pahalgam
10 May 2025India–Pakistan ceasefire announced
28 September 2026Assembly seeks restoration of statehood

Date not established

Date not established; associated with Meghavahana’s reignAmritaprabha and Buddhist foundations
Date not established; a ruler in Kalhana’s narrativeJalauka in the Rajatarangini
Date not established; before the Karkotas in Kalhana’s sequenceNarendraditya and the late pre-Karkota sequence