Brief Kashmir History

Kashmir passed from the control of the Durrani Empire (see Ahmad Shah Durrani) of Afghanistan and centuries of Muslim rule under the Mughals, Persians, and Afghans to the conquering Sikh armies by the mid-19th century.

During the latter part of the 19th century, Kashmir was ruled by the Dogras, who are a predominantly Hindu people in the area around Jammu and who were installed as rulers by the Sikhs (see Ranjit Singh).

In 1819, 30,000 soldiers of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore attacked and annexed Kashmir as a part of Ranjit Singh's empire. In 1846, the British rulers sold Kashmir to Maharaja Gulab Singh by the Treaty of Amritsar. The Maharaja declared himself as the King of Jammu and Kashmir. Following the partition of India and Pakistan, the Maharaja joined Kashmir to the Indian Union 

Kashmir is a valley whose beauty has been proclaimed by many and stretches out at about 7,200 square kilometers (2,800 square miles) at an elevation of 1,675 meters (5,500 feet). A Mughal ruler Jehangir, who built the famed Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir, made the statement, " If heaven be on this earth, it must be here." Kashmir was once called the Switzerland of the east. It has a very ancient history and it was for a long time one of the centers of Hindu philosophical, literary and religious culture, a tradition still maintained by the native population. Kashmiri literature, sculpture, music, dance, painting, and architecture have had a profound influence in Asia.

The First Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was of Kashmiri lineage.