Sacred Origins to Political Crossroads: The Long History of Kashmir

When we talk about Kashmir, it's easy to get swept away by its natural beauty—snow-capped peaks, glassy lakes, and fragrant meadows. But beneath all that breathtaking scenery lies one of the world's most fascinating and layered histories. And it all begins with a story pulled straight out of Hindu mythology.

Mythological Roots of Kashmir

According to the oldest Hindu text on Kashmir, 'Nilmat Purana', Kashmir wasn’t always a valley; it was a massive lake called Satisar (the Lake of Goddess Sati). This lake was haunted by a water demon named Jalodhbhava, who tortured and killed the people who lived near the mountain slopes. Attending to the cries of innocent people, Rishi Kashyapa, with the divine aid of Lord Vishnu, drained the lake, which in turn killed the demon and made the land habitable. This act led to the birth of Kashmir—its name believed to come from Kashyapa-mar, or “the land of Kashyapa.” Over the years, the term evolved to Kashimeer, which in Sanskrit translates to 'Ka' meaning water, 'shimeera' meaning to dessicate.

Ancient Origins of Kashmir

As magical as that origin sounds, the archaeology backs up the idea that this land has been inhabited for thousands of years. Excavations at Burzahom, just outside Srinagar, show us a Neolithic culture going back to around 3000 BCE. People here were building pit dwellings, farming, herding animals, and crafting bone tools long before written history. Their ways of life and material culture suggest that Kashmir was already a part of wider trade and cultural networks that stretched across Central Asia. Kashmir also doesn’t just show up in myths; it has a real presence in some of India’s oldest sacred texts. The Rigveda, Mahabharata, and Ramayana all mention it as a distant but sacred land.

Buddhism in Kashmir

By the 3rd century BCE, under the reign of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, Buddhism took root, turning the valley into a vibrant hub of monastic life and scholarship. Ashoka, known for spreading Buddhism far and wide, is said to have founded Srinagari (the early form of Srinagar) and filled the region with stupas and monasteries.

Kashmir’s spiritual prominence continued to grow during the Kushan dynasty. In the 1st century CE, Emperor Kanishka convened the Fourth Buddhist Council here—a defining moment in the development of Mahayana Buddhism. From this epicenter, Buddhist teachings and scriptures radiated outwards to Central and East Asia, carried by Kashmiri monks who translated Sanskrit texts into Chinese and Tibetan.

From the 8th to the 12th centuries, Kashmir became a philosophical powerhouse, especially through the rise of Kashmir Shaivism. This wasn’t just a local school of thought—it was a rich, metaphysical tradition that saw the divine in everything.  This school of thought was refined by luminaries like Vasugupta, author of the Shiva Sutras, and Abhinavagupta, a polymath who composed the Tantraloka and Abhinavabharati. Their work influenced not only theology and philosophy but also Indian aesthetics, art, and poetics.

The Arrival of Islam and the Sultanate Era

Islam began making inroads into Kashmir around the 13th century, primarily through Sufi saints and missionaries who promoted a message of spiritual equality and peace. The most influential among them was Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, a Persian Sufi from the Kubrawiya order, whose teachings laid the foundation for Kashmir’s Islamic identity. Thanks to him and his followers, Islam found deep roots in the valley, eventually influencing everything from clothing styles to architecture. He was the one to introduce

In 1339, Shah Mir became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir, launching the Shah Mir dynasty. The period that followed was one of religious synthesis and cultural flourishing, especially under Zain-ul-Abidin, known lovingly as Budshah or the Great King. He encouraged religious tolerance, revived Sanskrit scholarship, and supported artisans regardless of their background. If there ever was a golden age of inclusive rule in Kashmir, this was it.

Kashmir Under Mughal and Afghan Shadows

Kashmir caught the eye of the Mughals in the late 16th century. Akbar the Great, ever the lover of beauty and strategy, annexed the region in 1586. Under Mughal rule, Kashmir became a beloved retreat for emperors, especially for Emperor Jahangir, who visited Srinagar 13 times with his beloved Nur Jahan. They invested in Kashmir’s infrastructure and horticulture, building formal gardens like the Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh, which remain iconic today. But even beauty can’t stop the march of history.

After the Mughal empire began to crumble, the Durrani Afghans took over in the mid-1700s. Their rule, unlike the Mughals, is remembered mostly for hardship: high taxes, forced labor, religious intolerance, and general misery. Many historians view their reign as the darkest period in the history of Kashmir.

The Sikhs and the Dogras

By 1819, Kashmir had a new ruler: Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire. While the Sikhs brought some measure of stability, their treatment of the Muslim majority left much to be desired. The big political shift came in 1846, when the British handed the region over to Gulab Singh, a Dogra ruler, through the Treaty of Amritsar. And just like that, the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was born under Dogra rule.

The Dogra era brought administrative reforms and new roads, but it also deepened socio-economic divides. Land was concentrated in the hands of the few, economic extortion was at a rise, and the Muslim population faced systemic marginalization. Yet, this period also witnessed the stirrings of modern political consciousness, with movements for rights and representation starting to gain momentum.

1947 and the Birth of a Dispute

Then came 1947. The British left, and India was partitioned, triggering one of the most turbulent chapters in Kashmir’s history. Kashmir found itself at the heart of a painful and still unresolved decision. Its ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, was Hindu, but the population was majority Muslim. As a princely state with a Muslim majority ruled by a Hindu Maharaja, Hari Singh, Kashmir was given the option to join either India or Pakistan. Initially opting for independence, Hari Singh sought India’s military assistance when Pakistani tribal militias invaded the valley. In exchange, he signed the Instrument of Accession in October 1947, officially aligning Kashmir with India. This decision led to the first Indo-Pak war and the eventual creation of the Line of Control (LoC) in 1949, effectively dividing Kashmir into Indian-administered and Pakistani-administered territories.

Autonomy, Betrayal, and Insurgency

India granted Jammu and Kashmir special status under Article 370, giving it autonomy in all but foreign affairs, defense, and communications.  However, political instability, broken promises, and regional tensions brewed resentment over time. The 1987 state elections, widely seen as rigged, became a turning point. The fallout was severe: by 1989, Kashmir had erupted into full-blown insurgency. What started as political alienation turned into a decades-long armed conflict, exacerbated by Pakistani involvement and counter-insurgency operations by Indian forces. The '90s were marked by violence, the tragic exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, and a deep psychological scar that still hasn’t healed. Human rights abuses, curfews, and crackdowns became common, turning the valley into one of the most heavily militarized zones in the world. Despite intermittent periods of peace and dialogue, a lasting resolution remained elusive.

Revocation of Article 370 and Contemporary Kashmir

In August 2019, the Government of India made a historic move by revoking Article 370 and bifurcating the state into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The decision was met with a mix of celebration, concern, and condemnation. While some saw it as a step toward greater integration and development, others viewed it as an erosion of regional identity and democratic consent. Communications blackouts, political detentions, and international scrutiny followed in the immediate aftermath.

Today, Kashmir stands at a crossroads. While development initiatives are underway, the region continues to wrestle with questions of identity, autonomy, and justice. The echoes of its ancient past still resonate, offering both a reminder of its resilience and a vision of what peace, tolerance, and coexistence could look like in the future.

The tragic Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025 was a stark reminder of the fragility that still shadows Kashmir. As tourists were ambushed in what should have been a peaceful retreat, the incident shattered a period of relative calm. The aftermath saw an outpouring of grief, tighter security protocols, and renewed questions about the price of peace in such a contested space. In a land so often caught between beauty and bloodshed, the attack left a fresh wound, underscoring that while the valley may be healing, it is far from healed.

To really understand Kashmir, you have to see it not just as a place on a map but as a living, breathing story—one that blends myth with history, spirituality with struggle. From its sacred origins to its role in modern geopolitics, Kashmir has been a mirror to South Asia’s greatest hopes and deepest wounds. And while its future is still being written, one thing remains clear: this valley has always been a land of resilience, beauty, and profound meaning.

AUTHOR

Pratha Editorial Team