Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir :

Kashmir Valley is the place for natural beauty in Jammu and Kashmir. This place is the great point for the trekkers and mountain hikers.

Location of Kashmir Valley :

Kashmir Valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and on the northeast by the main Himalayan Mountain Range in India. It is approximately 135 km long and 32 km wide, and is drained by the Jhelum River.

Early History of Kashmir Valley:

Early History of Kashmir Valley portrays a period from the Neolithic era, where there was no government among the inhabitants of Kashmir Valley. Early History of Kashmir Valley is stressed from the evidences of anthropological era. The Archaeological Survey of India proved that Kashmir Valley is the place where human dwell more than 10000 years before.

Human Settlement in Kashmir Valley : It was in the time, when there was no civilisation, no government and no administration in the world, Kashmir was the place where the human races began to make a new era of their civilisation, now in oblivion.

Burzahom Civilisation in Kashmir Valley : The earliest Neolithic sites in the flood plains of Kashmir valley are dated to C. 3000 BCE. Most important of these sites are the settlements at Burzahom, which had two Neolithic and one Megalithic phases. The first phase (C. 2920 BCE) at Burzahom is marked by mud plastered pit dwellings, coarse pottery and stone tools. In the second phase, which lasted till C. 1700 BCE, houses were constructed on ground level and the dead were buried, sometimes with domesticated and wild animals.

Occupation of the Early Human Settlement in Kashmir Valley : The humans of Burzahom civilisation earned their living from hunting and fishing. There was also the evidence of cultivation of wheat, barley, and lentils that have also been found in both the phases.

Megalithic Phase in Kashmir Valley : In the megalithic phase, massive circles were constructed and grey or black burnish replaced coarse red ware in  pottery. During the later Vedic period, as kingdoms of the Vedic tribes expanded, the Uttara Kurus settled in Kashmir.

Kashmir Valley during the Time of Alexander : In 326 BCE, Porus asked Abisares, the king of Kashmir, to aid him against Alexander the Great in the Battle of Hydaspes. After Porus lost the battle, Abhisares submitted to Alexander by sending him treasure and elephants.

Kashmir Valley in Ashokan Era : During the reign of Ashoka (304-232 BC), Kashmir became a part of the Maurya Empire and Buddhism was introduced in Kashmir. During this period, many stupas, some shrines dedicated to Shiva, and the city of Srinagari, which is now called Srinagar in Srinagar District of Jammu and Kashmir was built.

Kashmir Valley in Buddhism Era : Buddhism era began here with the hands of Ashoka in the later phase of his rule. Kanishka (127-151 CE), an emperor of the Kushan dynasty, conquered Kashmir and established the new city of Kanishkapur. The Buddhist tradition holds that Kanishka held the Fourth Buddhist council in Kashmir, in which celebrated scholars such as Ashvagosha, Nagarjuna and Vasumitra took part. By the fourth century, Kashmir became a seat of learning for both Buddhism and Hinduism. Kashmiri Buddhist missionaries helped spread Buddhism to Tibet and China and from the fifth century CE, pilgrims from these countries started visiting Kashmir. Kumarajia (343-413 AD) was among the renowned Kashmiri scholars who travelled to China. He influenced the Chinese emperor Yao Xing and spearheaded translation of many Sanskrit works into Chinese at the Chang'an monastery.

Kashmir Valley after the Attacks of Huns : Hepthalites (White Huns) under Toramana crossed over the Hindukush Mountain Range in the later phase of early Indian history and conquered large parts of western India including Kashmir. His son Mihirakula led a military campaign to conquer all of North India. He was opposed by Baladitya in Magadha and eventually defeated by Yasodharman in Malwa. After the defeat, Mihirakula returned to Kashmir where he led a coup on the king. He then conquered of Gandhara where he committed many atrocities on Buddhists and destroyed their shrines. Influence of the Huns faded after Mihirakula's death.

History in Kashmir Valley :

Kashmir Valley became an important centre of Hinduism and later of Buddhism in the 5th Century BC. Later still, in the ninth century, Kashmir Shaivism arose and gained prominence with Avantipur and many other places in Kashmir Valley. But in medieval era, Hinduism and Buddhism declined and Islam rose into prominence. In 1339, Shah Mir became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir, inaugurating the Salatin-i-Kashmir or Swati dynasty. The rule of his descendants, under the tutelage of the British Government in India left Kashmir Valley as the independent state, which lasted until 1947, when the Maharaja Hari Singh of the princely state signed the Instrument of Accession, joined the Dominion of India.

Development of Hinduism in Kashmir Valley :

After seventh century, there are significant developments that took place in Kashmiri Hinduism. In the centuries that followed, Kashmir Valley produced many poets, philosophers, and artists who contributed to Sanskrit literature and Hindu religion. Among notable scholars of this period was Vasugupta who wrote the Shiva Sutras which laid the foundation for a monistic Shaiva system called Kashmir Shaivism. Till 1346, Kashmir Valley became the epicentre of Hinduism.

Administration of Kashmir Valley :

Kashmir valley is however fully under the control of India and is about 15,948 Square Kilometres in area which is about 15.73% of total area under Indian control. Kashmir division is one of the three administrative divisions of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir Valley borders Jammu Division to the south and Ladakh to the east while Line of Control forms its northern and the western border. The division consists of the districts namely Anantnag district, Baramulla district, Budgam district, Bandipore district, Ganderbal district, Kupwara district, Kulgam district, Pulwama district, Shopian district and Srinagar district.

Demography :

The major ethnic group of Kashmir Valley are Kashmiris and they speak the Kashmiri language. Smaller ethno-linguistic groups include the Gujjars and Bakarwals who mostly live along mountain ranges of the valley. The valley has a Muslim majority population and Islam is practiced by 97.16% of the population with the remaining being Hindus (1.84%), Sikhs (0.88%), Buddhists (0.11%) and others. The principal spoken languages in the valley are Kashmiri and Urdu, with Urdu being the official language. Many speakers of these languages also know English as a second language.

Tourism :

Kashmir valley is a popular tourist destination for domestic and foreign tourists. Among the popular tourist places in the valley are Gulmarg that has a ski resort, Dal Lake that has popular house boats, Pahalgam and the major Hindu shrine Amarnath Temple.