Brief History of J&K

As per available historical records and the Buddhist remains, temples and stupas, the empire of Hindu king Asohka’s empire extended to the region now called Jammu and Kashmir. This dates back to 250 years before Christ and 200 years before the Roman invasion of the British isles.

In 40 AD, the state came under the reign of Kanishka (Indo-Scythian ruler), coeval to the spread of Buddhism to China. The region of Jammu and Kashmir later came under the fold Mihirkula around 6th century AD who is also known as “White Hun”.

Lalitaditya (699-736AD), a contemporary of French king Charlemagne was the next ruler of the region of Jammu and Kashmir who was succeeded by Avantivarman (855-883 AD).

The region went into the fold of Muslim ruler Shah Mir in 1339 AD as result of which Muslim dynasty was founded in Jammu and Kashmir. Shah Mir was succeeded by another Muslim ruler Zain-ul-Abideen (1420-70 AD).

In 1532 Kashmir passed under Turkish rule when Mirza Haider occupied it for a brief period. In 1586 Jammu and Kashmir was incorporated in the dominions of the Mughal Emperor, Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar.

In 1819, as the Sikh dominion under Maharaja Ranjit Singh was expanding, the beautiful region of Jammu and Kashmir was annexed by the Sikh powers.

After the death of Ranjit Singh, though Jammu and Kashmir was under the suzerainty of the Sikh Empire but it was more of nominal one since, Gulab Singh, the king of Jammu and a friend of Ranjit Singh, became the virtual master of the region.

On March 16, 1846, after the empire ceded to the British government, the British signed a separate treaty by which the British Government forever transferred the state of Kashmir in the independent possession to Maharaja Gulab Singh to the tune of 75 lakhs of rupees.

Gulab Singh was succeeded by his son Ranbir Singh in 1857.

Maharaja Hari Singh was the last Dogra ruler of Jammu And Kashmir State.

It was on 27th October in 1947 Indian troops landed in Srinagar and subjugated major part of Jammu and Kashmir against the aspirations of Kashmiri people and in total disregard to the Partition Plan of the Indian Subcontinent. Later on India claimed to have signed an “Instrument of Accession” with Maharaja Hari Singh regarding accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. Contrary to this, India has yet to produce any such document to its claim on the state. To date the majority Muslim population is engaged in a struggle for freedom against the Indian military subjugation of their homeland.