Jammu and Kashmir: History and Political Developments

To the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir is bounded by the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang (China), to the east it is bounded by the Tibet Autonomous Region (China) and the Chinese administered portions of Kashmir, to the south it is bounded by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. to the southwest by Pakistan and to the northwest by the Pakistani administered portion of Kashmir.

Governor : Shri Satya Pal Malik
Chief Minister : President's Rule
Capital: Srinagar (Summer), Jammu
(Winter)
Legislature: Bicameral
Lok Sabha seats: 6
Judicature: Srinagar and Jammu High
Court
Languages: Kashmiri, Dogri, Punjabi, Urdu
and Pahari
Population density: 124/sq km
No. of districts: 22
Main crops: Paddy, maize, wheat, barley, jowar, gram, saffron and
bajra.
Rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi
Minerals: Coal, copper, zinc, lead, limestone, bauxite and lignite
Industries: Handicrafts, handloom, carpets, shawls and sarees
Airports: Srinagar, Jammu and Leh

PHYSICAL FEATURES
The northern extremity of India, Jammu and Kashmir is bounded by Pakistan, Afghanistan and China from west to east Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are on its south. The state has four geographical zones: (i) The sub mountainous and semi-mountainous plain known as Kandi; (ii) The Shivalik ranges; (iii) The high mountain zone constituting the Kashmir valley, the Pir Panjal range and its offshoots; (iv) The middle run of the Indus river comprising Leh and Kargil.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
According to the two most authoritative books Rajtarangani and Nilmat Purana, Kashmir was once a large lake and it was Kashyap Rishi who drained it off the water, making it beautiful abode. As per geologists, geographical changes made way for the outflow of water by subsidence of the mountain at Khadianayar, Baramulla and thus emerged the Valley of Kashmir, the paradise on earth. Name of Jammu figures in the Mahabharata, the recent finds of Harappan remains and artfacts of Mauryan, Kushan and Gupta periods at Akhnoor have added new dimensions to its ancient character. The land of Jammu was divided into 22 hill principalities.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

3rd century B.C.- Ashoka introduced Buddhism to Kashmir, later strengthened by Kanishka.

Early 6th century - Huns got the control of the valley.

530 AD - The Valley regained freedom, but soon came under the rule of the Ujjain empire.

697-738 AD - Lalitaditya known for constructing beautiful buildings, extended his rule up to Bengal in the east, Konkan in the south, Turkistan in the northwest and Tibet in the northeast considered as the most famous Hindu ruler.

13th and 14th century AD - Islam came to Kashmir. Zain-ul-Abedin (1420-70) came to Kashmir when the Hindu king Sinha Dev fled before the Tatar invasion.

 Chaks overran Haider Shah son of Zain-ul- Abedin, continued to rule till 1586 when Akbar conquered Kashmir.

1752 - Kashmir passed on from the feeble control of the Mughal emperor of the time to Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan. The Valley was ruled by the Pathans for 67 years.

Raja Maldev, Dogra rulers, conquered many territories to consolidate his kingdom. Raja Ranjit Dev ruled over Jammu from 1733 to 1782.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed the territory to Punjab, he later handed over Jammu to Raja Gulab Singh, a scion of the old Dogra ruling family, who had grown powerful among Ranjit Singh’s governors and had annexed almost the whole Jammu region.

The State was governed by Dogra rulers till 1947 when the Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in favour of Indian Union on 26 October 1947.

As per the law proposed by Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir will now be a Union Territory with legislature and not a state.  

So, now you have come to know about the history Jammu and Kashmir and political development.