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JAMMU & KASHMIR |
Situated in the northern part of India,
Jammu & Kashmir is the essence of everything
that is Indian-its culture, history, tradition,
people, and natural splendor. The state has
a long history encompassing around 4,000 years
and there are many prehistoric sites, which
give indication of human settlement in this
region in those times.
The state was integrated as a part of India
in 1948, when the then ruler of Jammu &
Kashmir agreed to join the Indian federation
and the state was given a special status under
article 370 of the Indian constitution.
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Geographical Information
Location
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| Situated in the northernmost
part of India, Jammu and Kashmir is bordered
by Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan from West
to East. From South to East, the boundary
of the state touches Punjab and Himachal.
The state extends between the latitudes 32°17¢N
to 36°58’N and longitudes 37°26¢E
to 80°30¢E. |
Physical Features |
Climate
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| The state can be divided into
four major regions: the sub-mountain and semi-mountain
plain known as kandi or dry belt; the Shivalik
ranges, the high mountain zone constituting
the Kashmir Valley; Pir Panchal range and
its off-shoots including Doda, Poonch and
Rajouri districts and part of Kathua and Udhampur
districts; and the middle run of the Indus
River comprising Leh and Kargil. |
Although a small state, the
climate of this state varies from one region
to another. The climate of Jammu region is
tropical while it is semi-arctic in Ladakh
and temperate in Srinagar region. Accordingly,
rainfall also varies from region to region
and while there is almost no rainfall in Ladakh,
Jammu receives a rainfall of above 1,100 mm
and Srinagar around 650 mm. |
Flora and Fauna |
The state is rich in flora
and fauna. In Jammu, the flora ranges from
the thorn bush type of the arid plain to the
temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes.
Of the broad-leaf trees, there are maple,
horse chestnuts, silver fir, etc. At the higher
altitudes, there are birch, rhododendron,
and a large number of herbal plants.
Kashmir is also resplendent with many hues
of wood and game. The most magnificent of
the Kashmir trees is the chinar found throughout
the valley. Mountain ranges in the valley
have dense deodar, pine and fir. Walnut, willow,
almond and cider also add to the rich flora
of Kashmir.
In the hilly regions of Doda, Udhampur, Poonch
and Rajouri, there is a large and varied fauna
including leopard, cheetah and deer, wild
sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, and muskrat.
Varieties of snakes, bats, lizards and frogs
are also found in the region. The game birds
in Jammu include chakor (Alectoris graeca),
snow partridge, pheasants, and peacock.
The dense forests of Kashmir are a delight
to the sport lovers and adventurers for whom
there are ibex, snow leopard, musk deer, wolf,
red bear, black bear and leopard. The winged
game includes ducks, goose, partridge, chakor,
pheasant, wagtails, herons, water pigeons,
warblers, and doves. In the otherwise arid
desert of Ladakh, some 240 species of local
and migratory birds have been identified including
the black-necked crane.
The Ladakh fauna includes yak, Himalayan ibex,
Tibetan antelope, snow leopard, wild ass,
red bear and gazelle.
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History
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The history
of Jammu & Kashmir is quite old. Kashmir
is mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. In 250
BC, Ashoka, the great Mauryan king, established
the city of Pandrethan and built many viharas
and chaityas. This says much about the strategic
importance that this region held even in that
time. Some sources claim that Buddha also
visited this region, though no proof is available
to validate this theory. Kanishka, the great
Kushana king, called the Third Buddhist Council
at Harwan, near Srinagar, in the first century
AD. This Council saw the division of Buddhism
in two distinct streams called Hinayana and
Mahayana.
Kalhana, the first Indian history writer,
gave a vivid account of the history of Kashmir
before the 10th century AD. Local kingdoms
ruled extensively in this region until the
12th century AD when Muslims invaded the region.
The greatest Muslim king of early medieval
age in Kashmir was Zain-ul-Abidin, who ascended
the throne in AD 1420 and ruled up to 1470.
His long rule contributed extensively to the
spread of art, culture, music, and every other
sphere in the life of Kashmir people. He also
created a strong army and annexed many regions
nearby Kashmir. These were the time of golden
rule in Kashmir when peace and harmony prevailed.
After the death of King Zain-ul-Abidin, a
period of destruction came calling to Kashmir
and many raiders from outside looted the state
and made the people and local rulers their
captive.
In 1587, Akbar annexed Kashmir into his vast
empire. Jahangir, son of Akbar and next Mughal
ruler, visited Kashmir 13 times and created
two beautiful gardens on the bank of Dal Lake,
namely, the Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh.
After two centuries of peace and development,
Kashmir came into the hands of the Pathans
in 1752, when the Afghan ruler Abdul Shah
Abdali attacked this region on the request
of local noblemen. The Pathans established
a rule of terror here, no better than that
of Aurangzeb, the last important Mughal ruler.
In 1819, the Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit Singh
annexed this region, but their empire remained
in place only for 27 years. From 1846 to 1957,
the Dogras ruled over this region when British
defeated Ranjit Singh and handed over the
administration of this region to Maharaja
Gulab Singh. The Dogra rule also for the first
time put in reality the modern state of Jammu
& Kashmir. During India’s freedom
struggle, people from this state participated
extensively under the leadership of Sheikh
Abdullah and decided to go with India in 1948
after the country became independent
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