Periods
12 periods
One wing for each period, in order. Each wing holds the events of that period, its exhibits, and books to read next.
- 01The First Settlersc. 3000 to 1000 BCEPeople were living in the Valley by about 3000 BCE. At Burzahom and Gufkral they first lived in pits dug into the raised plateaus called karewas, and later in houses of mud brick. The karewas themselves are old lake beds, which fits the story told in Kashmir's early texts that the Valley was once a great lake.1 events
2 exhibits - 02Buddhism and Empiresc. 300 BCE to 625 CEKashmir became a major centre of Buddhist learning, linked to the Mauryan and Kushan empires and to the trade routes of Central Asia. Monasteries and terracotta-tiled courtyards at sites like Harwan date from these centuries. In the 6th century the Valley came under the Huns, remembered through the ruler Mihirakula.3 events
4 exhibits - 03The Karkota Dynastyc. 625 to 855 CEThe Karkotas made Kashmir a regional power. Their best-known king, Lalitaditya Muktapida, built the Sun Temple at Martand and a new capital at Parihaspora. Kashmir's distinctive stone temple style, with trefoil arches and steep pyramidal roofs, matured in this period.4 events
6 exhibits - 04The Utpala Dynasty855 to 939 CEAvantivarman founded the Utpala dynasty and a new town, Avantipura, with two great temples. His engineer Suyya reshaped the Jhelum's course to control floods and open new farmland. Kashmir's reputation as a centre of Sanskrit learning grew stronger through these years.2 events
5 exhibits - 05Didda and the Lohara Kings939 to 1339 CEFour turbulent centuries that produced some of Kashmir's greatest minds. Queen Didda ruled for decades, her family founded the Lohara dynasty, and philosophers like Abhinavagupta wrote works still studied today. Kalhana wrote his chronicle of Kashmir's kings in 1148. The period ended with a devastating raid in 1320, the brief rule of Rinchan, and Kota Rani, the last Hindu ruler.7 events
6 exhibits - 06The Shah Mir Sultanate1339 to 1561Shah Mir founded a sultanate that lasted over two centuries. Islam spread through the Valley, carried by Sufi teachers from Central Asia and Persia and by Kashmir's own Rishi order. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, remembered as Budshah, the great king, is celebrated for religious tolerance and for encouraging crafts, learning and public works.8 events
10 exhibits - 07The Chak Dynasty1561 to 1586The Chaks, a Kashmiri family, took power from the last Shah Mir sultans. Their short rule is remembered through Yusuf Shah Chak and the poet Habba Khatoon, and it ended when the Mughal emperor Akbar annexed Kashmir in 1586.2 events
3 exhibits - 08Mughal Kashmir1586 to 1752Kashmir became the Mughal emperors' summer retreat. Jahangir, Nur Jahan, Shah Jahan and Dara Shikoh laid out terraced gardens fed by mountain springs, including Shalimar, Nishat and Chashme Shahi, and built mosques and pavilions around Dal Lake. Kashmir was governed as a province of the empire from distant capitals.8 events
13 exhibits - 09Afghan Rule1752 to 1819As Mughal power collapsed, Kashmir was taken by the Durrani Empire of Ahmad Shah Durrani. It was ruled by governors sent from Kabul, a period remembered in Kashmiri tradition for heavy taxation and harsh treatment. The fort that stands on Hari Parbat today was built in these years.2 events
2 exhibits - 10Sikh Rule1819 to 1846Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army took Kashmir in 1819 and it became part of the Sikh Empire based in Lahore. The period was short and, by most accounts, hard for the Valley's people. It ended after the First Anglo-Sikh War, when the British transferred Kashmir to Gulab Singh.1 events
3 exhibits - 11Dogra Rule1846 to 1947Under the Treaty of Amritsar, Gulab Singh became Maharaja of the new princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Four Dogra rulers governed until 1947. The period brought roads, a museum and a modern administration, and also famine, heavy taxation and a growing political movement among Kashmir's Muslim majority that shaped everything after.8 events
6 exhibits - 12Since 19471947 to todayPartition left the princely state divided and disputed. Today the wider Kashmir region is administered in parts by India, Pakistan and China, and its status remains one of the world's longest-running disputes. This wing covers the major turning points and marks where accounts differ.24 events
4 exhibits