Historians are of the that the real history of kashmir begins with the reign of Ashoka.He conquered kashmir in about 250 B.C.and sent missionaries to introduce Buddhism in this land.Kalhana narrates in his Rajtarangini that,"Hisduism went side by side with Buddhism.Father and son and kings and ministers sometimes had different faiths."in kashmir,Ashoka set got viharas and stupas at Vitstatra and Suskaletra.He also got repaired an old siva temple of vijayesvra,and built two new temples called Ashokesvara.He founded a town named srinagar ,three miles away from the modern city of srinagar.
After the death of Ashoka kashmir again became independedt and was ruled by his son Jaluka.According to kalhana he was a great soldier who freed kashmir of the Mlechhas and conquered the country upto kannuj, He is also said to have reformed administrative system in kashmir.He increased the member of heads of departments from 7 to 18 which included the judge,the revenue superintendent, and the treasurer,the commander of army,the envoy ,the puruhita and te astrologer.it is said that he brought from kannuja,"people of all four castes in his own land and particularly righteous men acquainted with the legal procedure."
After the death of Ashoka , Buddhism had begun decline in india and so also in kashjmir.Hinduism with its ceremonies and rituals of sacrifices was restored.Jaluka's call to,"people of all four castes",particularly to those who were well versed in legal procedur i.e,Brahmans indicates the restoration of Hindu practices.But the form of Hinduism which flourished in kashmir under Jaluka was Saivism.He built two Siva temples of Jyestharudra and Bhutesa,at srinagari and Nandikshera respectively.He is said to have demolidshed Buddhist Vihara but later adopted a conciliatory attitude towards Buddhism.
Jaluka was succeeded by Damodara 11. He built a town on the Damodara suda(Modern Damodar Udar) to the south-west of srinagar.He also planned to construct a canal for irrigating the alluvial plate to south of the srinagar.But he could not built this canal due to the opposition of the Brahmanas.
After the death of Ashoka kashmir again became independedt and was ruled by his son Jaluka.According to kalhana he was a great soldier who freed kashmir of the Mlechhas and conquered the country upto kannuj, He is also said to have reformed administrative system in kashmir.He increased the member of heads of departments from 7 to 18 which included the judge,the revenue superintendent, and the treasurer,the commander of army,the envoy ,the puruhita and te astrologer.it is said that he brought from kannuja,"people of all four castes in his own land and particularly righteous men acquainted with the legal procedure."
After the death of Ashoka , Buddhism had begun decline in india and so also in kashjmir.Hinduism with its ceremonies and rituals of sacrifices was restored.Jaluka's call to,"people of all four castes",particularly to those who were well versed in legal procedur i.e,Brahmans indicates the restoration of Hindu practices.But the form of Hinduism which flourished in kashmir under Jaluka was Saivism.He built two Siva temples of Jyestharudra and Bhutesa,at srinagari and Nandikshera respectively.He is said to have demolidshed Buddhist Vihara but later adopted a conciliatory attitude towards Buddhism.
Jaluka was succeeded by Damodara 11. He built a town on the Damodara suda(Modern Damodar Udar) to the south-west of srinagar.He also planned to construct a canal for irrigating the alluvial plate to south of the srinagar.But he could not built this canal due to the opposition of the Brahmanas.
