Srinagar is located in the heart
of the Kashmir valley at an
altitude of 1,730 m above sea
level, spread on both sides of the
river Jhelum. The Dal and
Nagin lakes enhance its
picturesque setting, while the
changing play of the seasons and
the salubrious climate ensures
that the city is equally
attractive to visitors around the
year.
Kalhana, the author of 'Rajtarangini',
states that Srinagri was founded
by Emperor Ashoka (3rd
Century BC). The present city of
Srinagar was founded by
Pravarasena-II, and Hiuen Tsang,
who visited Kashmir in 631 AD,
found it at the same site as it is
today. Laltaditya Muktapida was
the most illustrious ruler of
Kashmir in the Hindu period, which
ended in 1339 AD. King
Zain-ul-Abidin (1420-70 AD),
popularly known as 'Budshah',
was a great patron of Sanskrit.
Akbar captured Kashmir valley for
the Mughals, who endowed Srinagar
with beautiful mosques and
gardens. The Sikhs overthrew the
last Muslim ruler in the reign of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1819. In
1846 the Dogras secured the
sovereignty of Kashmir from the
British under the Treaty of
Amrjtsar, and in 1947 the state of
Jammu and Kashmir with Srinagar as
its capital, became part of
the Indian Union.
Today Srinagar is a resort for the
tourist who can experience, at
first hand, the peculiar beauty of
the valley that has attracted the
Chinese, the Mughals and the
British to it. |
