Was Kashmir a Hindu majority?

Historical demographics of Kashmir

Of these 2,154,695 were Muslims, 689,073 Hindus, 25,828 Sikhs, and 35,047 Buddhists. The Hindus were found mainly in Jammu, where they constituted a little less than 50% of the population.

When did Hindus leave Kashmir?

The Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, or Pandits, is their early-1990 migration, or flight, from the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley in Indian-administered Kashmir following rising violence in an insurgency.

What was the religion of Kashmir before Islam?

It was a centre of Buddhism, at least since the time of Ashoka, who lived 2,300 years ago. The history of Kashmir extends to the period when there was pit-dwelling and Neolithic farming in 3,000 BCE, followed by houses built on the ground level and pre-Aryan burial practices found in 1,500 BCE.

Who ruled Kashmir before Muslims?

Srinagar was ruled by the Mauryan empire till around the 14th century and it was emperor Ashoka, who had introduced Buddhism to the valley of Kashmir. The Kushans believed to have controlled this region during the first century who ruled over this place from their stronghold at Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Why did Kashmiri Pandits convert to Islam?

In 1339 Kashmir throne was captured by Sultan Shahmir who founded Shah Mir dynasty in Kashmir. Subsequently, according to some traditions ten thousand Kashmiris converted to Islam and hence the seeds of Islam in Kashmir were sown.

How One Neighborhood in Kashmir Is Resisting India’s Army

Why are Kashmiri Pandits not Hindus?

The majority of Kashmiri Brahmins are Kārkuns, and this is likely due to the conversion of the majority of Kashmiris to Islam, which led to a decrease in demand for Hindu priests, which led most Kashmiri Brahmins to seek secular employment.

Who converted Hindu to Islam in Kashmir?

The mass conversion of the Kashmir Valley to Islam occurred in the fourteenth century. This was catalysed by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, a Persian Sufi mystic from Hamedan in western Iran, who visited Kashmir thrice in the 1370s and 1380s accompanied by hundreds of disciples, many of whom settled in Kashmir.

Who ended Hindu rule in Kashmir?

The last Hindu ruler of Kashmir was Udyan Dev. His Chief Queen Kota Rani was the de-facto ruler of the kingdom. With her death in 1339 the Hindu rule in Kashmir came to an end and thus was established the Muslim rule in Kashmir under Sultan Shamas-ud-din-whose dynasty ruled the valley for 222 years.

Why did Kashmir not join Pakistan?

He decided to stay independent because he expected that the State's Muslims would be unhappy with accession to India, and the Hindus and Sikhs would become vulnerable if he joined Pakistan. On 11 August, the Maharaja dismissed his prime minister Ram Chandra Kak, who had advocated independence.

Who sold Kashmir to India?

The Treaty of Amritsar (1846) formalised the sale by the British to Gulab Singh for 7,500,000 Nanakshahee Rupees of all the lands in Kashmir that were ceded to them by the Sikhs by the Treaty of Lahore.

When did Muslims take over Kashmir?

In 1339, Shah Mir became first Muslim ruler of Kashmir, setting up the Shah Mir dynasty. For next five centuries, Muslims ruled Kashmir, including the Mughal Empire from 1586 until 1751 and the Afghan Durrani Empire from 1747 until 1819.

Who were the original inhabitants of Kashmir?

The Indigenous People of Erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. The Hunza : The Hunza or the Burusho people inhabit the Hunza Valley and neighboring Valleys in the extreme North of the state. They speak the Burushaski language which as a language has not been identified with any language Group.

What is the old name of Kashmir?

The Ancient Greeks called the region Kasperia, which has been identified with Kaspapyros of Hecataeus of Miletus (apud Stephanus of Byzantium) and Kaspatyros of Herodotus (3.102, 4.44).

What was the first religion in Kashmir?

In the first half of the 1st millennium, the Kashmir region became an important centre of Hinduism and later—under the Mauryas and Kushanas—of Buddhism. Later in the ninth century, during the rule of the Karkota Dynasty, a native tradition of Shaivism arose.

Are Hindus indigenous to Kashmir?

The indigenous population of Kashmir, however, have already been displaced. Hindus indigenous to the Kashmir Valley, known as Kashmiri Pandits, are the original inhabitants of Kashmir and have a unique ethno-religious culture that dates back more than 5000 years.

How many Hindus and Muslims were killed in Kashmir?

An estimated 20,000–100,000 Muslims were massacred. Subsequently, many non-Muslims were massacred by Pakistani tribesmen, in the Mirpur region of today's Pakistani administered Kashmir, and also in the Rajouri area of Jammu division. A large number of Hindus and Sikhs in Rajouri, and in Mirpur.

When did India lose Kashmir to Pakistan?

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, or the First Kashmir War, was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four Indo-Pakistani wars between the two newly independent nations.

Who gave Kashmir to Pakistan?

Accordingly, on 26 October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed an Instrument of Accession, handing over control of defense, external affairs and communications to the Government of India. Indian troops were immediately airlifted into Srinagar. Pakistan intervened subsequently.

Why was Pakistan separated from India?

Crudely, this was a division based upon religious affiliation, with the creation of a Muslim majority in West and East Pakistan and a Hindu majority in India.

What ethnicity is Kashmiri?

The Kashmiri population is an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group from Jammu and Kashmir state in northern India. The precise origins of the Kashmiri population are unknown. It has been suggested that they are descendants of one of the “lost tribes” of Israel who were exiled in 722 BCE [1].

How many Hindus got converted in Kashmir?

He dictated to Sultan Qutubud-Din to prosecute and torture Hindus unless they accept Islam and got succeeded in converting 37,000 Kashmiri Hindus. The Sayyids headed by Mir Ali Hamdani used brutal means to establish Islam and extermination of Hindus, their religion and politics were their (Sayyids) mission.

Were Kashmiri Muslims Brahmins?

Kashmiri Hindus claim to be Saraswat Brahmans and are known by the exonym Pandit. The Muslims living in Kashmir are of the same stock as the Kashmiri Pandit community and are designated as Kashmiri Muslims. Kashmiri Muslims are descended from Kashmiri Hindus and are also known as 'Sheikhs'.

Which caste is dominant in Kashmir?

At the top are the 'Syed castes' – Geelani, Jeelani, Andrabi, Qadri, Hamdani, Bhukhari, Shah and others. Syeds claim to be the descendants of the family of the prophet. It is believed that Syeds came into Kashmir from Central Asia in the early 14th century and spread Islam in the region.

Do Kashmiri Pandits eat meat?

Some Kashmiri Pandits are vegetarian. They do not even eat onions or tomatoes and are known as Dal Bathas. The vast majority are non-vegetarians, like most Kashmiris, and are known as Nen Bathas.

Was Kashmir a part of India before?

Jammu and Kashmir, officially known as the Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, was a princely state during the Company rule from 1846 to 1858 as well as the British Raj in India from 1858 to 1952.