continue with history part......

Early History According the great epic of Mahabharata, the Kambojas had ruled Kashmir since its formation. It had a republican system of government under Kamboj. Later Panchalas established their sway. Peer Panjal, a modern part of Kashmir is a witness to this fact. Panjal is simply a distorted form of the Sanskritic tribal term Panchala. The Muslims had prefixed the word “peer” to it in memory of one Siddha Faqir and the name changed into Peer Panjal. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka is believed to have established the city of Srinagar. Kashmir was also a great seat of learning for Buddhism. Buddhist monks from East and Central Asia visited this land in the 4th century AD. It is also said that the Buddhist monk Kumarajiva, born to an Indian noble family, studied Dirghagama and Madhyagama in Kashmir under Bandhudatta. He later became a prolific translator who helped spread Buddhism in China. Hence Kashmir was dominated by Buddhists during this period.