A museum of Kashmir
The Kashmir Timeline
12 periods, 70 events and 85 exhibits of history, heritage and landscape. Each item is marked with how firmly it is known, and every photograph carries its author and licence.
ScopeThe Kashmir Valley and, where history requires it, the wider region of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Ways in
The timeline
All 70 events in date order, with the period each one belongs to.
The periods
12 periods, each with its events, its exhibits and books to read next.
The halls
2 halls that run across every period: the land itself, and living traditions.
The exhibits
85 places, people, artefacts and traditions, with photographs where they are freely licensed.
The periods
All 12 periods- 01The First Settlersc. 3000 to 1000 BCE
- 02Buddhism and Empiresc. 300 BCE to 625 CE
- 03The Karkota Dynastyc. 625 to 855 CE
- 04The Utpala Dynasty855 to 939 CE
- 05Didda and the Lohara Kings939 to 1339 CE
- 06The Shah Mir Sultanate1339 to 1561
- 07The Chak Dynasty1561 to 1586
- 08Mughal Kashmir1586 to 1752
- 09Afghan Rule1752 to 1819
- 10Sikh Rule1819 to 1846
- 11Dogra Rule1846 to 1947
- 12Since 19471947 to today
A few of the exhibits
All 85 exhibits
Burzahom
c. 3000 to 1000 BCE
The Valley's best-known prehistoric settlement.
Harwan
c. 3rd to 5th century CE
A Buddhist site known for its moulded terracotta tiles.
Kanishka
2nd century CE
The Kushan emperor linked by tradition to Buddhism in Kashmir.
Martand Sun Temple
8th century
The grandest temple of ancient Kashmir, now a ruin.
Parihaspora
8th century
Lalitaditya's capital, now scattered ruins on a plateau.
Lalitaditya Muktapida
ContestedReigned c. 724 to 760
The most celebrated Karkota king.
Xuanzang
Visited c. 631 to 633
The Chinese pilgrim who described Kashmir in the 7th century.
Naranag Temples
8th century
Two groups of stone temples in a remote river valley.
Events are covered up to early 2026. Nothing after that has been added yet.
Last updated 19 September 2026.