History
According to Kalhana's Rajatarangini, the word Srinagar is a Sanskrit word 'Shri-nagara,' which translators
understand as the "City of Sun" or the "City of Shri". The history of Srinagar would be incomplete without
discussing the city's earliest settlement, known as 'Shahr-e-Khass' or Downtown. It is home to exquisite
masjids, shrines, temples, antique buildings built in a close-knit community, and the main seven bridges
that connect the two sides of the Jhelum River. All of them depict the rich history and fascinating
stories of this ancient city and its inhabitants. Srinagar was founded by King Pravarsena II of the
Vakataka dynasty about 2000 years ago. Srinagar has been ruled by great monarchs of tremendous empires
over the centuries, including Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh rulers. Between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE,
King Ashoka of the Mauryan empire, a renowned proponent of Buddhism, introduced Buddhism to the valley.
In Srinagar's Harwan city, there is evidence that the town was ruled by the Kushans in the first century
AD.