Sage Kashyap made the land of Kashmir habitable. His
son Neel became the first ruler of Kashmir. (This must have occured
sometime around the time of king Barhi, long before 10,000 BC.) Detail
records of his rule are available in Neelmat Purana.
Gonand Dynasty
Gonand-I (king of Kashmir) fought for Jarasandh against Krishna.
Krishna killed Jarasandh, and Balaram killed Gonand-I. His son Damodar
attacked Krishna, to avenge his father's death. Damodar was killed by
Krishna in the battle. Krishna installed Damodar's wife Yashowati on the
throne of Kashmir. Queen Yashowati gave birth to Gonand-II a few months
after the death of Damodar. 35 Gonand kings ruled Kashmir after Gonand-II.
Pandava Dynasty
23 kings of Pandava dynasty also ruled Kashmir. During the rule of Pandava
king Bhimsen, the Kashmir border extended from Kanyakubja (Kanauj) to
Gandhar (Afghanistan). A later King Ashoka (not to be confused with Maurya
Ashoka) built the city of Srinagari (Srinagar). Jalok the son of king Ashok
proved to be a very brave genral and an able administrator. The
administrative setup made by him continued for the next 300 years without
an able king.
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