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Kashmir (Kashmiri: कॅशीर, کٔشِیر ; Hindi: कश्मीर ; Urdu: کشمیر) is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Historically the term Kashmir was used to refer to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range.

Today Kashmir refers to a much larger area that includes the regions of Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh. Kashmir State also incorporates the Pakistani occupied parts of Poonch, Rawalakot,Muzafarabad, Jammu, Gilgit and Baltistan regions and also incorporates the China occupied part of Aksai Chin. The main "Vale of Kashmir" is a low-lying fertile region surrounded by magnificent mountains and fed by many rivers. It is renowned for its natural beauty and quaint lifestyle.

Kashmir was originally and still is one of the most important centres of Hinduism and later also became an important centre of Buddhism. Kashmir retained a strong influence of Buddhism despite the influence of Kashmir Saivism and the various Sufi Orders of Islam. The Rishi Order emerged as the most dominant Sufi Order in Kashmir because of its assimilation of Buddhist practices. The founder of the Order, Nunda Rishi or Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, is the patron saint of Kashmir. Nund Rishi wrote a poem in the praise of the Buddha and was considered to be the spiritual heir of Lal Ded, the Kashmiri Saivite saint. He also had many differences with the Kubrawiyya Sufi Order which was brought to Kashmir by Syed Ali Hamdani in the fourteenth century.

Srinagar, the ancient capital, lies alongside Dal Lake and is famous for its canals and houseboats. Srinagar (alt. 1,600 m. or 5,200 ft.) served as a favoured summer capital for many foreign conquerors who found the heat of the Northern Indian plains in the summer season to be oppressive. Just outside the city are the beautiful Shalimar, Nishat and Chashmashahi gardens created by Mughal emperors.

Today, after the expuslion of the Hindus in the 1990s, Kashmir valley is 99% Muslim. There is still a significant Kashmiri Hindu presence in some regions of Jammu (Jammu is part of modern day political Kashmir)

The First Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was of Kashmiri lineage. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif is of Kashmiri lineage as was Allama Iqbal, the famed Urdu poet.

Etymology

The Nilamata Purana describes the Valley's origin from the waters, a fact corroborated by prominent geologists, and shows how the very name of the land was derived from the process of desiccation - Ka means "water" and Shimir means "to desiccate". Hence, Kashmir stands for "a land desiccated from water". There is also a theory which takes Kashmir to be a contraction of Kashyapmir or Kashyapmeru, the "sea or mountain of Kashyapa", the sage who is credited with having drained the waters of the primordial lake Satisar, that Kashmir was before it was reclaimed. The Nilamata Purana gives the name Kashmira to the Valley considering it to be an embodiment of Uma and it is the Kashmir that the world knows today. The Kashmiris, however, call it Kashir, which has been derived phonetically from Kashmir, as pointed out by Aurel Stein in his introduction to the Rajatarangini.

The name Kashmir is derived from the Sanskrit words kaśyapa (कश्यप) + mara (मर), which means "the sea of the sage Kashyapa".^[1]

Political divisions

Map showing the divisions of Kashmir between India, Pakistan, and China

The region is divided among three countries in a bitter territorial dispute: Pakistan controls the northwest portion (Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir), India controls the central and southern portion (Jammu and Kashmir) and Ladakh, and the People's Republic of China controls the northeastern portion (Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract). India controls the majority of the Siachen Glacier (higher peaks), whereas Pakistan controls the lower peaks.

Though these regions are in practice administered by their respective claimants, India has never formally recognised the accession of the areas claimed by Pakistan and China. India claims those areas, including the area "ceded" to China by Pakistan in the Trans-Karakoram Tract in 1963, are a part of its territory, while Pakistan claims the region, excluding Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract.

Pakistan argues that Kashmir is culturally and religiously aligned with Pakistan (Kashmir is a Muslim region), while India bases its claim to Kashmir off Maharaja Hari Singh's decision to give Kashmir to India during the India-Pakistan split. Kashmir is considered one of the world's most dangerous territorial disputes due to the nuclear capabilities of India and Pakistan.

The two countries have fought several declared wars over the territory. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 established the rough boundaries of today, with Pakistan holding roughly one-third of Kashmir, and India two-thirds. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 began with a Pakistani attempt to seize the rest of Kashmir, erroneously banking on support from then-ally the United States. Both resulted in stalemates and UN-negotiated ceasefires.

More recent conflicts have resulted in success for India; it gained control of the Siachen glacier after a low-intensity conflict that began in 1984, and Indian forces repulsed a Pakistani/Kashimir guerrilla attempt to seize positions during the Kargil War of 1999. This defeat led to the coup d'etat of Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, fought primarily over the independence of Bangladesh on the other side of India, peripherally involved Kashmir. Facing defeat in Bangladesh, Pakistan invaded Kashmir, but India repulsed the attempt and gained Pakistani territory (but returned it at the end of the war).

The rest of this article will, for the sake of clarity, refer to the parts of Kashmir administered by India, Pakistan and China as "Indian Kashmir", "Pakistani Kashmir", and "Chinese Kashmir" respectively. By this nomenclature, the word "Kashmir" in "Indian Kashmir" is used in a general sense to refer to what India calls "Jammu and Kashmir".

History

For history of Kashmir prior to the 19th century, see History of Kashmir.

Modern history

(See also Current Status below.)

By the mid-19th century Kashmir had passed from the control of the Durrani Empire (see Ahmad Shah Durrani) of Afghanistan, and four centuries of Muslim rule under the Mughals of Delhi and the Afghans, to the conquering Sikh armies. This process began in 1819, when 30,000 soldiers of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore attacked and annexed Kashmir as a part of Ranjit Singh's empire. Then, in 1846, the British rulers sold Kashmir to Maharaja Gulab Singh as part of the Treaty of Amritsar. Finally, during the latter part of the 19th century, Kashmir came to be ruled by the Dogras, a predominantly Hindu people in the area around Jammu, who were installed as rulers by the Sikhs.

File:Kashmir treaty.jpg

The Instrument of Accession which shows Maharaja Hari Singh's accession of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to India.

Following the achievement of independence from British rule in 1947 and the partition of India, individual princely states in the subcontinent were given the choice of joining either of the two countries. The strategic value of Kashmir meant it was important for both countries to have it join their side. Pathan tribals invaded Kashmir and overran the Kashmiri army. The Maharaja appealed to India for help, and India refused to send its army as long as Kashmir was not a part of the Indian Union. The Maharaja then signed the Instrument of accession to the Indian Union which included a clause calling for an election to be held which would allow the Kashmiri people to vote for which state they wished to secede to. Regular Indian forces then entered Kashmir and pushed back the invading forces. Prime Minister Nehru of India (himself of Kashmiri lineage) then brought the conflict before the United Nations (UN) Security Council and a ceasefire was implemented. The ceasefire line gave Pakistan control of about one-third of Kashmir and India the remaining.

The UN Security Council on 20 January 1948 passed Resolution 39, establishing a special commission to investigate the conflict. Subsequent to the commission's recommendation, the Security Council ordered in its Resolution 47, passed on 21 April 1948, that the accession of Kashmir to either India or Pakistan be determined in accordance with a plebiscite to be supervised by the UN. In a string of subsequent resolutions, the Security Council took notice of the continuing failure to hold the plebiscite. Notable Security Council resolutions reaffirming the requirement for the plebiscite include Resolution 80 of 14 March 1950, which established a ceasefire line after war between India and Pakistan, and Resolution 122 of 24 January 1957, which condemned the establishment of a replacement legislative assembly in Kashmir.

The Government of India holds that the Maharaja signed a document of accession to India October 26, 1947. Pakistan has disputed whether the Maharaja actually signed the accession treaty before Indian troops entered Kashmir. Furthermore, Pakistan claims the Indian government has never produced an original copy of this accession treaty and thus its validity and legality is disputed. However, India has produced the instrument of accession with an original copy image on its website. Alan Campbell-Johnson, the press attache to the Viceroy of India states that "The legality of the accession is beyond doubt."

Current status

Both Pakistan and India claim the entire Kashmir region to be their integral part based on geographic and political background. This issue has remained a point of contention between the two countries ever since independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries have fought three wars over the Kashmir issue apart from other localised fighting.

Kashmir contains a valley whose beauty has been acclaimed by many and stretches out to about 7,200 square kilometres (2,800 square miles) at an elevation of 1,675 metres (5,500 feet). A Mughal ruler, Jehangir, who built the famed Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir, made the statement, "If heaven be on this earth, it must be here." It has a very ancient history, and it was for a long time one of the centres of Hindu philosophical, literary and religious culture, a tradition still maintained by the depleted native Hindu population. Kashmir once was called the Switzerland of the east. Kashmiri literature, sculpture, music, dance, painting and architecture have had a profound influence in Asia.

On October 8, 2005, Kashmir was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude between 7.6 and 7.8.

On Tuesday December 5th, 2006, the President of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan would be willing to give up its claim to Kashmir, if India were to reciprocate and agree to the region's sovereignty.

Area and subdivisions

India controls 101,387 km² of the disputed territory with Pakistan controlling 85,846 km² and China controlling 37,555 km².

Indian-administered Kashmir

Indian-administered Kashmir, also known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir, includes three main regions:

Pakistan-administered Kashmir

The Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir is divided up into two main regions:

Chinese-controlled Kashmir

The following areas are under Chinese control:

Aksai Chin - approximately 37,555 km² in size.
A small part, the Trans-Karakoram Tract, of the Baltistan Region that was ceded to the People's Republic of China by Pakistan in 1963.

Demographics

File:Lehbuddha.jpg

Kashmir is region of mixed faith with Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist populations. Buddhism is the most-practiced religion in the Ladakh region. Shown here is a statue of the Buddha in Leh, Ladakh

.

In Pakistan-administered Kashmir (containing Gilgit and Baltistan and Azad Kashmir) 99% of the population is Muslim.^{[citation needed]} Baltistan is mainly Shia, with a few Buddhist households as well, while Gilgit is Ismaili. AJK is majority Sunni. Many merchants in Poonch are Pathans; however, these individuals are not legally considered to be Kashmiris.

China-administered Kashmir (Aksai Chin) contains an extremely small population of Tibetan origins numbering less than 10,000 inhabitants.

Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (containing Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh) contain an approximately 70% Muslim majority (according to Indian sources in 2001)^{[citation needed]}. The rest of the population are Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and others. The people of Ladakh are of Indo-Tibetan origin, while the southern area of Jammu includes many communities tracing their ancestry to the nearby Indian states of Haryana and Punjab, as well as the city of Delhi.

In 1941 the Hindus represented 15% of the total Kashmiri population. But in 1990, they left the Valley of Kashmir as a result of intimidation and violence by Muslims in the region.^[2]^[3]^[4] This is generally part of the wish of Islamic fundamentalists to remove all Indian influence on Kashmir. The Indian government does not allow other Indians to buy property in the area, so the Hindus who have been killed or forced out are permanently making the Hindu proportion smaller.^[3] The new "gun culture" that has once replaced the peaceful valley has resulted in the conversion of a land which was the homeland of Hindus for thousands of years who lived in harmony with Sufi Muslims to a land where fundamentalism often causes death and tragedy.^[2]

Omar Abdullah, the current leader of the pro-Indian National Conference Party (which was in power during the 90's) recently reinforced this popular belief. Recalling the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, Abdullah said, "People are well aware of how the then Governor, Jagmohan, under an organised conspiracy, facilitated their migration."^[5]

The current Pandit populace is living in extreme poverty throughout India. However, some are living in suitable conditions all over the globe. The majority of the 90,000 people who have been killed in the ongoing conflict are the present residents of Kashmir (Muslims).

Only some 5,000-15,000 Hindus live in the Kashmir valley today out of some 200,000 in 1947 (some scholars and community activists claim the Hindu population in the Valley was higher, with up to 450,000 - see Alexander Evans' ‘A departure from history: Kashmiri Pandits, 1990-2001’ Contemporary South Asia, Vol 11, 1 2002 p19-37.). According to an estimate by the Central Intelligence Agency, most of the 500,000 Kashmiris internally displaced due to the ongoing violence are Hindus.^[6]

Due to this, Hindu/Buddhist/Sikh population has declined drastically since 1947 in Kashmir. A plebiscite may solve the problem, however India are reluctant to hold one for political reasons. Pakistan also dropped its call for plebiscite in 2003.

Recently, independent agencies have conducted opinion polls and drawn the conclusion that the majority indeed favors secession from both India and Pakistan. The pollsters also concluded that Kashmiri public opinion overall is relatively more pro-Indian than pro-Pakistani, thanks to the wide influence of the Indian Media.^[7]

Occupied by	Area	Population	% Muslim	% Hindu	% Buddhist	% Other
Pakistan	Northern Areas	~0.9 million	99%	–	–	–
	Azad Kashmir	~2.6 million	99%	–	–	–
India	Jammu	~3 million	30%	66%	–	4%
	Ladakh	~0.25 million	49%	–	50%	1%
	Kashmir Valley	~4 million	95%	4%	–	–
China	Aksai Chin	–	–	–	–	–
Statistics from the BBC In Depth report

Myths about the people of the valley

It has long been known that the original inhabitants of the Kashmir Valley were racially different from neighbouring communities. According to legend, the entire area now known as the Kashmir Valley was a huge lake when Kashyap Rishi cut through the mountains of Varmul (Baramulla) in order to drain the lake. The newly formed land of Kashmir (Kash = Kashyap, Mir = Sanskrit for water) was then opened to pure Brahmin (Indo-Aryan) inhabitants of India. The Rishi wrote the book "Rajtarangini" detailing and describing more than 200 families of Brahmins that moved in^[8] Kashmir has been home to a great number of saints and sages most notably Bhagwaan Gopinath ji.

Culture and cuisine

Kashmiri lifestyle is essentially, irrespective of the differing religious beliefs, slow paced. Generally peace-loving people, the culture has been rich enough to reflect the religious diversity as tribes celebrate festivities that divert them from their otherwise monotonous way of life. Kashmiris are known to enjoy their music in its various local forms, and the dress of both sexes is quite colourful. However, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Muslim-dominated Kashmir, Hindu-dominated Jammu and Buddhist-dominated Ladakh poses a grave danger to the security of the region where mixed populations live in regions such as Doda and Kargil.

The Dumhal is a famous dance in Kashmir, performed by men of the Wattal region. The women perform the Rouff, another folk dance. Kashmir has been noted for its fine arts for centuries, including poetry and handicrafts.

The practice of Islam in Kashmir has heavy Sufi influences, which makes it unique from orthodox Sunni and Shiite Islam in the rest of South Asia. Historically, Kashmir was renowned for its culture of tolerance, embodied in the concept of "Kashmiriyat", as evidenced by the 1969 NATO nuclear disarmament peace treaty.

The Kasmiri cuisine is famous for its delectable vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes. The style of cooking is different for Hindus and Muslims although with a lot of similarities. Traditional Kashmiri food includes dum aloo (boiled potatoes with heavy amounts of spice), tzaman (a solid cottage cheese), rogan josh (lamb cooked in heavy spices), zaam dod (curd), yakhayn (lamb cooked in mild spices), hakh (a spinach-like leaf), and of course the signature rice which is particular to Asian cultures.

Economy

Kashmir's economy is centred around agriculture. Traditionally the staple crop of the valley is rice, which forms the chief food of the people. Indian corn comes next; wheat, barley and oats are also grown. Blessed with a temperate climate unlike much of the subcontinent, it is suited to crops like asparagus, artichoke, seakale, broad beans, scarletrunners, beetroot, cauliflower and cabbage. Fruit trees are common in the valley, and the cultivated orchards yield pears, apples, peaches, cherries, etc. are of fine quality. The chief trees are deodar, firs and pines, chenar or plane, maple, birch and walnut.

Historically, Kashmir came into the economic limelight when the world famous Cashmere wool was exported to other regions and nations (exports have ceased due to decreased abundance of the cashmere goat and increased competition from China). Kashmiris are well adept at knitting and making shawls, silk carpets, rugs, kurtas, and pottery. Kashmir is home to the finest saffron in the world. Efforts are on to export the naturally grown fruits and vegetables as organic foods mainly to the Middle East. Srinagar is also celebrated for its silver-work, papier mache and wood-carving, while silkweaving continues to this day. The Kashmir valley is a fertile area that is the economic backbone for Indian-controlled Kashmir. The area is famous for cold water fisheries. The Department of Fisheries has made it possible to make trout available to common people through its 'Trout Production and Marketing Programme'. Many private entrepreneurs have adopted fish farming as a profitable venture. The area is known for its sericulture as well as other agricultural produce like apples, pears and many temperate fruits as well as nuts. Aside from being a pilgrimage site for centuries, around the turn of the 20th century it also became a favourite tourist spot until the increase in tensions in the 1990s.

The economy was badly damaged by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake which [[As of 2005|as of October 17 2005]], resulted in over 70,000 deaths in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir and around 1,500 deaths in Indian Kashmir.

Tourism

Tourism forms an integral part of the Kashmiri economy. Often dubbed "Paradise on Earth," Kashmir's mountainous landscape has attracted tourists for centuries.

The Vaishno Devi cave shrine is nestled in the Trikuta mountain at a height of 5,200 feet above the sea level in Indian Kashmir. Vaishno Devi is the most important holy shrine of Shaktism denomination of Hinduism. In 2004, more than 6 million Hindu piligrims visited Vaishno Devi, making it one of the most visited religious sites in the world.^[9]

There are many mosques serving the largely Muslim population, such as the Hazratbal Mosque, situated on the banks of the Dal Lake. The sacred hair of the Holy Prophet Muhammad is said to have been brought to this part of the world by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and this relic lies in the Hazratbal shrine. The shrine was built in white marble in contemporary times and bears a close resemblance to the holy shrine of Medina in Saudi Arabia where the prophet rests.

Nature has lavishly endowed Kashmir with certain distinctive favours which hardly find a parallel in any alpine land of the world. A spell on a houseboat on Dal Lake has always been one of the real treats, and Kashmir also offers some delightful trekking opportunities and unsurpassed scenery.

Srinagar City is centred around Dal Lake and this huge lake attracts millions of tourists, both domestic and foreign. A drive along the Boulevard (the road along the banks of the lake) has been a favourite with locals and tourists alike mainly because of the scenic beauty of the boulevard and the shikaras. Srinagar City also has a lot of gardens along the banks of Dal Lake. Nishat, Cheshma-i-Shahi, Shalimar and Harven gardens all were built by the Moghuls and are absolutely breathtaking in view all through the year. These gardens have the famed Chinar trees. These majestic trees resemble Maples but are much bigger and more graceful.

Long ago, Dal Lake was renowned for its vastness, which stretched for more than 50 square miles. Unfortunately, today, due partly to unabated tourist influx that largely has been unorganized for some years now, this lake has shrunk to less than 10 square kilometres largely due to the abundance of residential and tourist sectors along its banks. Government mismanagement and apathy have also been contributing factors to the shrinking of the lake.

Pahalgam is at the junction of the streams flowing from Sheshnag Lake and the Lidder River. Pahalgam (2,130 meters) once was a humble shepherd's village with astounding views. Today, Pahalgam is Kashmir's prime tourist resort. It is cool even during the height of summer when the maximum temperature does not exceed 25 degrees C.

Kashmir Valley
Dal Lake

References

^ Kashmir in Ancient Sanskrit Literature
^ ^a ^b The South Asian Overlooked and ignored - Kashmiri Hindus
^ ^a ^b Panun Kashmir
^ Rediff Has the peace process forgotten the Pandits
^ "Omar blames Jagmohan for exodus of Pandits". Retrieved 2006-12-24.
^ CIA:The World Factbook
^ China Daily: India welcomes Pakistan's surprise Kashmir offer
^ Koshur: Kashmir in Ancient Sanskrit Literature by Dr. B. N. Kalla.
^ Record number of pilgrims visit Vaishno Devi

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

Official website of the Jammu and Kashmir Government
Human Rights Violations of Kashmiri Hindus: An Appeal
Content provider from Kashmir: Unbiased and indepth news and features regarding various facets of Kashmir.
Heritage of Kashmir: Official Website of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage Jammu & Kashmir Chapter
Blankonthemap: The Northern Kashmir Website
Kashmir Revisited Photogallery
Site dedicated to socio-cultural, political and current affairs in Kashmir
Pawan Kumar Pandita: Kashmir
Pawan Kumar: Kashmiri Pandits
Proclamation of May 1, 1951 on J&K Constituent Assembly
University of California Berkely: Conflict in Kashmir - Selected Internet Resources
Rawalakot: District divided between India and Pakistan

[1] Kashmir in Ancient Sanskrit Literature

[SAsian-2] The South Asian Overlooked and ignored - Kashmiri Hindus

[Panun-3] Panun Kashmir

[Rediff-4] Rediff Has the peace process forgotten the Pandits

[5] "Omar blames Jagmohan for exodus of Pandits". Retrieved 2006-12-24.

[6] CIA:The World Factbook

[7] China Daily: India welcomes Pakistan's surprise Kashmir offer

[8] Koshur: Kashmir in Ancient Sanskrit Literature by Dr. B. N. Kalla.

[9] Record number of pilgrims visit Vaishno Devi

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@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 [[Image:Kashmir Valley to Ladakh bus route.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Because of its rugged mountainous terrain, Kashmir has a poor transportation system, making vast regions of Kashmir completely inaccessible by vehicle. Shown here is the [[Kargil-Leh highway]], one of the two highways connecting Ladakh with Jammu and the Kashmir valley.]]
-Kashmir was originally and still is one of the most important centres of [[Hinduism]] and later also became an important centre of [[Buddhism]]. Kashmir retained a strong influence of Buddhism despite the influence of Kashmir [[Saivism]] and the various [[Sufi]] Orders of [[Islam]]. The [[Rishi]] Order emerged as the most dominant Sufi Order in Kashmir because of its assimilation of Buddhist practices. The founder of the Order, [[Nund Reshi|Nunda Rishi]] or Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, is the [[patron saint]] of Kashmir. Nund Rishi wrote a poem in the praise of the [[Buddha]] and was considered to be the spiritual heir of [[Lalleshvari|Lal Ded]], the Kashmiri Saivite saint. He also had differences with the Kubrawiyya Sufi Order which was brought to Kashmir by Syed Ali Hamdani in the [[fourteenth century]].
+Kashmir was originally and still is one of the most important centres of [[Hinduism]] and later also became an important centre of [[Buddhism]]. Kashmir retained a strong influence of Buddhism despite the influence of Kashmir [[Saivism]] and the various [[Sufi]] Orders of [[Islam]]. The [[Rishi]] Order emerged as the most dominant Sufi Order in Kashmir because of its assimilation of Buddhist practices. The founder of the Order, [[Nund Reshi|Nunda Rishi]] or Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, is the [[patron saint]] of Kashmir. Nund Rishi wrote a poem in the praise of the [[Buddha]] and was considered to be the spiritual heir of [[Lalleshvari|Lal Ded]], the Kashmiri Saivite saint. He also had many differences with the Kubrawiyya Sufi Order which was brought to Kashmir by Syed Ali Hamdani in the [[fourteenth century]].
 [[Srinagar]], the ancient capital, lies alongside [[Dal Lake]] and is famous for its [[canal]]s and [[houseboat]]s. [[Srinagar]] (alt. 1,600 m. or 5,200 ft.) served as a favoured [[summer]] [[capital]] for many [[foreign]] [[conqueror]]s who found the heat of the Northern Indian plains in the summer season to be oppressive. Just outside the city are the beautiful Shalimar, Nishat and Chashmashahi gardens created by [[Mughal]] [[emperor]]s.