Karkota Dynasty ruled over the Kashmir valley and some northern parts of the Indian subcontinent during 7th and 8th century. Their rule saw a period of political expansion, economic prosperity and emergence of Kashmir as a center of Indian culture and scholarship.

The Karkota rulers were Vaishnavas and constructed several Vishnu shrines in their dominions. They however also allowed Buddhism to flourish under them. Stupa, Chaitya and Vihara can be found in the ruins of their capital. Martand Sun Temple in the Anantnag district were built by Lalitaditya. It is the oldest known Sun temple in India and was also one of the biggest temple complexes at the time. Avanti Varman ascended the throne of Kashmir in 855 A.D., establishing the Utpala dynasty and ending the rule of Karkota dynasty.

Img: Karkota Empire

The Karkota Dynasty (c. 625 − 855 CE) ruled over the Kashmir valley and some northern parts of the Indian subcontinent during 7th and 8th centuries. Their rule saw a period of political expansion, economic prosperity and emergence of Kashmir as a centre of culture and scholarship

The Karkota rulers constructed several Vishnu shrines in their dominions. They however also allowed Buddhism to flourish under them. Stupa, Chaitya and Vihara can be found in the ruins of their capital. Martand Sun Temple in the Anantnag district were built by Lalitaditya. It is the oldest known Sun temple in India and was also one of the biggest temple complexes at the time. The Rajatarangini, an 11th-century work by Kalhana, was aimed at sketching an outline of Kashmir's history since ancient times, and did discuss the Karkota dynasty in depth. He depended on a variety of material including earlier historical works, dynastic genealogies, inscriptions, coins and Puranas. The work has a contested repute of being the only pre-modern work in Sanskrit resembling Western notions of history; however, its historical accuracy is disputed — Zutshi and other scholars find the poem to be a blend of "mythical, political, social, spiritual, and geographical" narratives, which aimed at defining Kashmir as an idealized ethical space

Kalhana's third book mentions of a Gonanda dynasty (II), which ruled for about 590 years till the establishment of the Karkotas; on cross-vetting with coins and inscriptions, names of some of these rulers are found to correspond with the Alchon Huns, who ruled hundreds of years later. Across the first three books, Kalhana reshuffles multiple names, retrofits the same stories, assigns abnormally long reigns, and telescopes some rulers into the past.

Durlabhavardhana—the founder of the Karkotas—was held to be under the employment of Baladitya, the last ruler of the Gonanda dynasty (II). Baladitya had no male heir but a daughter Anaṅgalekhā and did not wish his territory to be annexed by in-laws. To avert such a possibility he had her married to Durlabhavardhana, who was from a low caste. However, after Baladitya's death, Durlabhavardhana ascended to the throne with help from a minister, and claimed descent from the mythical Naga king Karkotaka, establishing the Karkota Dynasty.

Durlabhavardhana, built a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu at Srinagar named "Durlabhasvāmin"; his wife had constructed a Buddhist monastery - Anangabhavana. He also introduced a distinct style of architecture into Kashmir by borrowing post-Gupta trends from Sarnath, Nalanda etc. Durlabhaka established the city of Pratāpapura (current day Tapar between Baramula and Srinagar) and the shrine of Malhanasvāmin; his wife had established the Narendreśvara Temple.

Vaikuntha Vishnu, Kashmir, 775−800

Candrapika had multiple Vishnu shrines installed. Jayapida set up Buddhist Viharas and commissioned the construction of multiple Buddha statues; he also established a new capital town at Jayapura (current day Andrkoth). Lalitaditya commissioned a number of shrines in Kashmir, including the now-ruined Martand Sun Temple and numerous Buddhist structures. He also established several towns, including a new capital at Parihasapura.

Martand Sun Temple at Anantnag

The five brothers had set up a Shiva shrine - Jayesvara during Cippatajayapida's rule. After coming to the helm, they commissioned multiple towns and temples—Utapalasvāmin, Padmasvāmin, Dharmasvāmin, Kalyanasvāmin, Mamasvāmin, Utpalapura, Padmapura etc. Padma's wife got constructed two mathas.

Metallic coins as well as cowrie shells were used as currency. The state collected a variety of taxes — customs-levy, prostitution-levy, market-tax etc. — corruption was rampant and Damodaragupta takes frequent digs.

Coin of Durlabhavardhana, founder of the dynasty

Kalhana assigns a regnal span of thirty six years from 625−661/2. He was also known as Prajnaditya and gifted many villages (agraharas) to Brahmins. Rajatarangini records no military activity during his reign; assuming Xuanzang to have visited Kashmir twice during his reign, Durlabhavardhana controlled vast swaths of territories including modern day Kashmir, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Durlabhaka

Per Kalhana, Anaṅgalekhā had him declared as her dauhitra and Durlabhaka became known as Pratapaditya, adopting the surname of his maternal grandfather. Durlabhaka is assigned a regnal span of 50 years (662−712). He had a brother Malhana.

His reign saw increasing trade relation with neighboring polities and the development of the Classical Kārkoṭa style of sculpture. Kalhana records him to have impressive military prowess. Several agraharas were established by Hanumant, son of his minister Uda (var. Oda, Aida).

Durlabhaka married Narendraprabhā, who had been earlier married to Nona, a wealthy merchant from outside Kashmir. He had three sons — Chandrapida, Tarapida and Lalitaditya — in descending order of age.

Candrapida ruled from 712/13−720 and bore the name Vajraditya. Candrapida Vajraditya is otherwise known from Chinese sources, as he is mentioned in the Chinese Tang Dynasty Chronicles (Tangshu) under the name Zhentuoluobili, as contemporary of the period 713−720. Kalhana paints a benevolent and virtuous image of the ruler — two stories are narrated to the same effect. Jayanta Bhatta's great-grandfather Saktisvāmin was one of his ministers.

In 713, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang received an embassy from Candrapida requesting aid against Arab invasions. Candrapida did not receive any help but managed to defend his territory. In 720, Xuanzong sent an envoy to bestow upon him, the title "King of Kashmir". These diplomatic exchanges led to the formation of an imperial alliance between the Tangs and Karakotas; in 722, after the Tangs emerged victorious against Tibet, the Chinese court credits Kashmir for having provided ample food to their troops stationed in Gilgit. His assassination is blamed upon Tarapida, who recruited a Brahmin.

Tarapida

Little is noted about his rule in Rajatarangini except that he was tyrannical and oppressed the Brahmins. In October–November 724, Chinese chronicles mention of an unhappy Jincheng seeking defection to Kashmir; the-then King (unnamed) apparently consented and urged for military assistance from Zabulistan to ward off the Tibetan troops. Tansen Sen notes this king to be Tarapida; however other scholars have identified him with Candrapida.

Tarapida bore the name Udayaditya, and was murdered after four years; the practice of magic-rites by Brahmins is held to be the cause.

Lalitaditya

Kalhana lived around four centuries after Lalitaditya Muktapida (724/725−760/761), and popular imagination appears to have embellished Lalitaditya's achievements by then. Lalitaditya Muktapida is otherwise known from Chinese sources, as he is mentioned in the Chinese Tang Dynasty Chronicles, as a contemporary of the 736−747 period. A world conqueror, he is credited with extensive conquests spanning major parts of India, Afghanistan and Central Asia; he was in a conflict with the Indian king Yashovarman whom he subdued ,thus gaining control of the kingdom of Kannauj. A century prior to Kalhana, Al-Biruni noted the Kashmiris to celebrate an annual festival in commemoration of Lalitaditya, who defeated the Turks and ruled over the world.

Whilst Stein rejected these assertions as "purely mythological" (and noted that Kalhana was quite ignorant about territories outside Kashmir), it was since accepted by Hermann Goetz as "historical fact", whose views were subsequently relied upon by André Wink and Ronald Inden. Sen however rejects the conquest-accounts concerned with parts of Afghanistan and Central Asia as excessively exaggerated, selective, and contradicting contemporary Chinese and Tibetan sources including official histories, coins and pilgrim-chronicles.

Numerous Brahmin immigrants were brought to Kashmir during his time including the ancestors of Abhinavagupta. A brilliant intellectual and artistic culture flourished during his reign.