The state of Jammu and Kashmir is situated in the northern part of India. It has a long history of around 4,000 years. Tradition says that Kashmir was originally a lake which was drained by the sage Kashyap and thereafter the place was inhabited by
Brahmins. The name Kashmir is also mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. Jammu and Kashmir has been ruled by Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh rulers in past. It became a part of India in 1948.
The majority of the people depend on agriculture. Paddy, wheat and maize are the major crops. Barley, bajra and jowar are cultivated in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Handicrafts are given top priority, and Kashmir products are much in demand both inside and outside India. Saffron is the most expensive spice cultivated here. The fauna includes leopard, cheetah, deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, muskrat, varieties of snakes, snow partridge, and pheasants.