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Synopsis In about 8000 B.C., the valley of Kashmir was a vast lake surrounded by the Lofty mountains. The Nilamatct-purana of Nilanaga is the earliest source of information about the origin of Kashmir, its earliest inhabitants and its tirthas. It tells us as to how Shiva drained off the lake by striking the mountains with his trisul, how the Nagas succeeded in the killing the jalod, the ruler of the clan inhabiting the lake and the details about the fourteen tribes, which later on settled in the valley, Kashmir then came to be known as Satidesha, and people by various tribes, such as, the Nagas Pishachas, Gandhravas, Sakas, Tunganas, and Yuvanas. The Nagas, who were of Turanian stock were the first inhabitants of the valley, were in majority and they were the first inhabitants of the valley, were in majority and they were the first to accept the doctrines of Buddhism. They were the sun and the serpent worshippers of the pre-historic times. The Nilamata Purana informs us that the valley was occupied by the Nagas, the Pischachas, the Gandaravas, the Shakas, the tunganas and the Yavnas. Nagas have been termed as belonging to the Turaian stock by scholars and central Asia is designated as Turan by the Persians. The earlilest reference to the valley of Kashmir are contained in the Greek classics of Ptolemy, Dionysis, Hekataios and Herodotos. The Chinese have also referred to Kashmir and there are clear references to the valley in the annals of the T’ang dynasty, but these pertain to the 6th century A.D. The Arabic works of Al-Masudi, al-Qazwini, al-Idrisi and al-Beruni also contain references to the valley of Kashmir and in this connection, Al-Beuruni’s India is most authentic.