History of Mathura
Mathura is a city which interests a lot of people because it is believed that Lord Krishna took his birth in this city. If you want to get some knowledge about the history of Mathura then read on. This city holds an ancient history. According to the ASI plaque present in Mathura Archeological Museum, Mathura city has been mentioned in the epic Ramayana. According to Ramayana, King Shatrughna who was from Raghuvanshi clan killed Lavanasura, the demon. The prince claimed this piece of land after he killed Lavanasura. Madhuvan was the first name assigned to this land. Later on, it was called Madhupura. Finally, Mathura was the name given to this land.
Mathura became a part of the Mauryan Empire when Asoka was the king. Asoka was a firm follower of Buddhism. It was in 3rd Century B.C that Asoka got several Buddhist monasteries constructed in and around the city of Mathura. When the Mauryan Empire rule came to an end in Mathura, Hinduism captured it. In 11 Century A.D, Mahmud Ghazni attacked Mathura and destroyed Buddhist and Hindu monuments. In the year of 1804, this city came under British rule. After this, many Hindu rulers took initiatives to make Mathura a spiritual zone.