The Utpala Dynasty was a medieval Kashmiri Hindu dynasty that ruled over Kashmir from the 9th to 10th centuries. Founded by Avantivarman in 855, it replaced the Karkota dynasty. It came into existence in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent. The cities of Avantipur (Awantipora) and Suyapur (Sopore) were founded during the reign, and many Hindu temples dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva, and Buddhist monasteries were built, notable of which is the Avantiswara and Avantiswami temples.

Kalhana's Rajatarangini, written in the 11th century, was meant to outline Kashmir's past. The book focused on the Utpala dynasty in its fifth section. The dynasty controlled the area from the 9th to 10th centuries, coming into existence in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent under Avantivarman in 855. 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 positivist notions of history; however, its 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. Nonetheless, historical accuracy increases drastically from the fourth book onward, starting with the narration of Karkota dynasty; the book—typically the critical edition by Aurel Stein—has been heavily cited to reconstruct Kashmiri history.

Coins issued by all the major rulers of the Utpala dynasty have been found.

Following the death of Cippatajayapida, the last significant king of the Karkota dynasty, around 840, a bitter power struggle erupted between his maternal uncles. The war between Padma, Utpala, Kalyana, Mamma, and Dharma to seize control of the empire grew increasingly bloody and the line of succession unclear. In the meantime, puppet kings were propped up and discarded, hailing from the Karkota lineage but failing to exert sufficient authority or establish stability.

Tribhuvanapida's son, Ajitapida was nominated by Utpala immediately after Cippatajayapida's death. A few years afterwards, Mamma waged a successful battle against Utpala, and installed Anangipida. Three years later, Utpala's son Sukhavarman rebelled successfully and installed Utpalapida, a son of Ajitapida. Within a few years, Sukhavarman set out to assume the throne for himself but was murdered by a relative; finally, his son Avantivarman deposed Utpalapida and claimed the throne c. 855 with help from minister Sura, thus establishing the Utpala dynasty.

Avantivarman of Kashmir was the founder of the dynasty, he ascended to the throne in about 855/856, and went on to rule for 27 years until 883. Rajatarangini records no military activity during his reign and frontier territories remained outside Kashmir sovereignty.

His minister Suyya was responsible for several innovations in the field of irrigation and water-management.