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Kashmir is a region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The term Kashmir historically described the valley just to the south of the westernmost end of the Himalayan range. Politically, however, the term 'Kashmir' describes a much larger area which includes the regions of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The name Kashmir came to be applied to this region as a result of the activities of the Dogra princes. The Dogra are a predominantly Hindu people in the area around Jammu. Their kings were reduced to submission by the Sikhs, as part of the Sikh Empire that arose following the collapse of the Mughal Empire. Under the Sikhs, as feudatories, the Dogras sought and obtained permission to push into Kashmir and the North, into Ladakh. Zorawar Singh Dogra led an expedition into Tibet in a failed effort to bring it to submission to the Sikh Empire, as a sub-feudatory of the Dogras. With the sudden collapse of the Sikh Empire before the English forces, the Dogras purchased from the English their independence, and thus also assured themselves of their feudal hold over the subsidiary kingdoms of Kashmir, Ladakh and the Emirates of the north. The Dogra kings who originally ruled only from Jammu, also began to operate in summer from Srinagar, the metropolis of Kashmir. As a result, the Dogra Kingdom developed into a sort of "Dual Monarchy", the Dogra Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir.
The region is currently divided amongst three countries: Pakistan controls the northwest portion ( Northern Areas, Pakistan and Azad Kashmir), India controls the central and southern portion ( Jammu and Kashmir), and the People's Republic of China controls the northeastern portion ( Aksai Chin). Though these regions are in practice administered by their respective claimants, India has never formally recognized the accession of the areas claimed by Pakistan and China. Pakistan views the entire Kashmir region as disputed territory, and does not consider India's claim to it to be valid.
Kashmir is a valley whose beauty has been proclaimed by many and stretches out at about 7,200 square kilometers (2,800 square miles) at an elevation of 1,675 meters (5,500 feet). A Mughal ruler who built the famed Shalimar Gardens in (what is now Indian) Kashmir made the statement, " If heaven be on this earth, it must be here." It has a very ancient history and it was for a long time one of the centers of Hindu philosophical, literary and religious culture, a tradition still maintained by the native Hindu Kashmiri PanditA Kashmiri Pandit is a name used to refer to a section of Hindus who originate from Kashmir. The Kashmiri Pandits are the original inhabitants of the Valley of Kashmir. They have a rich culture and peaceful traditions that they have managed to maintain ov population. Kashmiri literatureKashmiri literature has a history of at least 2,500 years, going back to its glory days of Sanskrit. Early names include Patanjali, the author of the Mahabhashya commentary on Panini's grammar, suggested by some to have been the same to write the Hindu tr, sculpture, music, dance, painting, and architecture have had a profound influence in Asia. History, however, has witnessed the quick depletion of numbers of Kashmiri Pandits following incipience of Islamic rule; it is estimated that today at least a half million have been forced to flee from their homes in Jammu and Kashmir and seek asylum in other parts of India.
In 1935Events January January 1 Italian colonies of Tripoli and Kyrenaika are joined together as Libya January 7 World War II: Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French foreign minister Pierre Laval conclude agreement in which each power undertakes not to oppo (before Indian independence), British rulers compelled the Dogra Kings of Jammu & Kashmir to lease for 60 years parts of his kingdom; parts which went to make up the new Province of the North-West Frontier, in a move designed to strengthen their northern boundaries, especially from Russian intruders
In 1947Events January January 1 British mines nationalized January 1 Nigeria gains limited autonomy January 1 The Canadian Citizenship Act went into effect January 3 Proceedings of the United States Congress are televised for the first time. January 10 United Na, the British dominion of India came to an end with the creation of two new nations, India and Pakistan. Several princely states were reverted their sovereignity that they had ceded to the Kings of England by the 'subsidiary treaties'.
Kashmir, which had a predominantly Muslim population, was one of these autonomous states, ruled by the Dogra King (or MaharajaMaharaja (also spelled maharajah comes from the Sanskrit words maha meaning "great" and raja meaning "king". It was and is used primarily for Hindu potentates. The female equivalent to Maharaja is Maharani (or Maharanee , a title used either by the wife o) Hari SinghHari Singh was a Hindu Dogra. His Great Grand father was a general in the army of the Sikh king Raja Ranjit Singh. Pleased with his (Gulab Siungh) serveces Raja made him the governor of Jammu and later made him the king of the territory. When successors o. Hari Singh preferred to remain independent and sought to avoid the stress placed on him by either India and Pakistan by playing each against the other.
Not long after partition, Pakistani tribals from North Waziristan invaded Kashmir. It is alleged that the main reason behind this was the general violations of basic human rights of the Muslim majority of the state by the Dogra army; the actual cause was Pakistan's impatience to absorb the Dogra Kingdom, and its fear that India may succeed in winning over its Hindu king, as it had done with the formerly pro-Pakistan Hindu kings of the Rajput kingdoms.
This invasion was aggravated by the mutiny of the army in the northern province of Gilgit, led by the two British officers placed by the Hari Singh in charge; they seized and kidnapped the Dogra prince who was governor, and unilaterally declared the province a part of Pakistan.
The invading irregular Pakistani forces made rapid advances into North Kashmir (Baramulla sector), but lost further initiative due to in-fighting among themselves. These distractions delayed their arrival into Srinagar, giving Maharaja Hari Singh enough time to enter into negotiations for acceding to India and receiving military aid in return. India promised aid if the Maharaja were to sign the instrument of accession to India, which he did. This ceded Kashmir over to India.
Pakistan claims that this accession is invalidated by a previous agreement between India and Pakistan, to maintain the "status quo"; India counters that the invasion of Kashmir by tribals aided and instigated by the Government of Pakistan, and reinforced by military regulars, had rendered that agreement null and void.
The resulting war, the First Kashmir War, lasted until 1948, when India moved the issue to United Nations to ask Pakistan to vacate the occupied Kashmir. The UN imposed a cease-fire, and mandated a plebiscite among the entire Kashmiri population, subject to the withdrawal of all Pakistani forces, regular and irregular, and the plebiscite to be held under Indian auspices.
However Pakistan, refused to abide this resolution. Pakistan's recalcitrance was strengthened by its alliance with England and the USA, against the Soviet Union, even as India allied with the USSR.
A latter resolution mandated a joint withdrawal, but India refused to accept the new proposal.
The Treaty of Accession signed by the King Hari Singh and his heir, the Sardar-e-Riyasat K. Singh Dogra, was ratified by the popular parliament of the kingdom, dominated by the National Conference party under Sheikh Abdullah. The Indian Government negotiated an autonomous status for the kingdom, and it was the only Indian province permitted to retain its own constitution, flag, anthem, etc.
Pakistan still claims free plebiscite in Kashmir under UN as the only solution, even though it has already pre-empted any such plebiscite by its actions: "Annexation" of the "Northern Territories" and cession of the "Trans-Karakorum Tract" to China. The ceasefire line is known as the Line of Control (dotted line) and is the pseudo-border between India and Pakistan in most of the Kashmir region.
In 1954, the Indian Government overthrew the provincial administration of Sheikh Abdullah, and installed a puppet administration under Ghulam Mohammed, which diluted the sovereign autonomy of Jammu & Kashmir. The Ghulam Mohammed administration also conducted a partial plebiscite in Indian-held Kashmir, and declared it in India's favour. Among the changes, the province gave up its right to a separate flag and other rights, and as a result, widespread disillusionment with India set in.
In 1962 the People's Republic of China attacked India in the Sino-Indian War, and seized and continues to occupy the region called Aksai Chin, besides a strip along the eastern border. In addition to the land seized by the Chinese, another smaller area (the Trans-Karakoram) was ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963 as a measure of "goodwill". The line that separates India from China in this region is known as the Line of Actual Control. [1]
In 1965 and 1971, heavy fighting again broke out between India and Pakistan. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 resulted in a defeat of Pakistan in East Pakistan ( Bangladesh), and the capturing of many soldiers by India in that region. However, in Kashmir and West Pakistan, both India and Pakistan fought to another draw. This led to the Simla Accord in 1972 between India and Pakistan. By this treaty, both countries agreed to settle all issues by peaceful means and mutual discussions, and India withdrew to the Line of Control (and from Pakistan territories to the International Border in the Punjab sector) and released 90,000 Pakistani prisoners as a gesture of goodwill.
In 1984, the simmering discontent over broken promises and the pedestrian, philistine and monocultural attitudes of the Indian government provoked a widespread rebellion and the commencement of armed insurgency. That continues till this day. The militants have been armed and aided by Pakistan. Indeed, when native insurgents began to falter under the counter-pressure from India, Pakistan began to motivate its citizens to embark on Muslim military expeditions Jihad into Indian-held Jammu & Kashmir.
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