Kashmir issue:
Abstract: The region of Jammu & Kashmir is a Muslim-dominated state with a sizable minority population. Its last Hindu king chose to join India in 1947 as the British left India. The newly created Pakistan wanted the region as it was Muslim dominated. Since then both nations have used force to make their point clear. As both nations want it equally badly, both nations nuclear powered and the state is a rich source of water & strategic advantage, there is a stalemate.
Geography: The state of Jammu & Kashmir is comprised of 7 regions. The green one on the top left (Gilgit-Baltistan) is where some of the world's tallest peaks (such as K2) are. Under Pakistan's control. The one below this is the Kashmir valley. This is split into two parts (the green one on the left for Pakistan and the Pink one on the right for India). The Magenta region on the bottom is the Hindu dominated Jammu. The red region on the right is Buddist region of Ladakh. Both these are under India. On top are two uninhabited regions. Both are held by China to let two key highways of Xinjiang pass through (Karakoram Highway and China National Highway 219)
Kashmir is surrounded by a bunch of troubled regions rife with unrest & separatism: Afghanistan, Swat region of Pakistan, Xinjiang of China and Tibet. There are 3 nuclear powers in the region. Unsurprisingly there is a problem.
Distant History: The story of Kashmir is not much different from the rest of ancient India and followed the same pattern. Until the 14th century, various Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms ruled the region. From about 1350-1580 it came under Islamic rule after attack from the Turkic & Afghan warriors. In this period, Islam spread through the region much faster than in rest of India as the rulers actively promoted. Then like the rest of India, the whole region came under the Mughal empire.
In the 18th century, as the Mughal empire disintegrated, Kashmir region came under the Sikhs. The Sikhs were defeated by the British & not knowing what to do with it, they put it on a sale for Rs.75 lakhs (about 100K pounds) & sold to Gulab Singh (a Dogra chieftain who was loyal to the British). From 1846 until 1947, the Dogra descendents of Gulab Singh ruled the state.
Recent History:
In 1947 at the dawn of freedom from Britain, India was split to provide a new nation for the Muslims - Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the movement wanted every Muslim-majority region in India to be a part of his new country. By that time 75% of the Kashmir region was Muslim and thus Jinnah wanted this to be a part of his new nation.
The British Viceroy who handled the partition gave the individual kings the right to decide between joining either India or Pakistan.Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir) The greedy Dogra king wanted neither & planned to keep the kingdom separate from either. That was impractical given the geography & history, but sound reason was not the forte of the king.
As the king vacillated for months, the newly created Pakistan sent a troop of raiders to force the king to submission. Kashmir conflict The king fled to India and agreed to join India in return for protecting his region from the Pakistani raiders. Soon, India and Pakistan were involved in the war: Indo-Pakistani War of 1947and the Pakistanis were pushed back to the dotted line in the map below.
Kashmir profile
For India, the region belongs to her as the last king had signed the instrument of accession to join India. Its history & culture is similar to the rest of India and the many religions habiting this region will die under an Islamic state of Pakistan.
For Pakistan, the region belongs to her as the three-fourths of the region was Muslim at the time of partition in 1947. The geography favors her too as Pakistani capital is just an hour drive from Kashmir border and the valley is accessible through multiple roads from Pakistan..
Added to that, the main water supply for Western India & Pakistan - Indus, passes through Kashmir & controlling the state provides a strategic advantage when it comes to water (the most scarce commodity in south asia).
Pakistan has encouraged separatists for 5 decades and China has involved herself to be in aid of her ally - Pakistan. Essentially, it is a two-party conflict (between India & Pakistan) where external parties are quite interested.
Geography: The state of Jammu & Kashmir is comprised of 7 regions. The green one on the top left (Gilgit-Baltistan) is where some of the world's tallest peaks (such as K2) are. Under Pakistan's control. The one below this is the Kashmir valley. This is split into two parts (the green one on the left for Pakistan and the Pink one on the right for India). The Magenta region on the bottom is the Hindu dominated Jammu. The red region on the right is Buddist region of Ladakh. Both these are under India. On top are two uninhabited regions. Both are held by China to let two key highways of Xinjiang pass through (Karakoram Highway and China National Highway 219)
Kashmir is surrounded by a bunch of troubled regions rife with unrest & separatism: Afghanistan, Swat region of Pakistan, Xinjiang of China and Tibet. There are 3 nuclear powers in the region. Unsurprisingly there is a problem.
Distant History: The story of Kashmir is not much different from the rest of ancient India and followed the same pattern. Until the 14th century, various Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms ruled the region. From about 1350-1580 it came under Islamic rule after attack from the Turkic & Afghan warriors. In this period, Islam spread through the region much faster than in rest of India as the rulers actively promoted. Then like the rest of India, the whole region came under the Mughal empire.
In the 18th century, as the Mughal empire disintegrated, Kashmir region came under the Sikhs. The Sikhs were defeated by the British & not knowing what to do with it, they put it on a sale for Rs.75 lakhs (about 100K pounds) & sold to Gulab Singh (a Dogra chieftain who was loyal to the British). From 1846 until 1947, the Dogra descendents of Gulab Singh ruled the state.
Recent History:
In 1947 at the dawn of freedom from Britain, India was split to provide a new nation for the Muslims - Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the movement wanted every Muslim-majority region in India to be a part of his new country. By that time 75% of the Kashmir region was Muslim and thus Jinnah wanted this to be a part of his new nation.
The British Viceroy who handled the partition gave the individual kings the right to decide between joining either India or Pakistan.Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir) The greedy Dogra king wanted neither & planned to keep the kingdom separate from either. That was impractical given the geography & history, but sound reason was not the forte of the king.
As the king vacillated for months, the newly created Pakistan sent a troop of raiders to force the king to submission. Kashmir conflict The king fled to India and agreed to join India in return for protecting his region from the Pakistani raiders. Soon, India and Pakistan were involved in the war: Indo-Pakistani War of 1947and the Pakistanis were pushed back to the dotted line in the map below.
Kashmir profile
For India, the region belongs to her as the last king had signed the instrument of accession to join India. Its history & culture is similar to the rest of India and the many religions habiting this region will die under an Islamic state of Pakistan.
For Pakistan, the region belongs to her as the three-fourths of the region was Muslim at the time of partition in 1947. The geography favors her too as Pakistani capital is just an hour drive from Kashmir border and the valley is accessible through multiple roads from Pakistan..
Added to that, the main water supply for Western India & Pakistan - Indus, passes through Kashmir & controlling the state provides a strategic advantage when it comes to water (the most scarce commodity in south asia).
Pakistan has encouraged separatists for 5 decades and China has involved herself to be in aid of her ally - Pakistan. Essentially, it is a two-party conflict (between India & Pakistan) where external parties are quite interested.
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