The History of Kashmir

Kashmir is known for its natural beauty and is located in the northern section of the subcontinent. In the beginning, Kashmir was ruled by the Hindu and Buddhist rulers. The rule of the Hindu Rajas continued until 1325. After that Muslims took over the area because the majority of the people of the valley were converted to Islam by the Islamic missionaries. The rule of the Muslim Sultans lasted for almost 260 years until they were overrun by the Mughal rulers of India in 1586. In its last years, the Mughal rule became too weak and hence the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali saw an opportunity to invade the region. Abdali took control of Kashmir in 1752 and ruled the area ruthlessly. He changed his opponents publically and had many of them drowned in the Jhelum River. This terrifying era was terminated in 1819, when Kashmir was colonized by the Sikhs of Punjab when they defeated the Afghans.

A Hindu commander Gulab Singh helped the British rulers defeat the Sikhs of Punjab and take over the valley of Kashmir. As a reward the British government sold Kashmir to Gulab Singh for Rs 75,000, one horse, 12 goats and 12 shawls. This treaty between Gulab Singh and the British government is known as "Treaty of Amritsar". In 1840 Gulab Singh attacked Laddakh, Baltistan and Dardistan and included all these areas into his domain through force. The Dogra rulers were particularly partial against the Muslims. The Dogras hanged those Muslims who were found guilty of slaughtering cows, as a cow was a very sacred animal in Hinduism. The Muslims were also subjected to forcible labor.

In 1889, the British government took over control of Kashmir for sixteen years and then in 1905 the Dogra Raj was once again reinstated, which continued until 1947. The Dogra Raja wanted to incorporate Kashmir into India, whereas the majority of the population wanted to join Pakistan. The locals, with the help of the tribes from the Waziristan area, revolted against the Dogras. The Maharaja of Kashmir fled from Kashmir and signed an agreement with the Indian government about incorporating Kashmir as a part of India.

On 27^th October 1947, the Indian army landed on the Srinagar airport, which resulted in war between the two newly established states, i.e. India and Pakistan. As a result of this war Pakistan took control of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, whereas India gained control of a larger area of Kashmir including Laddakh. The matter was taken to the United Nations in January 1948. In April 1948 the United Nations envisaged a cease fire between the two countries and established a cease fire line. The UN also adopted a resolution that the fate of Kashmir must be decided by the people of Kashmir through plebiscite. The UN also sent its missions to both Pakistan and India to sort out the formalities of the plebiscite. The issue still remains unresolved, and is a constant source of tension between Pakistan and India.

References;

History of Kashmir www.kashmirnewz.com

An Outline of the History of Kashmir http://koausa.org/Crown/history.html