Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris
In 1846, the British created the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) - popularly called "Kashmir" - and then quickly sold this prized region to the wily and powerful Raja, Gulab Singh. Intriguingly, had they retained it, the India-Pakistan dispute over possession of the state may never have arisen, but Britain's concerns lay elsewhere — expansionist Russia, beguiling Tibet and unstable China "circling" J&K — and their agents played the 'Great Game' in Afghanistan and 'Turkistan'.

Snedden contextualizes the geo-strategic and historical circumstances surrounding the British decision to relinquish prestigious 'Kashmir', and explains how they and four Dogra maharajas consolidated and controlled J&K subsequently. He details what comprised this diverse princely state with distant borders and disunified peoples and explains the Maharaja of J&K's controversial accession to India on 26 October 1947 - and its unintended consequences.

Snedden weaves a compelling narrative that frames the Kashmir dispute, explains why it continues, and assesses what it means politically and administratively for the divided peoples of J&K and their undecided futures.
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Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris
In 1846, the British created the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) - popularly called "Kashmir" - and then quickly sold this prized region to the wily and powerful Raja, Gulab Singh. Intriguingly, had they retained it, the India-Pakistan dispute over possession of the state may never have arisen, but Britain's concerns lay elsewhere — expansionist Russia, beguiling Tibet and unstable China "circling" J&K — and their agents played the 'Great Game' in Afghanistan and 'Turkistan'.

Snedden contextualizes the geo-strategic and historical circumstances surrounding the British decision to relinquish prestigious 'Kashmir', and explains how they and four Dogra maharajas consolidated and controlled J&K subsequently. He details what comprised this diverse princely state with distant borders and disunified peoples and explains the Maharaja of J&K's controversial accession to India on 26 October 1947 - and its unintended consequences.

Snedden weaves a compelling narrative that frames the Kashmir dispute, explains why it continues, and assesses what it means politically and administratively for the divided peoples of J&K and their undecided futures.
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Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris

Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris

by Christopher Snedden
Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris

Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris

by Christopher Snedden

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Overview

In 1846, the British created the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) - popularly called "Kashmir" - and then quickly sold this prized region to the wily and powerful Raja, Gulab Singh. Intriguingly, had they retained it, the India-Pakistan dispute over possession of the state may never have arisen, but Britain's concerns lay elsewhere — expansionist Russia, beguiling Tibet and unstable China "circling" J&K — and their agents played the 'Great Game' in Afghanistan and 'Turkistan'.

Snedden contextualizes the geo-strategic and historical circumstances surrounding the British decision to relinquish prestigious 'Kashmir', and explains how they and four Dogra maharajas consolidated and controlled J&K subsequently. He details what comprised this diverse princely state with distant borders and disunified peoples and explains the Maharaja of J&K's controversial accession to India on 26 October 1947 - and its unintended consequences.

Snedden weaves a compelling narrative that frames the Kashmir dispute, explains why it continues, and assesses what it means politically and administratively for the divided peoples of J&K and their undecided futures.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781849043427
Publisher: Hurst
Publication date: 09/15/2015
Pages: 288
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Christopher Snedden is an Australian politico-strategic analyst who has visited J&K often and interviewed many elder statesmen involved in the Kashmir dispute. He is author of The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements xi

Abbreviations xiii

Glossary xv

List of Tables xvii

List of Maps xix

Introduction 1

Part 1 Important Antecedents 7

What is Kashmir? Who are Kashmiris? 7

The prestige of'Kashmir' 17

The historical and strategic context for the British 36

The Sikh Empire and Punjab 54

Jammu andJammuites 60

Part 2 Jammu and Kashmir, 1846-1947 71

The sale of Kashmir and the creation of J&K 71

The British in India and the greater region after 1846 78

Consolidating the princely state 86

Ongoing British strategic concerns re India's and J&K's neighbours 111

What the Dogras did not control 119

Challenges to Dogra rule 124

Part 3 From Princely State to Disputed State 135

The structure of India and J&K in 1947 135

The situation in August 1947 140

Hari Singh's vacillation and its effects 163

J&K becomes an international issue 171

A contentious accession 177

The 'People's Plebiscite' 182

Part 4 Contemporary, and Divided, J&K 189

J&K'sfive regions 189

Indian J&K 191

Pakistan-Administered J&K 207

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Azad Kashmir) 209

Northern Areas/Gilgit-Baltistan 216

Significant challenges to J&K'spost-1949 status quo 223

1950: Dixon and the possible break up of J&K 224

From 1954: India no longer interested in People's Plebiscite 226

1960: Indus Waters Treaty 228

1962 China-India war-and subsequent rivalry 232

1963: China-Pakistan Border Agreement 238

1965: second India-Pakistan war 239

From 1965: China and Pakistan become allies 243

1971: third India-Pakistan war 245

From the early 1980s: Siachen Glacier 247

From 1988: Kashmiris' anti-India uprising 249

1998: India and Pakistan confirm their nuclear capabilities 253

1999: the Kargil war' 255

2001: Terrorism 257

2005: Opening the LOC to J&K-ites 259

Part 5 Resolving the Kashmir dispute 261

Attempts to Resolve the Kashmir dispute 261

The Official Positions of India and Pakistan 264

The India-Pakistan 'trust deficit' 272

Since 1947: an increasing desire for independence 277

One way to resolve the Kashmir dispute: Let the People Decide 281

Conclusion 285

Appendixes 293

Appendix I The Mountains of, and around, J&K 295

Appendix II Maharajas of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir 299

Appendix III Rules for Visitors to Kashmir 301

Appendix IV Wars in, or over, Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 303

Appendix V Districts of Jammu and Kashmir 305

Notes 307

Bibliography 331

Index 357

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