Conflict in Kashmir:

A Synopsis of Indo-Pakistan War 1947-Present

in context Why Nation Go to War
1. Kashmir Through Ancient Historical Background
Background
Conflicts between countries in South Asia are affected most countries international relations
in South Asia. The conflict occurred between India and Pakistan that has continued until now. The
conflict started since the post-independence India and Pakistan. There are areas in the name of
Kashmir is disputed between the two countries. Kashmir area fertile and drained by major rivers,
which influences the geographic South Asia as a whole. That's what makes these two countries
continue the conflict until today.1 Moreover why India-Pakistan conflict occurs because the two
countries are trying to achieve national interests (National Interest) of each country. In this case is
related to the ownership of the territory of Kashmir. Pakistan considers that India had annexed
Kashmir and this is one reason why the struggle over Kashmir between Pakistan and India.
Kashmir region
Term Kashmir historically described as a valley in the south of the western end of the Himalayas
lineup. Politically, the term described Kashmir as a larger region that includes the provinces of
Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh surrounded by incredible mountain and fed by many streams in
valleys.2 Kashmir was known as a wonderful place of spectacular in the world. Srinagar, the capital
of the ancient city, located near the Dal Lake and famous for its canals and houseboat. Srinagar
(altitude of 1,600 m or Ft 5,200) is effective as the summer capital for many foreign conquerors
who get hot in north India. Just outside the city there are beautiful Shalimar gardens created by
Jehangir, the Mughal emperor, in 1619.3 Kashmir is located in northern India. The area is bordered
by Pakistan to the West, Afghanistan to the North, and the people of the Republic of China (PRC) to
the East. Prior to 1974, during the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh, the region has an area of 222,236
1 Abu Al-Ashar,the born conflict of Kashmir,2001,University of Baghdad

2 Nat-Geo,Demography of Kashmir,2011,England

3 James Reston,the Kashmir,New York Times Book Review,2003

km (85.809 sq. mi), which is divided into four provinces, namely: azad Kashmir (Northern Areas),
Kashmir Valley (often referred to Kashmir only), Jammu, and Ladakh.4
After the end of the rule Hari Singh in 1947, the area was divided into three parts. Azad Kashmir
proclaim themselves to be part of Pakistan. Aksai China region, which is part of Ladakh, the PRC
and the remaining occupied (Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh) became part of India. All three of these
areas by India and then merged into one state with reference to Jammu and Kashmir. Total area
under the control of India's 143,798 sq. km (54,571 sq mi).

Jammu and Kashmir region is divided by the Indian government on 14 districts. Kashmir
region consists of 6 districts (Anantnag, Bagdam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Pulwarma, Srinagar).
Jammu 6th district (Doda, Jammu, Kathua, Poonch, Rigour, Udhampur). And Ladakh 2 district
(Kargil, Leh)

Residents of Jammu and Kashmir is dominated by Muslims and Hindus. Muslims make up
the majority population by the number of 3,843,305 people (19%). However, the Muslim population
is concentrated in Kashmir. In areas that have the densest population, 94.96% of its citizens to
convert to Islam. In two other districts (Jammu and Ladakh) Muslim population was only 19.60%
and 46.04% of total residents. Three times in the war between India and Pakistan led to a massive
exodus of Muslims to Azad Kashmir, India's big cities, English, some other European countries and
the United States. The area is the largest exodus from Jammu. Census 1941 shows that Muslims in
this area back 61% of the total population. But now home to 60%. This reduction makes only a
majority Muslim population that is only three district Doda, Poonch, Rajouri.

A majority population in Jammu is Hindu. In other regions (Kashmir and Ladakh) Hindu
population only slightly. While in Ladakh, Muslims and Hindus are not too obtrusive. The area
immediately adjacent to the PRC is mostly inhabited by Buddhist.5

4 retrieved from http//www.kashmirorigin.com.my

5 Abdullah Musa Torouti,the exodus of muslim in Kashmir,University of Allahabad,India,1993

2. The Conflict in Kashmir 1947

Kashmir is located in a remote northern India has made the region that its status as an autonomous
region that is long enough until the year 1586. At that time, Kashmir organise itself like a state.
Within the various religions came and went (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam) in order to live in peace
in Kashmir. The arrival of the last wave, namely Islam, making the majority of Kashmiris to Islam.

Long autonomy period just ended when Akbar conquered Kashmir and make it a part of
Mughal empire in 1586.6 Since then, Kashmir was ruled by foreigners alternates. Indigenous people
(Muslims) have never been given the chance to govern.

Kashmiris causes the collapse of the Mughal empire. Hence, the reign changed hands from
the centre of New Delhi. This time the ruling was Ranjit Singh, a Sikh who became ruler of Punjab.
Under his rule, the Muslim population is experiencing a lot of stress. And just before the mid-19th
century is ending pressure. Following the conquest of Punjab to the British colonialists, Punjab
Maharaja had to give up (sell) Kashmir and to the Hindu Dogra. This ridiculous statement (just R.s
7.5 million for an area of England) is a war indemnity and to be a part of Amritsar agreement signed
by the British East India Company and the emperor in 1846.

Under the Hindu Dogra Rajputs, Rajputs, Muslims suffered great pressure. Added
consolidation of authoritarian rule which made the rajput, it has causing widespread human rights
abuses and alienation of the Muslim population. Jobs predominantly Hindu Dogra, approximately
60% of the posts of government in the hands of their educational qualification even though they
were under Muslim population.

This excessive discrimination continuing into the early 20th century. Kashmir secluded
park, the swift flow of historical events in the territory of India and other parts of the world, and the
British policy of giving full autonomy for the territory of the so-called princely state, leading to
discrimination and oppression that lasted less attention from the colonial government.

6 Michael Howard,a commentary of Kashmiris priority,Oxford Readers Guide,1993

Patience Muslim population reached its peak in 1931. To improve the situation, the Muslim
population of the popular protest movements as Tebreek-i-Jihad. The protest ended with the
massacre of security forces by the Muslim population. In response to the bloody events of the
colonial government established the Glance Commission. The Commission is working to produce a
number of recommendations to reform the existing system. One is opening the taps political
participation and freedom to form political parties. For the people of Kashmir this development
marks the beginning of a chance for them to open their eyes and the colonial government of
discrimination and repression that took place in Kashmir.7
3. The Conflict between Hindu and Islam in Kashmir 1947
Kashmir's territory is situated between India and Pakistan has a Hindu monarchy which at that time
held by Maharaja Hari Singh. Therefore, Hari Singh felt closer to India. Meanwhile, the majority of
Kashmiris are Muslims so by Mountbatten, should integrate Kashmir with Pakistan. This dilemma
makes Hari Singh independence is the best alternative to Kashmir. Therefore, until the
independence of India and Pakistan was proclaimed, Singh has not yet decided to join one of these
countries.
At the beginning of October 1947, there was a rebellion in Poonch district. The uprising was
the culmination of an internal conflict, which broke out as a result of the policy of Maharaja Hari
Singh, who since August 1947 in an act of impeachment against the soldiers who came from
residents of Poonch and replace them with soldiers Hindu and Sikh. Policy Hari Singh responded
with a campaign of citizen Poonch. These tense political situation finally broke into revolt after
news circulated among residents about the massacre of Muslim Poonch in Jammu, Patiala, and
Kapurthala.

On September 21 October 1947 the rebellion is uprising peaked.Its combined citizens

Pathan, Muslim, Pakistan and Kashmiri rebels occupied the Hindu population Muzafarbad then
drove from it. In 24 October 1947 the rebellion proclaimed the founding group of the State Azad

7 Mohammad Mohsin Al-Anwari,the critic on political ethnic through hind-muslim in Kashmir,

journal,University of Al Azhar,Egypt 2003

Kashmir. The attack by the rebels did not stop there. They continue its efforts to take over other
cities in Poonch, and began to approach the summer capital, Srinagar.8
4. The Importance of Kashmir
For Pakistan
Country Yamm Kashmir has tarried important addition to the strategy, but also of great significance
for the economic life of Pakistan. Economic life or prosperity of West Pakistan depends on the
rivers that disgorge in Kashmir as the river Indus, Jhelum, and Chemab. All three rivers flowing
into West Pakistan from Kashmir, plus Sutley and Ravi rivers that disgorge in India. If the State
Yamm Kashmir controlled by other countries such as the 19 million hectares of agricultural land in
West Pakistan its water supply depends on rivers above, may be endangered because of "the
economic life of Pakistan depended upon the control of these rivers

For India
Kashmir is also of great significance for India for the purposes of defence strategy, because
Kashmir is a border area adjoining the great nations. For traffic economy would be significant, as an
important traffic such as railways and rivers that washed away the wood, which is mainly export of
all of Kashmir to Pakistan. Add to that the only road linking Kashmir with India from Yamm to
Punjab east in winter there is no way that it can remain open for the valley of Kashmir in addition to
Pakistan.9

8 John G.Stoessinger,why nation go to war,South African Journal of Military Studies,vol

38,2010,pg:2

9 Dr.Aaron Ralby,Atlas of Military History,Indo-Pakistan war 1947,Parragon 2013

The Effect of the Conflict Between Pakistan and India in 1947

A. India take Chance to Independence
The tense situation developing in India caused the British to advance the timetable for
independence. A new initiative was made with the appointment of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the
popular wartime hero, to the post of viceroy of India. On his arrival there in March 1947,
Mountbatten announced July 1948 as the new deadline for the transfer of power from the British to
the Indians. Instead of pacifying the Indians, both Hindus and Muslims as he had intended, his
announcement had the opposite effect.10 As violence mounted and thousands of people were killed,
negotiations among the three parties intensified. Although Mountbatten at first reaffirmed the
British desire to preserve the unity of India, he could not satisfy the Muslim League with anything
less than partition, and he therefore decided to settle the matter speedily on the basis of establishing
two successor states to British rule. The result was a hasty agreement on the division of India to go
into effect on a new, earlier date set for independence in August 15, 1947.
B. The Rise of Muslim State in India and Pakistan
Not one but two nations came into being: India and Pakistan, the new Muslim State. This event,
known as the partition , was followed by the movement of some 15 million people from one area to
the territories designated for another, mainly the flight of muslim from various region of India and
Afghanistan. A commission was set up to define the boundaries of Pakistan, one part of which was
to be in the West and another part in the East, two ethnically diverse regions separated by

1000

miles. The agreement on the partition of India did not specify the future status of the Sikh, another
religious minority, and the 560 small, independent princely states scattered the Indian subcontinent.
It was presumed , however, that they would look to one or the other of the two governments for
protection and thus be integrated into either India or Pakistan.11

10 Wayne C.McWilliams,Harry Piotrowski,The World Since 1945,A History of International

Relation,US

11 retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/2473712/THE_FIRST_INDO-PAKISTANI_WAR_194748

3. The War between the two state were not over

In 1965, Pakistan sent forces covertly into Jammu and Kashmir as part of Operation Gibraltar,
designed to spark an insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir. India fought back, however the two
nation clashed heavily on the battlefield, resulting in thousand of casualties over a period of just
five weeks. The war is known for the extensive deployment of tanks. At the end of the war, little
had changed in terms of territorial holdings. Animosity continued to brew between India and
Pakistan.
In 1971, war broke out again, this time in modern day Bangladesh. At the time, the territory
was known as East Pakistan. The Pakistani Army targeted Hindu civilians in Bangladesh Atrocities
of 1971. The atrocities were committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War, waged between East
Pakistan and Pakistan. Refugees poured into India from East Pakistan. The result was the creation
of Bangladesh as an independent nation.12
Conclusion
Kashmir is a region that has yet to gain clarity for certain sovereign independence in the
international system, because Kashmir is a struggle for territory between India and Pakistan. War
between India and Pakistan sovereignty makes Kashmir region becomes vulnerable to conflict, be it
social or armed conflicts. The area is a very highly contested by both sides because Kashmir has a
very high economic potential to increase a country's foreign exchange control, Kashmir is known to
have a lot of natural resources, beautiful scenery increasing tourism potential impact on the
economy. Many other facts that make this region up for grabs, this situation triggered by the
geographical location in which India triumphed over Kashmir, while Pakistan won a majority in
terms of population is Muslim, making war between India and Pakistan fight this increasingly
complex area. Therefore cashmere as victims in the seizure of territory carried out by India and
Pakistan find ways to liberate its territory until the present, efforts are being made to achieve that
goal, however, many challenges in be complicated towards the two nation. Hence, in order to build
a peaceful nation the country of India and Pakistan have to be independence through the leadership.
So it can be generalised that the independence of Kashmir to become a sovereign country is still
very far, for India and Pakistan are still concerned about the interests of their respective countries in
Kashmir.
12 Dr.Aaron Ralby,Atlas of Military History,Indo-Pakistan war 1947,Parragon 2013

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abu Al-Ashar,the born conflict of Kashmir,2001,University of Baghdad
Abdullah Musa Torouti,the exodus of muslim in Kashmir,University of Allahabad,India,1993
Dr.Aaron Ralby,Atlas of Military History,Indo-Pakistan war 1947,Parragon 2013
James Reston,the Kashmir,New York Times Book Review,2003
John G.Stoessinger,why nation go to war,South African Journal of Military Studies,vol
38,2010,pg:2
Michael Howard,a commentary of Kashmiris priority,Oxford Readers Guide,1993
Mohammad Mohsin Al-Anwari,the critic on political ethnic through hind-muslim in Kashmir,
journal,University of Al Azhar,Egypt 2003
Nat-Geo,Demography of Kashmir,2011,England
retrieved from http//www.kashmirorigin.com.my
retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/2473712/THE_FIRST_INDO-PAKISTANI_WAR_1947-48
Wayne C.McWilliams,Harry Piotrowski,The World Since 1945,A History of International
Relation,US8