In 1935, during the British rule of India, Britain compelled the Dogra king of Jammu and Kashmir to lease some of the Kashmir to strengthen the northern border with Russia.
When the 60 year British mandate over India ended in 1947, the entire sub-continent was partitioned into secular India and Muslim Pakistan, but the Kashmir stayed out of it. A dispute over taxes imposed by the King of Jammu and Kashmir, brought Pakistanis charging over the border, but to protect their interests, the Kashmiris aligned with India, a move that was never put to a national referendum. The cessation of Jammu and Kashmir, the largest blok in the Kashmir region, triggered a dispute between India and Pakistan, leading to wars in 1947, 1965 and 1999. Other skirmishes have also happened, but now a nuclear standoff prevails.
China also has a stake in the Kashmir, the Trans-Karakoram Tract, also known as Shaksam Valley, which was ceded to it by Pakistan in 1963. This led to an Indo-China war in 1962.
The upshot of all of this is that the Kashmir is like a dam wall, that must eventually break and cause an outpouring of the kings of the east into the middle east, via the Hindu-Kush corridor.
When the 60 year British mandate over India ended in 1947, the entire sub-continent was partitioned into secular India and Muslim Pakistan, but the Kashmir stayed out of it. A dispute over taxes imposed by the King of Jammu and Kashmir, brought Pakistanis charging over the border, but to protect their interests, the Kashmiris aligned with India, a move that was never put to a national referendum. The cessation of Jammu and Kashmir, the largest blok in the Kashmir region, triggered a dispute between India and Pakistan, leading to wars in 1947, 1965 and 1999. Other skirmishes have also happened, but now a nuclear standoff prevails.
China also has a stake in the Kashmir, the Trans-Karakoram Tract, also known as Shaksam Valley, which was ceded to it by Pakistan in 1963. This led to an Indo-China war in 1962.
The upshot of all of this is that the Kashmir is like a dam wall, that must eventually break and cause an outpouring of the kings of the east into the middle east, via the Hindu-Kush corridor.
Source of content and Kashmir map: wikipedia
(c) Peter Eleazar at www.bethelstone.com
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