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Kashmir

© Maria Christensen

Once upon a very long time ago, an enormous lake called Satisar filled a valley high in the Karakoram Mountains, just north of the Himalayas. In this lake lived a demon named Jalod Bowa, who spent a lot of his time eating the people who lived near the lake. Out of the mists of what we now call legends, came a saint named Kashayap, who cut the mountain which blocked the lake. The water flowed away, killing the demon, Jalod Bowa, and the valley became a beautiful sight to behold. People from India moved to this beautiful valley, which became known as the Vale of Kashmir.

Bright flowers, sparkling lakes, and emerald green grass fill the Vale of Kashmir. Ringed by snow capped mountains etched against a clear sky, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Some have called it Paradise, others, the Switzerland of Asia. Unlike Switzerland, however, Kashmir is a troubled land, a disputed territory fought over by India, Pakistan, and China. Blood has flown freely in this fabled land and no end to the violence witnessed by impassive mountains seems to be in sight.

What happened between the age of myth and the violent present? As in any conflict, it is essential to understand the history of the people and events to gain any kind of understanding as to why people are willing to kill their fellow humankind over a piece of the earth. A good chronology should be studied to establish a background for the current hostilities. There are two main perspectives to the conflict over Kashmir. One is about the right to self determination for a people to choose their own government, and the other is about the historical significance of the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.

Until 1586, Kashmir was a Hindu kingdom , a legacy of the Brahmins who had early on settled there. Then Akbar, the conquering Mogul emperor, and grandfather of Shah Jahan who would later build the Taj Mahal, took over Kashmir. It became a Muslim state,. though the majority of the inhabitants remained Hindu. The Mogul Empire did not last very long after Shah Jahan, and in 1797, the area was forcibly made a part of Afghanistan. In 1819, Ranjit Singh took Kashmir into the Sikh Empire, which was defeated in 1846 by the British. The British sold Kashmir to Ghulab Singh of Jammu, who called himself Maharajah. By this time, the majority of the population was made up of Muslims. Maharajah Ghulab Singh has alternately been called a ruthless persecutor of Muslims, and a respected ruler who effectively crushed outlaws and opposition. In 1947, his descendant, Maharajah Hari Singh faced a choice as British rule in India came to an end. During partition, the rulers of princely states were given a choice to join either India or Pakistan. He chose India.

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