Jammu and Kashmir (state)

This article is about the area controlled by India. For Kashmir region, see Jammu and Kashmir (state) (disambiguation).

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir जम्मू और कश्मीर جموں و کشمیر
state
• Rank	6
Population
• Total	10,069,917
• Rank	18th
Website	jammukashmir.nic.in

Jammu and Kashmir (Hindi: जम्मू और कश्मीर, Urdu: جموں و کشمیر, IPA: /dʒəmmuː ənd kəʃmiːr/) (often abbreviated as Kashmir), is the northernmost state of India, Jammu and Kashmir is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south, the country of Pakistan to the west and thePeople's Republic of China to the north-east and east. Jammu and Kashmir is often called the Indian occupied Kashmir and is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir consists of three divisions: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. Srinagar is the summer capital, and Jammu its winter capital. While the Kashmir Valley is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape, Jammu attracts tens of thousands of Hindu and Muslim pilgrims every year. Ladakh, also known as "Little Tibet", is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture. Though Islam is practiced by about 65% of population (and 95% of the population in the Kashmir Valley), the state has significant minorities of Hindus (who constitute 67% of the population in Jammu and 30% of the state's population), Buddhists (who constitute 51% of the population in Ladhakh and 3% of the total population of the state), and Sikhs (who form 5% of Jammu's population and 2% of the state's population).

History

Main article: History of Kashmir

The Valley of Kashmir was once the great lake Satisar. According to Hindu texts, the Hindu sage Kashyapa drained a lake lying north of the Pir Panjal range by cutting the mountain near Varamulla. The sage then encouraged people from India to settle in the valley that was formed after the lake was drained. The locals named the valley Kashyap-Mar and Kashyap-Pura in honour of the sage. The name Kashmir is derived from ka (the water) and shimeera (to desiccate). In other words, the word Kashmir implies land desiccated from water.

The Kashmir valley was first incorporated into the Maurya Empire and then into the Kushan Empire. In the early 8th century, Kashmir became the center of Hindu warrior Lalitaditya Muktapida's empire spanning much of northern India and Central Asia. Kashmir was invaded in mid 12 th century by the Muslim Turkish army but it was completely occupied by Turkish Zulkadur Khan in 1322. Later in 1394 another Turkish occupation took place by Sikandar who had forcibly converted the people to accept Muslim religion. Thus, it is true Kashmiris became Muslim not due to their free choice Udayan Dev was the last free Kashmiri ruler but after his death in 1338 Kashmir was completely occupied by the Muslims Turks. Turkish rule ened when the Mughal Emperor Akbar invaded Kashmir in 1586, led by Hindu King Bhagawant Das and his aide Ramchandra I. The Mughal army easily defeated Yusuf Khan of Kashmir. After the battle, Akbar appointed Ramchandra I as the governor of the Himalayan kingdom. Ramchandra I founded the city of Jammu (named after Hindu goddess Jamwa Mata) south of the Pir Panjal range. Ramchandra was the ancestor of the last Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir Hari Singh whose kingdom was invaded by Pakistan on 20 October 1947.

1909 Map of the Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu. The names of different regions, important cities, rivers, and mountains are underlined in red.

File:Gulab singh1847.jpg

Portrait of Maharaja Gulab Singh, former Governor of Jammu of the Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh, in 1847, after signing the Treaty of Amritsar with the British, when he became Maharaja for the territories of Kashmir east of the Indus and west of the Ravi. (Artist: James Duffield Harding).

In 1780, after the death of Ranjit Deo, a descendant of Ramchandra I, Jammu and Kashmir was captured by the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh of Lahore and afterwards, until 1846, became a tributary to the Sikh power. Ranjit Deo's grand-nephew, Gulab Singh, subsequently sought service at the court of Ranjit Singh, distinguished himself in later wars, and was appointed as the Governor or Raja of Jammu in 1820. With the help of his able officer, Zorawar Singh, Gulab Singh soon captured Ladakh and Baltistan, regions to the east and north-east of Kashmir. In 1845, the First Anglo-Sikh War broke out, and Gulab Singh "contrived to hold himself aloof till the battle of Sobraon (1846), when he appeared as a useful mediator and the trusted advisor of Sir Henry Lawrence. Two treaties were concluded. By the first the State of Lahore (i.e. West Punjab) was handed over to the British, as equivalent for (rupees) one crore of indemnity, the hill countries between Beas and Indus; by the second the British made over to Gulab Singh for (Rupees) 75 lakhs all the hilly or mountainous country situated to the east of Indus and west of Ravi" (i.e. the Vale of Kashmir). Soon after Gulab Singh's death in 1857, his son, Ranbir Singh, added the emirates of Hunza, Gilgit and Nagar to the kingdom.

Ranbir Singh's grandson Hari Singh, who had ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1925, was the reigning monarch in 1947 at the conclusion of British rule in the subcontinent. As a part of the partition process, both countries had agreed that the rulers of princely states would be given the right to opt for either Pakistan or India or—in special cases—to remain independent. In 1947, Kashmir's population "was 77 per cent Muslim and it shared a boundary with Pakistan. On 20 October Pakistan violating the Stand-Still agreement invaded Jammu & Kashmir. Initially the Maharaja fought back but on 27 October appealed to Mountbatten for assistance, and the Governor-General agreed on the condition that the ruler accede to India." Once the papers of accession to India were signed, "Indian soldiers entered Kashmir but they got the order just to stop any further occupation but they were not allowed to drive out the invaders from the state. India took the matter to the United Nations. The UN resolution asked Pakistan to vacate the areas it has occupied and asked India to assist the U.N. Plebescite Commission to organize a plebiscite to determine the will of the people. Pakistan has refused to vacate the occupied areas. In course of time relations between India and Pakistan soured for many other reasons, and eventually led to three more wars in Kashmir in 1965, Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 and 1999. India has control of 60 percent of the area of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir; Pakistan controls 30 percent of the region, the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir and China has occupied 10 percent of the state in 1962. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Although there was a clear Muslim majority in Kashmir before the 1947 partition and its economic, cultural, and geographic contiguity with the Muslim-majority area of the Punjab (in Pakistan) could be convincingly demonstrated, the political developments during and after the partition resulted in a division of the region. Pakistan was left with territory that, although basically Muslim in character, was thinly populated, relatively inaccessible, and economically underdeveloped. The largest Muslim group, situated in the Vale of Kashmir and estimated to number more than half the population of the entire region, lay in Indian-administered territory, with its former outlets via the Jhelum valley route blocked."

The eastern region of the erstwhile princely state of Kashmir has also been beset with a boundary dispute. In the late 19th- and early 20th centuries, although some boundary agreements were signed between Great Britain, Tibet, Afghanistan and Russia over the northern borders of Kashmir, China never accepted these agreements, and the official Chinese position did not change with the communist takeover in 1949. By the mid-1950s the Chinese army had entered the north-east portion of Ladakh. : "By 1956–57 they had completed a military road through the Aksai Chin area to provide better communication between Xinjiang and western Tibet. India's belated discovery of this road led to border clashes between the two countries that culminated in the Sino-Indian war of October 1962." China has occupied Aksai Chin since 1962 and, in addition, an adjoining region, the Trans-Karakoram Tract was ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963.

Since the 1990s, the state has been hit by confrontation between Islamic separatists supported by Pakistan and Indian Armed Forces, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and expulsions of the non-Muslims from the Kashmir valley. The Indian army maintains a significant deployment of troops in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain law and order.

Government

Flag of Jammu and Kashmir

The flag of Jammu and Kashmir state is the native plough on a red background; that is a symbol of labour, designed by New Delhi and the three stripes represent the three Indian regions namely Jammu, Vale of Kashmir, and Ladakh of the disputed territory. Jammu and Kashmir is the only Indian state that has its own flag.

Like all the states of India, Jammu and Kashmir has a multi-party democratic system of governance. Main political parties include the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, the Indian National Congress and the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP). Presently, the Indian National Congress and its ally PDP hold the maximum number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad replaced PDP's Mufti Mohammed Sayeed as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in late 2005.

The Constitution of India grants Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status as a temporary provision through Article 370. However, some Muslim Kashmiris demand greater autonomy and sovereignty, while some non-Muslims would like to see the state fully integrated into India. However, in recent years Kashmiri Muslims have been leaning towards being in India due to economic reasons.

Jammu and Kashmir was invaded in mid 12th century A.D. by the Muslim Turkish army but it was completely occupied by Turkish Zulkadur Khan in 1322. Later in 1394 another Turkish occupation took place by Sikandar who had forcibly converted the people to accept Muslim religion. Thus, it is not true Kashmiris became Muslim due to their free choice. Udayan Dev until his death in 1338 was the last sovereign ruler of Kashmir before it was occupied first by the Turkish, then Mughal, then Sikh Empires. The princely state of Jammu & Kashmir was not truly independent because it had accepted the suzarenty of the British Indian Empire. After 1947 although the state of Jammu & Kashmir, only 60 percent of the original state, is a part of India, the Article 370, of the Constituent Assembly of the Dominion of India in 1949 and of the Indian Constitutional Amendment in 1956, turned the State of Jammu & Kashmir into a semi-autonomous region where Indian citizens born out of the state are not allowed to live, purchase property or vote in the elections.

Geography and climate

Jammu and Kashmir is home to several low-lying valleys such as the Kashmir valley, Tawi valley, Chenab valley, Poonch valley, Sind valley and Lidder valley. The main Kashmir valley is 100 km wide and 15,520.3 km² in area. The Himalayas divide the Kashmir valley from Ladakh while the Pir Panjal range, which encloses the Valley from the west and the south, separates it from the Great Plains of northern India. Along the northeastern flank of the Valley runs the main range of the Himalayas. This densely settled and beautiful valley has an average height of 1,850 meters above sea-level but the surrounding Pir Panjal range has an average elevation of 5,000 meters.

The Jhelum River is the only major Himalayan river which flows through the Kashmir valley. The Indus, Tawi, Ravi and Chenab are the major rivers flowing through the state. Jammu and Kashmir is home to several Himalayan glaciers. With an average altitude of 5753 meters above sea-level, the Siachen Glacier is 70 kms long making it the longest Himalayan glacier.

The climate of Jammu and Kashmir varies greatly owing to its rugged topography. In the south around Jammu, the climate is typically monsoonal, though the region is sufficiently far west to average 40 to 50 mm (1.6 to 2 inches) of rain per months between January and March. In the hot season, Jammu city is very hot and can reahc up to 40°C (104°F) whilst in July and August, very heavy though erratic rainfall occurs with monthly extremes of up to 650 millimetres (25.5 inches). In September, rainfall declines, and by October conditions are hot but extremely dry, with minimal rainfall and temperatures of around 29°C (84°F).

Across from the Pir Panjal range, the South Asian monsoon is no longer a factor and most precipitation falls in the spring from southwest cloudbands. Because of its closeness to the Arabian Sea, Srinagar receives as much as 25 inches (635 millimetres) of rain from this source, with the wettest months being March to May with around 85 millimetres (3.3 inches) per month. Across from the main Himalaya Range, even the southwest cloudbands break up and the climate of Ladakh and Zanskar is extremely dry and cold. Annual precipitation is only around 100 mm (4 inches) per year and humidity is very low. This region, almost all above 3,000 metres (9,850 feet) above sea level and winters are extremely cold. In Zanskar, the average January temperature is -20°C (-4°F) with extremes as low as -40°C (-40°F). All the rivers freeze over and locals actually do river crossings during this period because their high levels from glacier melt in summer inhibits crossing. In summer in Ladakh and Zanskar, days are typically a warm 20°C (68°F) but with the low humidity and thin air nights can still be cold.

Principal Languages

In Jammu and Kashmir, the principal spoken languages are Kashmiri, Dogri, Pahari, Balti, Ladakhi, Punjabi, Gojri and Dadri, Kishtwari. However, Kashmiri written in the Sharada script is the official language of the state. Many speakers of these languages use Hindi or English as a second language.

Economy

File:43265922 535b0fe937 o.jpg

Jammu and Kashmir's mountainous landscape and extreme weather conditions has made construction of highways across the state extremely difficult. Shown here is a roadside truck stop in Ladakh.

Jammu and Kashmir's economy is mostly dependent on farming and animal husbandry. Though small, the manufacturing and services sector is growing rapidly. In recent years, several consumer goods companies have opened manufacturing units in the region. Before insurgency intensified in 1989, tourism formed an important part of the Kashmiri economy. The tourism economy in the Kashmir valley was worst hit. However, Jammu and Ladakh continue to remain as popular tourist destinations, and tourism to the Kashmir valley has rebounded somewhat in recent years. Wood from Kashmir is also used to make high-quality cricket bats, popularly known as Kashmir Willow. Kashmiri saffron is also very famous and brings the state a handsome amount of foreign exchange. Only one S&P CNX 500 conglomerate, the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, has its corporate office in the state. It reported a gross income of Rs. 18,394 million for 2005.

Jammu and Kashmir has reaped the benefits of the recent surge in India's economy. In 2006, the state's gross domestic product rose to US$ 12 billion in current prices. Below is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Jammu and Kashmir at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

Year	Gross State Domestic Product (in million INR)
1980	11,860
1985	22,560
1990	36,140
1995	80,970
2000	147,500
2006	539,850

Demographics

Religious groups in Kashmir Valley
Muslims	92%
Hindus, Others	8%
Religious groups in Jammu
Muslims	22%
Hindus	73%
Religious groups in Ladakh
Muslims	49%
Buddhists	50%
Hindus, Others	1%

Hindus form the majority of the population in Jammu. Shown here is a roadside Hindu shrine in Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India that has a Muslim majority population. Though Islam is practiced by about 65% of the population of the state and by 95% of the population of the Kashmir valley, the state has large and vibrant communities of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. In Jammu, Hindus constitute 67% of the population and Muslims 27% and Sikhs, 5%; In Ladakh, Buddhists constitute a about 51% of the population, the remaining being Muslims. The people of Ladakh are of Indo-Tibetan origin, while the southern area of Jammu includes many communities tracing their ancestry to the nearby Indian states of Haryana and Punjab, as well as the city of Delhi. In totality, the Muslims constitute 65% of the population, the Hindus, about 30%, the Buddhists, 3% and the Sikhs, 2% of the population.

In the 1901 Census of the British Indian Empire, the population of the princely state of Kashmir was 2,905,578. Of these 2,154,695 were Muslims, 689,073 Hindus, 25,828 Sikhs, and 35,047 Buddhists. The Hindus were found mainly in Jammu, where they constituted a little less than 50% of the population. In the Kashmir Valley, the Hindus represented "only 524 in every 10,000 of the population (i.e. 5.24%), and in the frontier wazarats of Ladhakh and Gilgit only 94 out of every 10,000 persons (0.94%)." In the same Census of 1901, in the Kashmir Valley, the total population was recorded to be 1,157,394, of which the Muslim population was 1,083,766, or 93.6% of the population. These percentages have remained fairly stable for the last 100 years. In the 1941 Census of British India, Muslims accounted for 93.6% of the population of the Kashmir Valley and the Hindus constituted 4%. In 2003, the percentage of Muslims in the Kashmir Valley was 95% and those of Hindus 4%; the same year, in Jammu, the percentage of Hindus was 67% and those of Muslims 27%.

In the same Census of 1901, four divisions were recorded among the Muslims of the princely state: Shaikhs, Saiyids, Mughals, and Pathans. The Shaikhs were the most numerous, with clan names (known as krams) including "Tantre," "Shaikh," "Mantu," "Ganai," "Dar," "Damar," "Lon" etc. The Saiyids, it was recorded "could be divided into those who follow the profession of religion and those who have taken to agriculture and other pursuits. Their kram name is "Mir." While a Saiyid retains his saintly profession Mir is a prefix; if he has taken to agriculture, Mir is an affix to his name." The Mughals who were not numerous were recorded to have kram names like "Mir" (a corruption of "Mirza"), "Beg," "Bandi," "Bach," and "Ashaye." Finally, it was recorded that the Pathans "who are more numerous than the Mughals, ... are found chiefly in the south-west of the valley, where Pathan colonies have from time to time been founded. The most interesting of these colonies is that of Kuki-Khel Afridis at Dranghaihama, who retain all the old customs and speak Pashtu."

The Hindu population of Kashmir Valley in 1901 was recorded to be 60,641. Among the Hindus of Jammu province, who numbered 626,177 (or 90.87% of the Hindu population of the princely state), the most important castes recorded in the census were "Brahmans (186,000), the Rajputs (167,000), the Khattris (48,000) and the Thakkars (93,000)."

According to political scientist Alexander Evans, approximately 95% of the total population of 160,000-170,000 of Kashmiri Brahmins, also called Kashmiri Pandits, (i.e. approximately 150,000 to 160,000) left the Kashmir Valley in 1990 as militancy engulfed the state. According to an estimate by the Central Intelligence Agency, about 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits from the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir have been internally displaced due to the ongoing violence.

Culture

Jammu and Kashmir's culture is as diverse as its terrain. Jammu, the Vale of Kashmir and Ladakh have developed their own distinctive culture over the years. However, the lifestyle of the people from the state, irrespective of the differing religious beliefs, is slow paced.

Ladakh is famous for its unique Indo-Tibetan culture. Chanting in Sanskrit and Tibetan language forms an integral part of Ladakh's Buddhist lifestyle. Annual masked dance festivals, weaving and archery are an important part of traditional life in Ladakh. Ladakhi food has much in common with Tibetan food, the most prominent foods being thukpa, noodle soup; and tsampa, known in Ladakhi as Ngampe, roasted barley flour. Typical garb includes gonchas of velvet, elaborately embroidered waistcoats and boots, and gonads or hats. People, adorned with gold and silver ornaments and turquoise headgears throng the streets during various Ladakhi festivals.

Houseboats and Shikaras are a common feature in lakes and rivers across the Kashmir valley.

The Dumhal is a famous dance in the Kashmir valley, performed by men of the Wattal region. The women perform the Rouff, another traditional folk dance. Kashmir has been noted for its fine arts for centuries, including poetry and handicrafts. Shikaras, traditional small wooden boats, and houseboats are a common feature in various lakes and rivers across the Valley. The Indian Constitution does not allow people from regions other than Jammu and Kashmir to purchase land in the state. As a consequence, houseboats became popular among those who were unable to purchase land in the Valley and has now become an integral part of the Kashmiri lifestyle. Kawa, traditional green tea with spices and almond, is consumed all through the day in the chilled winter climate of Kashmir. Most of the buildings in the Valley and Ladakh are made from softwood and is influenced by Indian, Tibetan, and Islamic architecture .

Jammu's Dogra culture and tradition is much similar to that of neighbouring Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Traditional Punjabi festivals such as Lohri and Vaisakhi are celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm throughout the region. After Dogras, Gujjars form the second-largest ethnic group in Jammu. Known for their semi-nomadic lifestyle, Gujjars are also found in vast numbers in the Kashmir valley. Similar to Gujjars, Gaddis are primarily herdsmen who hail from the Chamba region in Himachal Pradesh. Gaddis are generally associated with emotive music played on the flute. The Bakkarwalas found both in Jammu and the Vale of Kashmir are wholly nomadic pastoral people who move along the Himalayan slopes in search for pastures for their huge flocks of goats and sheep.

Districts

Jammu and Kashmir consists of two divisions: Jammu and Kashmir Valley including Ladakh region, and is further divided into 22 districts:

Anantnag Baramulla Budgam Srinagar Ganderbal Kupwara Pulwama Kulgam Shopian Bandipore

Doda Poonch Rajouri Reasi Kishtwar Udhampur Samba Jammu Ramban Kathua Leh Kargil Skardu Ghanche Astore Gilgit

Tourism

Panoramic view of Dal Lake and Srinagar city

Kashmir is known as heaven on earth. In the seventeenth century the Mughal emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the valley of Kashmir. He said that if paradise is anywhere on the earth, it is here, while living in a houseboat on the mesmerizing Dal Lake. In Jammu and Kashmir the most important tourist places are Kashmir, Srinagar, the Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Jammu, and Ladakh.

Because of the relatively tolerable climate at the higher elevations of Jammu and Kashmir, and also because of its scenic beauty and bodies of water, Jammu and Kashmir is a tourist attraction. Until a few decades ago, "Going to Kashmir" was synonymous in India with going on a honeymoon, or for a tour to a cold place during hot summers.

Some areas require a special permit for non-Indians to visit.

Education

In 1970, the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir established its own education board and university. Education in the state is divided into primary, middle, high secondary, college and university level. Jammu and Kashmir follows 10+2 pattern for education of children. This is handled by Jammu & Kashmir State Board of School Education (abbreviated as JKBOSE). Various private and public schools are recognized by the board to impart education to students. Board examinations are conducted for students in class VIII, X and XII. In addition there are various Kendriya Vidyalayas (run by the Government of India) and Indian Army schools that also impart secondary school education. These schools follow the Central Board of Secondary Education pattern. Notable higher education or research institutes in Jammu and Kashmir include Govt. College of Engineering and Technology of Jammu, National Institute of Technology Srinagar and the Government Medical College of Jammu. University-level education is provided by University of Jammu, University of Kashmir, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science & Technology, Islamic University of Science & Technology, and Baba Ghulam Shah Badhshah University.

Human Rights

According to Human Rights Watch Asia (which has been critical of all parties in the Kashmir Dispute) in a report published in 2006:

The Indian government’s failure to end widespread impunity for human rights abuses committed both by its security forces and militants is fueling the cycle of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. "Human rights abuses have been a cause as well as a consequence of the insurgency in Kashmir,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Kashmiris continue to live in constant fear because perpetrators of abuses are not punished. Unless the Indian authorities address the human rights crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, a political settlement of the conflict will remain illusory.”

Brad Adams also states “It’s absurd that the world’s largest democracy, with a well-developed legal system and internationally recognized judiciary, has laws on its books that prevent members of its security forces from being prosecuted for human rights abuses,” said Adams. “It’s time for the Indian government to repeal these laws and recommit itself to justice for victims of all abuses, whoever the perpetrator may be.”

See also

• Terrorism in Kashmir
• Timeline of the Kashmir conflict
• Line of Control
• Azad Kashmir, an area of Kashmir administered by Pakistan
• Trans-Karakoram Tract, an area of Kashmir administered by PRC
• Aksai Chin, an area of Kashmir administered by PRC
• Indo-Pakistani Wars
• Sino-Indian War
• 2005 Kashmir earthquake
• List of Kashmiris
• Kashmir
• Kashmiriyat - a socio-cultural ethos of religious harmony and Kashmiri consciousness.
• List of political parties in the state
• List of topics on the land and the people of “Jammu and Kashmir”

External links

• Template:Wikitravel
• Jammu and Kashmir (state) at Curlie
• Government of Jammu and Kashmir, India