Jammu and Kashmir
This article details only the area administered by India. For the full region see Kashmir (
IPA: / /,
Kashmiri: جۄم تٕہ ک"شِیر ज्वम त' कॅशीर,
Urdu:جموں و کشمیر,
Hindi:जम्मू "र कश्मीर) (often abbreviated as Kashmir), is the northern-most
state of
Republic of India, lying mostly in the
Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with
Himachal Pradesh to the south,
Pakistan to the west and
People's Republic of China to the north and the east.
Jammu and Kashmir consists of three divisions:
Jammu, the
Vale of Kashmir and
Ladakh.
Srinagar is its summer capital, and
Jammu its winter capital. The Vale of Kashmir, also known as Kashmir Valley, is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape. Known as the "City of Temples", Jammu attracts tens of thousands of
Hindu and
Muslim piligrims every year. Ladakh, also known as "Little Tibet", is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture which was established as early as the 2nd century. Though
Islam is practiced by the majority of population, Jammu and Kashmir has large and vibrant communities of
Hindus,
Buddhists and
Sikhs.
Once a seat of the
Dogra Rajput dynasty, Jammu came under the rule of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh in the early 19-th century and became a part of the
Sikh Kingdom. The Rajputs were however able to re-establish their control over Jammu under the command of
Maharaja Gulab Singh. With the help of
General Zorawar Singh, Gulab Singh established the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir which extended beyond the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley to the
Tibetan Buddhist Kingdom of Ladakh and the Emirates of
Hunza,
Gilgit and
Nagar. The rule of Dogras over Jammu and Kashmir came to an end in
1947 when Maharaja
Hari Singh signed the
Instrument of Accession making the princely state a part of the Union of India.
Jammu and Kashmir lies at the heart of a bitter
territorial dispute between
India,
Pakistan and the
People's Republic of China. India has fought three wars with Pakistan in
1947,
1965 and
1999 and
one with China over Kashmir. India, which considers the entire state as its sovereign territory, has control of about half the area of Jammu and Kashmir. The territory under its control enjoys special provisions under
Article 370 of the
Indian Constitution. India's claim to the entire state is disputed by Pakistan, which controls a third of Kashmir.
Aksai Chin, an arid region in the east, and the
Trans-Karakoram Tract are claimed by India but administered by China.
Since the
1990s, the state has long been hit by the confrontation between militant separatists and
Indian Armed Forces, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. The
Indian army maintains a significant deployment of troops to maintain law and order and to act as a trip-wire for cross-border infiltraion by Kashmiri militants.
See Also:
History of Jammu and Kashmir |
The famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir was badly hit ever since insurgency intensified in 1989 |
Jammu and Kashmir was a
princely state with a
Muslim majority ruled by a
Hindu Maharaja Hari Singh until
1947. In 1947, when the Indian subcontinent achieved independence from
United Kingdom,
Hari Singh decided to join
India. Soon after the independence on 27th October 1947, the Indian government sent troops into the princely state after the Raja signed the agreement to vote for India. Ever since, a bitter enmity has developed between
India and
Pakistan. The two countries have been at war twice over Kashmir (
1947-1949,
1965), and clashed there again during the
Kargil Conflict of
1999. The region remains one of the most heavily militarized zones in the world.
In
1962,
China occupied the north-eastern part of the region which
India continues to claim as its part.
|
Flag of Jammu and Kashmir |
The
Indian Constitution grants Jammu and Kashmir special
autonomous status; however Kashmiri
political parties demand greater autonomy and sovereignty.
Jammu and
Kashmir has a multi party democratic system of governance.Main political parties include the
National Conference,the
Indian National Congress (INC) and the
Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP). Presently,
Indian National Congress and its ally PDP hold the maximum number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly.
After
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of the PDP completed his third year as
Chief Minister, as per the power sharing agreement between the PDP-Congress alliance reached in late 2002, Congress leader
Ghulam Nabi Azad replaced Mufti on November 2005.
The region of Kashmir and Jammu includes dry climates in the southwest, a strip of humid temperate climate through the center of the region, and humid cold climate in the north.
Macro-economic trend
This 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 |
|---|
| 1980 | 11,860 |
| 1985 | 22,560 |
| 1990 | 36,140 |
| 1995 | 80,970 |
| 2000 | 147,500 |
Jammu and Kashmir's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $8 billion in current prices.
Its 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.The Wood in Kashmir is also used to make quality Cricket bats and as they are popularly known as Kashmir Willow
Only one
S&P CNX 500 conglomerate has its corporate office in this troubled state
viz. Jammu and Kashmir Bank. It reported a gross income of Rs.18,394 million for 2005.
|
Ladakh women in local costumes |
Kashmiri lifestyle is essentially, irrespective of the differing religious beliefs, slow paced. Generally peace loving people, the culture has been rich enough to reflect the religious diversity as tribes celebrate festivities that divert them from their otherwise monotonous way of life. Kashmiris are known to enjoy their music in its various local forms and the dress of both sexes are quite colorful.
The Dumhal is a famous dance in Kashmir, performed by men of the Wattal region. The women perform the Rouff, another folk dance. Kashmir has been noted for its fine arts for centuries, including poetry and handicrafts.
The practice of Islam in Kashmir has heavy Sufi influences, which makes it unique from orthodox Sunni and Shiite Islam in the rest of South Asia. Other religions practised in the state include Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
|
Hindus form the majority of the population in Jammu. Shown here is the Vaishno Devi shrine |
Jammu and Kashmir contain an approximately 70% Muslim majority. The rest of the population are
Buddhist,
Hindu,
Sikh, and others. 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 1941 the Hindus represented 15% of the total Kashmiri population. But in 1990, the bulk of Kashmiri Hindus in the region were forced out due to anti-Hindu insurgency in Kashmir. Only some 5-15,000 Hindus live in the Kashmir valley today out of some 200,000 in
1947 (some scholars and community activists claim the Hindu population in the Valley was higher, with up to 450,000 - for the full historical debate see Alexander Evans's ‘A departure from history: Kashmiri Pandits, 1990-2001' Contemporary South Asia, Vol 11, 1 2002 p19-37.). According to an estimate by
Central Intelligence Agency, most of the 500,000 Kashmiris, internally displaced due to the ongoing violence, are
Hindus.
[[1]].While
Jammu is a
Hindu majority area, the
Kashmir Valley is predominantly
Muslim and
Ladakh has a
Buddhist-majority population. It is this complex demography of the region which has been disrupted by the ongoing
Kashmir dispute.
Because of the relatively tolerable climate on the higher planes of Jammu and Kashmir, and also because of its scenic beauty and water bodies, Jammu and Kashmir are a tourist attraction. "Going to Kashmir" was synonymous till few years ago in India with going for honeymoon, or for a tour to a cold place during hot summers.
*
History of Jammu and Kashmir**
Terrorism in Kashmir**
Kargil War**
Indo-Pakistani Wars*
2005 Kashmir earthquake*
List of political parties in the state*
Jammu & Kashmir Transportation*
Kashmir Herald*
Official website of government of Jammu and Kashmir*
Anantnag Kashmir*
Website about Jammu and Kashmir*
Jammu Kashmir Ladakh Districts*
Maps of Jammu and Kashmir*
Jammu and Kashmir tourism department*
Search for Jammu and Kashmir on
Google News*
Opinion piece, 13 Oct 2005, on the policies of Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed*
Kashmir Network*
Quickstep or Kadam Taal?: The Elusive Search for Peace in Jammu and Kashmir U.S. Institute of Peace Report, March 2005
