The Accession of Kashmir to the Indian Union in 1947: Based on Materials from the National Archives of India

The article focuses on specific aspects of the history of the Kashmir conflict, which emerged in October and November 1947, including the role of political leaders of India, Kashmir and Pakistan. The author clarifies the circumstances surrounding Kashmir’s accession to the Indian Union and the positions of the Indian, Kashmiri, and Pakistani authorities in the context of the invasion of Pashtun militants into the territory of the State. The novelty of the study lies in its use of unpublished documents on Kashmir’s accession to the Indian Union from the collections of the National Archives of India, obtained by the author during her research trips to the Republic of India. Published documents from the National Archives of India, which had not previously been included in scientific circulation, were also used. Through an objective and critical analysis of sources, the author concludes that the Kashmir problem emerged as a result of the dismemberment of colonial India became possible due to a subjective factor too, the lack of political will of the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, and the use of his inaction and indecision by the parties to the conflict. Although the Pakistani leadership, including Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, did not initiate aggression against Kashmir and Maharaja Hari Singh personally, they were fully aware of the Pashtun terrorist raid on Kashmir and the invasion of its territory. Official Karachi did not take any measures to detain the armed group and prevent the bloody raid on Kashmir because of its fear of causing a negative reaction from the Pashtun tribes of the North-West Province of Pakistan, anti-government protests and actions. Maharaja Hari Singh was unable to ensure the security of its borders and appealed to Karachi for help, but received no response. His decision to join the Indian Union was a forced measure, but it was precisely this that saved the State. Delhi did not make immediate accession to the Indian state a mandatory condition for providing assistance to Kashmir, leaving the right to make this historic decision to the Kashmiris through a plebiscite. The Deputy Prime Minister of India, Vallabhbhai Patel, played a significant role in deciding to send an Indian landing force to save Kashmir. To this day, the Kashmir crisis, one of the longest in the world, alternately goes into a latent phase and then flares up again, as Pakistan does not recognize the legitimacy of the princely state’s integration into India.