Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris

Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris
Author: Christopher Snedden
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2015-09-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1849046212

In 1846, the British created the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) - popularly called "Kashmir" - and then quickly sold this prized region to the wily and powerful Raja, Gulab Singh. Intriguingly, had they retained it, the India-Pakistan dispute over possession of the state may never have arisen, but Britain's concerns lay elsewhere -- expansionist Russia, beguiling Tibet and unstable China "circling" J&K -- and their agents played the 'Great Game' in Afghanistan and 'Turkistan'. Snedden contextualizes the geo-strategic and historical circumstances surrounding the British decision to relinquish prestigious 'Kashmir', and explains how they and four Dogra maharajas consolidated and controlled J&K subsequently. He details what comprised this diverse princely state with distant borders and disunified peoples and explains the Maharaja of J&K's controversial accession to India on 26 October 1947 - and its unintended consequences. Snedden weaves a compelling narrative that frames the Kashmir dispute, explains why it continues, and assesses what it means politically and administratively for the divided peoples of J&K and their undecided futures.

Conventional Warfare in South Asia, 1947 to the Present

Conventional Warfare in South Asia, 1947 to the Present
Author: Kaushik Roy
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2017-03-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1351948679

The essays included in this volume focus on conventional war on land, sea and air fought by the states of South Asia and their impact on the host societies and economies. The authors are drawn from academia and the military in India and Pakistan, as well as from outside the subcontinent in order to give a wide perspective. In the introduction the editors describe the changing contours of warfare in South Asia, and the similarities and dissimilarities with warfare in the Middle East and South East Asia. The volume highlights the influence of extra-regional powers like China, Russia and the US in providing arms, munitions and shaping the texture of military doctrines and force structures of the South Asian powers.

The Forgotten Front

The Forgotten Front
Author: Ross Anderson
Publisher: The History Press
Total Pages: 466
Release: 2014-08-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 0750958731

The First World War began in East Africa in August 1914 and did not end until 13 November 1918. In its scale and impact, it was the largest conflict yet to take place on African soil. Four empires and their subject peoples were engaged in a conflict that ranged from modern Kenya in the north to Mozambique in the south. The campaign combined heroic human endeavour and terrible suffering, set in some of the most difficult terrain in the world. The troops had to cope with extremes that ranged from arid deserts to tropical jungles and formidable mountains, and almost always on inadequate rations. Yet the East African campaign has languished in undeserved obscurity over the years, with many people only vaguely aware of its course of events. Indeed, Humphrey Bogart's famous film, The African Queen, inspired by an episode of the campaign, often provides its only lasting image. The Forgotten Front is the first full-scale history of this neglected campaign. Ross Anderson details the fighting and the strategic and political background to the war and the differing viewpoints of the principal protagonists.

Britain and Tibet 1765-1947

Britain and Tibet 1765-1947
Author: Julie Marshall
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 610
Release: 2004-11-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 1134327854

This bibliography is a record of British relations with Tibet in the period from 1765 to 1947. It also provides background information to Tibet's claims to independence, an issue of current importance. The work is divided into a number of sections and subsections, based on chronology, geography and events. The introductions to each of the sections provide a condensed and informative history of the period and place the books and articles in their historical context. This work is both a history and a bibliography of the subject, and provides a rapid entry into a complex area for scholars in the fields of international relations and military history as well as Asian history.

Independent Kashmir

Independent Kashmir
Author: Christopher Snedden
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Total Pages: 317
Release: 2021-06-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1526156156

Many disenchanted Kashmiris continue to demand independence or freedom from India. Written by a leading authority on Kashmir’s troubled past, this book revisits the topic of independence for the region (also known as Jammu and Kashmir, or J&K), and explores exactly why this aspiration has never been fulfilled. In a rare India-Pakistan agreement, they concur that neither J&K, nor any part of it, can be independent. Charting a complex history and intense geo-political rivalry from Maharaja Hari Singh’s leadership in the mid-1920s to the present, this book offers an essential insight into the disputes that have shaped the region. As tensions continue to rise following government-imposed COVID-19 lockdowns, Snedden asks a vital question: what might independence look like and just how realistic is this aspiration?

Battlefield Zojila - 1948

Battlefield Zojila - 1948
Author: Dr. Sudhir S. Bloeria
Publisher: Vij Books India Pvt Ltd
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2021-03-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9388161149

During the First Indo—Pak War of 1947, many important battles were fought in Kashmir, which has become part of Indian military folklore. Amongst these, the Battles of Zojila hold pride of place. Our breakthrough at Zojila ensured the security of Ladakh which was gravely threatened by the hostiles at that time. During this period of armed conflict with Pakistan, some heroic battles were fought. In defensive operations, the garrisons of Skardu and Punch withstood long sieges against very heavy odds and a much larger enemy force. Their performance could do proud of any army. Of the offensive actions launched by the Indian forces, the breakthrough at Zojila would probably rank amongst the three most important battles of the J&K Operations. The author has covered the account of the battles with due authentication and interviews with people who were part of the operations.

Britain and Tibet 1765-1947

Britain and Tibet 1765-1947
Author: Julie G. Marshall
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 658
Release: 2005
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780415336475

This bibliography is a record of British relations with Tibet in the period 1765 to 1947. As such it also involves British relations with Russia and China, and with the Himalayan states of Ladakh, Lahul and Spiti, Kumaon and Garhwal, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Assam, in so far as British policy towards these states was affected by her desire to establish relations with Tibet. It also covers a subject of some importance in contemporary diplomacy. It was the legacy of unresolved problems concerning Tibet and its borders, bequeathed to India by Britain in 1947, which led to border disputes and ultimately to war between India and China in 1962. These borders are still in dispute today. It also provides background information to Tibet's claims to independence, an issue of current importance. The work is divided into a number of sections and subsections, based on chronology, geography and events. The introductions to each of the sections provide a condensed and informative history of the period and place the books and article in their historical context. Most entries are also annotated. This work is therefore both a history and a bibliography of the subject, and provides a rapid entry into a complex area for scholars in the fields of international relations and military history as well as Asian history.