Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan and the Unending War

by Victoria Schofield

Why has the valley of Kashmir, famed for its beauty and tranquility, become a major flashpoint, threatening the stability of a region of great strategic importance to pose a nuclear threat for the entire world? This book examines the Kashmir conflict in its historical context, from the period when the valley was an independent kingdom right up to the struggles of the present day. Drawing upon research in India and Pakistan, as well as historical sources, this book traces the origins of the state in the 19th century, the controversial "sale" by the British of the predominantly Muslim valley to a Hindu Maharaja in 1846 and the 20th century clashes between Muslim and Hindu interests now culminating in the threat of a major war.

Genres: History, India, Pakistan, Politics, Nonfiction, War

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

As a historian and independent commentator on international affairs, with specialist knowledge of South Asia, her other books include Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan and the Unending War and Afghan Frontier: at the Crossroads of Conflict. She is a frequent contributor to BBC World TV, BBC World Service and other news outlets. She has also written for the Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Independent, Asian Affairs and The Round Table, the Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs. Schofield read Modern History at the University of Oxford and was President of the Oxford Union. In 2004-05 she was the Visiting Alistair Horne Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford. www.victoriaschofield.com.

"My writing career began in my third year at Oxford University when my first article on South Africa was published in Blackwood’s Magazine. From Africa, my attention was directed to South Asia. Benazir Bhutto was a friend at Oxford, and when her father, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was sentenced to death for conspiracy to murder a political opponent in 1978, I put my fledging ambition to write professionally into a higher gear by travelling to Islamabad. The fruits of my endeavours were several articles in The Spectator and my first book, Bhutto: Trial and Execution. Since then, I’ve remained dedicated to understanding more about South Asian politics, both as a historian and journalist, and have travelled widely in the region. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 provided the inspiration for another book, Every Rock, Every Hill: The Plain Tale of the North-West Frontier and Afghanistan (1984), which I have revised as Afghan Frontier: Feuding and Fighting in Central Asia (2003) and as Afghan Frontier: At the Crossroads of Conflict (2010). I’ve also written extensively about the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in articles and books, (Kashmir in the Crossfire (1996) and Kashmir in Conflict (2000, 2002 and 2010).) When working freelance for the BBC World Service in London and New York during the 1980s and 1990s, I covered numerous other stories, including a feature on British sculptor, Henry Moore and a radio series on ‘Women of the French Revolution’.

Wavell:Soldier and Statesman (2006) combines my lifelong interest in military history with my knowledge of the South Asia. I have also written the life of military historian and royal biographer, Sir John Wheeler-Bennett, under the title Witness to History (2012). And in 2012 I completed Volume 1 of a two volume official regimental history of The Black Watch, entitled The Highland Furies, The Black Watch 1739-1899, with a foreword by The Prince of Wales. I am now working on Volume 2 covering 1899-2006 when the Regiment was merged, becoming the The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS)."

Reviews

[Hafsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best history books on Kashmir. Goes into the history of the region starting from partition and ending at the year 2000. Is surprisingly fairly balanced---gives the perspectives of the Pakistanis, the Indians, and for once, the Kashmiris themselves. Probably the first book I would recommend that takes a nuanced approach to the issue.

[Prabhat Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5, because no book on history can be entirely accurate or even unbiased.

That said, this one comes pretty close, or at least provides the readers with a variety of different, well-researched perspectives on most of the issues relating to Kashmir, and what led to the present day mess.

Like most Indians, I am guilty of having held a very gung-ho opinion of India's rights on Kashmiri territory and its people. We are never taught or exposed to anything that remotely brings into questions India's legal and ethical sovereignty over Kashmir.

I commend this book for throwing light on several issues which question precisely that. Specifically, I'd like to point out three issues:

1. the validity of the instrument of accession signed by India
2. the excesses of Dogra rule that degraded conditions of Muslims of the valley, and rendered the validity of the rule questionable
3. the plain unjust, illegal and brutal actions of the Indian government ranging from the forced removal of Sheikh Abdullah and rigging of several elections to army brutality and gradual - now complete - erosion of Kashmiri autonomy

Although the book does a good job of pointing out that not every trouble in Kashmir is directly and solely emanates from Pakistan, I do feel that the book goes too soft on Pakistan on a number of occasions (the author was a close friend of Benazir's, though it would be wrong to impute motives). Of course, I say this with my Indian-tinged eyes.

A must read for everyone, especially for the dyed-in-the-wool Indian patriots.

[Omama. · Rating 5 out of 5]

- History has seen such times when the crime was committed by a moment, but the punishment was suffered by centuries.
What a dark aspect of history. Ah! My heart goes to the achingly beautiful valley of Kashmir. This is one of the best and most widely researched and specifically, unbiased outsider's point of view about the historic Vale of Kashmir, and the unending dispute over its territory between India and Pakistan, where both sides of the border are shown equally responsible for the mess that is Kashmir today. The narrative is easy, fluid and well-researched from the selling of Kashmir Valley by the British, to Gulab Singh, till almost 2002. Most of the accounts on this subject either lean towards Muslim extremism or Hindu fundamentalism. Though the issue has a communal hue, it is caused due to the misdemeanors of some gentlemen in power; whereas the people on both sides have been ignorant of the history of Kashmir, and the persisting conflict for the past 70 years.

[Sharaiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and balanced introduction to the history of the Kashmir conflict, which takes into account not only Pakistani and Indian narratives, but most importantly the views of the Kashmiris themselves.

[Khurram Gardezi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read on Kashmir. Writer has significantly covered the history of kashmir and aptly covered the stance of Pakistan, India and Kashmiris over the so called bone of contention b/w two nuclear states. Writer also mentioned the possible solution to this problem which seems to be elusive. We could hope that Kashmiris gets their free will to live with right of self determination to decide about their future.

[Nash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whatever I write in review is bound to be disregarded for bias rightly or wrongly. However, my own personal opinion is that this book is a shallow dive into a complex matter. Ms Schofield does no justice to her training as a Historian and does not even once attempt to uncover the underlying causes or motivations for many of the incidents in her book. For that reason, like in a cheap novel, important characters come out as flat and 2 dimensional. I suspect she has some military background, however her analysis of military actions is strangely uninformed. I don't know what to say, other than as a journalistic attempt this is a good overview of most major incidents that have a bearing on the Kashmir issue. It's just too bad that her apparent closeness to one or more causes or something else caused her to be too timid to draw fact driven conclusions or ask difficult questions when it was due.

[Sundaram · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is wonderful that the author has at almost everyone instance tried to give a tripartite view of the issue along with certain major powers stance time to time. The attempt for objectivity can be clearly seen. But the killing of pandits find mentions but not the required attention.

[Charles Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, useful basic insight into the kashmir conflict.
I personally used it to research for my dissertation. A must read for anyone who would like a basic unbiased understanding of the kashmir conflict.

[Hamood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zinde Rozne Baapath chi lukh maraan, tze marakh naa?
Lotte paeth chekha pyaale, kyoho uff ti karakh na?

ade saate rajaz chaani ratuk gyeow ne zamaanan
ash waani yos me marchi lech, so parakh na?

Let this ode to humanity by Rahman Rahi forever represent the price paid for being alive: death.

[Diwakar Malik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbiased insight into Kashmir.

[Tahir Khattak · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most objective and impartial works on a subject marred by conflict, biases and emotional sensitivities of two nuclear armed states. Highly recommended!

[Namita Barthwal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some critical episodes of conflict are missing. Otherwise, a good analysis.

[Kabir]

A very fair overview of the conflict over the Disputed Territory of Kashmir.

[Aftab Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is clearly describe the real face of indian brutality in kashmir.