Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)

Jammu and Kashmir, also known as Kashmir and Jammu,^[1] was a princely state in a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company from 1846 to 1858, and under the paramountcy (or tutelage^[2]^[3]) of the British Crown from 1858 until British withdrawal and the partition of British India in 1947. Following the subsequent First Kashmir War between India and Pakistan, it became a disputed territory, now administered by three countries: China, India, and Pakistan.^[4]^[5]^[6] After the First Anglo-Sikh War, Kashmir was annexed by British India (Company Raj),^[7] from the Sikhs as war indemnity, on 9 March 1846. Later, Jammu and Kashmir was formed, when Kashmir was sold to the Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh, for 75 lakh rupees, on 16 March 1846.

StatusPrincely state

Capital

Commonlanguages

Religion

Islam (majority), Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism

Quick facts Status, Capital ...

Jammu and Kashmir

1846–1947

Top: Flag (1846‍–‍1936)
Bottom: Flag (1936‍–‍1947)

Coat of arms

Jammu and Kashmir in 1946

Status

Princely state

Capital

Common languages

Religion

Islam (majority), Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism

Government

Monarchy

Maharaja

• 1846–1857

Gulab Singh (first)

• 1925–1947

Hari Singh (last)

Dewan

• 1917–1921

Daljit Singh (first)

• 1947

Mehr Chand Mahajan (last)

History

• Foundation of Jammu and Kashmir

16 March 1846

• End of British Crown Suzerainty

15 August 1947

• Beginning of the First Kashmir War

22 October 1947

• Accession to the Indian Union as a state

26–27 October 1947

Preceded by

Succeeded by

1846:
Jammu vassal of Sikh Empire

1947:
Jammu and Kashmir (state)

Today part of

Disputed; see Kashmir conflict

Close

At the time of the partition of India and the political integration of India, Hari Singh, the ruler of the state, delayed making a decision about the future of his state. However, an uprising in the western districts by the Gilgit Scouts against Hari Singh supported by informal militias from the neighbouring Northwest Frontier Province, and the Pakistani army personnel, forced his hand. On 26 October 1947, Hari Singh acceded^[8] to India in return for the Indian military being airlifted to Kashmir to counter the invasion by tribal militias from Pakistan, which were assisted by the Pakistani government and military leadership.^[9]^[10] The western and northern districts now known as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan passed to the control of Pakistan with the support of Gilgit Scouts,^[11] while the remaining territory stayed under Indian control, later becoming the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir.^[12] India and Pakistan defined a cease-fire line dividing the administration of the territory with the intercession of the United Nations which was supposed to be temporary but still persists.^[13]^[14]

Administration

According to the census reports of 1911, 1921 and 1931, the administration was organised as follows:^[15]^[16]

Jammu province: Districts of Jammu, Jasrota (Kathua), Udhampur, Reasi and Mirpur.
Kashmir province: Districts of Kashmir South (Anantnag), Kashmir North (Baramulla) and Muzaffarabad.
Frontier districts: Wazarats of Ladakh and Gilgit.
Internal jagirs: Poonch, Bhaderwah and Chenani.

In the 1941 census, further details of the frontier districts were given:^[15]

Ladakh wazarat: Tehsils of Leh, Skardu and Kargil.
Gilgit wazarat: Tehsils of Gilgit and Astore
Frontier illaqas: (under the Gilgit Agency) Punial, Ishkoman, Yasin, Kuh-Ghizer, Hunza, Nagar, Chilas.

Prime ministers of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir (1917–1947)

More information #, Name ...

#	Name	Took office	Left office
1	Raja Sir Daljit Singh	1917	1921
2	Raja Hari Singh	1925	1927
3	Sir Albion Banerjee	January 1927	March 1929
4	G. E. C. Wakefield	1929	1931
5	Hari Krishan Kaul^[17]	1931	1932
6	Elliot James Dowell Colvin^[17]	1932	1936
7	Sir Barjor J. Dalal	1936	1936
8	Sir N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar	1937	July 1943
9	Kailash Narain Haksar	July 1943	February 1944
10	Sir B. N. Rau	February 1944	28 June 1945
11	Ram Chandra Kak	28 June 1945	11 August 1947
12	Janak Singh	11 August 1947	15 October 1947
13	Mehr Chand Mahajan	15 October 1947	27 October 1947

Close

Demographics

Population

More information Year, Pop. ...

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1873	1,534,972^[b]	—
1891	2,543,952	+65.7%
1901	2,905,578	+14.2%
1911	3,158,126	+8.7%
1921	3,320,518	+5.1%
1931	3,646,243	+9.8%
1941	4,021,616	+10.3%
Sources: Census in British India

Close

More information Census Year, Kashmir Province ...

Population of Jammu & Kashmir Princely State by Province (1873–1941)
Census Year	Jammu Province		Kashmir Province		Frontier Regions		Jammu & Kashmir Princely State
Census Year	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
1873^[b]^[18]	938,641	61.15%	491,846	32.04%	104,485	6.81%	1,534,972	100%
1891^[18]	1,439,543	56.59%	949,041	37.31%	155,368	6.11%	2,543,952	100%
1901^[19]	1,521,307	52.36%	1,157,394	39.83%	226,877	7.81%	2,905,578	100%
1911^[20]	1,597,865	50.6%	1,295,201	41.01%	265,060	8.39%	3,158,126	100%
1921^[21]	1,640,259	49.4%	1,407,086	42.38%	273,173	8.23%	3,320,518	100%
1931^[22]	1,788,441	49.05%	1,569,218	43.04%	288,584	7.91%	3,646,243	100%
1941^[23]	1,981,433	49.27%	1,728,705	42.99%	311,478	7.75%	4,021,616	100%

Close

Religion

More information Religious group, Pop. ...

Religious groups in Jammu & Kashmir Princely State (British India era)
Religious group	1891^[18]		1901^[19]		1911^[20]		1921^[21]		1931^[22]		1941^[23]
Religious group	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	1,793,710	70.51%	2,154,695	74.16%	2,398,320	75.94%	2,548,514	76.75%	2,817,636	77.28%	3,101,247	77.11%
Hinduism	691,800	27.19%	689,073	23.72%	690,390	21.86%	692,641	20.86%	736,222	20.19%	809,165	20.12%
Buddhism	29,608	1.16%	35,047	1.21%	36,512	1.16%	37,685	1.13%	38,724	1.06%	40,696	1.01%
Tribal	16,615	0.65%	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	134	0%	51	0%
Sikhism	11,399	0.45%	25,828	0.89%	31,553	1%	39,507	1.19%	50,662	1.39%	65,903	1.64%
Jainism	593	0.02%	442	0.02%	345	0.01%	529	0.02%	597	0.02%	910	0.02%
Christianity	218	0.01%	422	0.01%	975	0.03%	1,634	0.05%	2,263	0.06%	3,509	0.09%
Zoroastrianism	9	0%	11	0%	31	0%	7	0%	5	0%	29	0%
Judaism	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	N/a	10	0%
Others	0	0%	60	0%	0	0%	1	0%	0	0%	95	0%
Total population	2,543,952	100%	2,905,578	100%	3,158,126	100%	3,320,518	100%	3,646,243	100%	4,021,616	100%
Note: The Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir includes the contemporary administrative divisions of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Close

References

[1]
"Kashmir and Jammu", Imperial Gazetteer of India, 15, Secretary of State for India in Council: Oxford at the Clarendon Press: 71–, 1908, archived from the original on 21 December 2019, retrieved 27 August 2019
[2]
Sneddon, Christopher (2021), Independent Kashmir: An incomplete aspiration, Manchester University Press, pp. 12–13, Paramountcy was the 'vague and undefined' feudatory system whereby the British, as the suzerain power, dominated and controlled India's princely rulers. ... These 'loyal collaborators of the Raj' were 'afforded [British] protection in exchange for helpful behavior in a relationship of tutelage, called paramountcy'.
[3]
Ganguly, Sumit; Hagerty, Devin T. (2005), Fearful Symmetry: India-Pakistan Crises in the Shadow of Nuclear Weapons, Seattle and New Delhi: University of Washington Press, and Oxford University Press, p. 22, ISBN 0-295-98525-9, ... the problem of the 'princely states'. These states had accepted the tutelage of the British Crown under the terms of the doctrine of 'paramountcy' under which they acknowledged the Crown as the 'paramount' authority in the subcontinent.
[4]
"Kashmir: region, Indian subcontinent". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2016. Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent. It is bounded by the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the northeast and the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east (both parts of China), by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south, by Pakistan to the west, and by Afghanistan to the northwest. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, ... The southern and southeastern portions constitute the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian- and Pakistani-administered portions are divided by a "line of control" agreed to in 1972, although neither country recognizes it as an international boundary. In addition, China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and since 1962 has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh (the easternmost portion of the region)."
[5]
"Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6, archived from the original on 17 January 2023, retrieved 18 December 2021 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered mostly by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
[6]
Osmańczyk, Edmund Jan (2003), Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1191–, ISBN 978-0-415-93922-5, archived from the original on 17 January 2023, retrieved 18 December 2021 Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
[7]
Panikkar, Gulab Singh 1930, p. 111–125.
[8]
1st Edition Cold War in the High Himalayas The USA, China and South Asia in the 1950s By S. Mahmud Ali Copyright 1999( When tribal Pathan militias from Pakistan's North-West Frontiers joined Sudhan Pathan rebels fighting for freedom, Hari Singh fled to Jammu and reportedly signed a letter of accession to India.) Page 19
[9]
"Q&A: Kashmir dispute - BBC News". BBC News. 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
[10]
Fair, C. Christine (25 April 2014). Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army's Way of War. Oxford University Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-19-939588-0.
[11]
Schofield, Victoria (6 May 2003). Kashmir in Conflict. London: I. B.Tauris & Co Ltd. p. xii. ISBN 1-86064-898-3 – via archive.org.
[12]
Bose, Sumantra (2003). Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard University Press. pp. 32–37. ISBN 0-674-01173-2.
[13]
"History, People, Conflict, Map, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. 20 July 1998. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
[14]
"Ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir - A line on fire" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
[15]
Karim, Maj Gen Afsir (2013), Kashmir The Troubled Frontiers, Lancer Publishers LLC, pp. 29–32, ISBN 978-1-935501-76-3
[16]
Behera, Demystifying Kashmir 2007, p. 15.
[17]
Copland, Ian (1981), "Islam and Political Mobilization in Kashmir, 1931–34", Pacific Affairs, 54 (2): 228–259, doi:10.2307/2757363, JSTOR 2757363
[18]
"Census of India, 1891. Volume XXVIII, The Kashmir state : the report on the census and imperial and supplementary tables". 1891. pp. 209–231. JSTOR saoa.crl.25352828. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
[19]
"Census of India 1901. Vol. 23A, Kashmir. Pt. 2, Tables". 1901. p. 20. JSTOR saoa.crl.25366883. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
[20]
"Census of India 1911. Vol. 20, Kashmir. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 17. JSTOR saoa.crl.25394111. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
[21]
"Census of India 1921. Vol. 22, Kashmir. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 15. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430177. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
[22]
"Census of India 1931. Vol. 24, Jammu & Kashmir State. Pt. 2, Imperial & state tables". 1931. p. 267. JSTOR saoa.crl.25797120. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
[23]
India Census Commissioner (1941). "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 22, Jammu & Kashmir". pp. 337–352. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215644. Retrieved 3 November 2024.

Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)

Administration

Prime ministers of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir (1917–1947)

Demographics

Population

Religion

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

Related Articles