Kashmir, often called the cradle of Indian civilization, is a diverse and timely land. However, after 1947, Kashmir became the site of bloody conflicts between 2 competing powers. This conflict originates from the very fracture of the Indian subcontinent and the formation of India and Pakistan. After the independence of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, the princely states had the choice of joining India or Pakistan. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayFor Jammu and Kashmir, the largest of these states, Lord Mountbatten, who was the governor of India, advised that "consistent with their policy that in the case of any State where the question of accession has been the subject of dispute, the question of accession should be decided in accordance with the wishes of the people of the State, it is the wish of my Government that as soon as law and order is restored in Kashmir and its soil is cleared of the invader , the question of state membership should be resolved by reference to the people “However, Jammu and Kashmir had complex demography. They had a majority Muslim population with a sizable Hindu and Sikh population. The Maharaja decided to remain neutral because he knew that Muslims would not be happy with the decision to join India and Hindus and Sikhs would be unhappy with the decision to go to Pakistan. Despite Maharaja Hari Singh's plea to remain neutral, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, wrote to the Maharaja several times to convince him to join Pakistan. Jinnah promised "all sorts of favorable treatment" for Hindus and Sikhs living in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Maharaja remained firm on his position of remaining neutral. On September 12, 1947, a tribesman from the Pathan region of Pakistan led an insurrection against the Jammu region of Kashmir. Hindus and Sikhs fled telling harrowing stories of Muslim atrocities. This act unleashed enormous amounts of counter-violence against Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir. The conflict escalated to such an extent that the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 began. The Indian National Army reunited and the Pakistan Army officially entered the conflict in May 1948. In the midst of the war Lord Mountbatten flew to India on November 1 1947. Mountbatten flew to Lahore for a meeting with Jinnah, proposing that, in the whole princely situation, In States where the sovereign has not acceded to a Dominion corresponding to the majority of the population, accession should be decided by "impartial reference to the will of the people." Jinnah rejected the offer. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Prime Ministers Nehru and Liaquat Ali Khan met again in December when Nehru informed Khan of India's intention to refer the dispute to the United Nations under Article 35 of the United Nations Charter, which allows member states to bring to the attention of the Security Council situations "which could endanger the maintenance of international peace". Prime Ministers Nehru and Liaquat Ali Khan met again in December, when Nehru informed Khan of India's intention to refer the dispute to the United Nations under Article 35 of the United Nations Charter, which allows states members to bring to the attention of the Security Council situations "which could jeopardize the maintenance of international peace."