Background of the Kashmir Conflict

Describe the condition of Pandits and Muslims in Kashmir before the Treaty of Amritsar and the changes that took place after the Treaty was implemented. In what ways have forces external to Kashmir contributed to the conflict in the region during the colonial and post-colonial periods?

The argument can be sustained that external forces have significantly contributed to Kashmir conflict for hundreds of years, within which the post-Treaty of Amritsar period is a relatively small potion. From the rise of the Islamist tyrant to the Kashmir throne in 1349, the region has been locked in various, seemingly indeterminate conflicts where the regional political players may change, but underlying, fundamental and irreconcilable religious tension is the single unifying historical thread (Zutshi, 2004). The Pandits and Muslim interplays both prior and post Treaty are explored against this backdrop.

Given the long Kashmir past has marked the region as a place where conflict is the norm, there is no surprise that the Kashmir continues to be a lightning rod for the entire region. It is the proposition that contributes to the examination of how external forces have exerted significant, and largely negative influences over the Kashmir to the present day.

1. Pandits and Muslims

The Pandits are the inheritors of the most ancient Hindu Brahmin traditions. The Pandits recognize the vedas, ancient Sanskrit sources of Hindu wisdom, as their core religious authority (Bose,1997). There is little wonder at why the Pandits and Muslim people might be natural antagonists. Each faith believes its followers to be part of a true world religion, where the message is eternal and sustaining. Where Islam professes its rigid adherence to All...

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