The small state of 86,000 square miles had a large Muslim population, and it was led by Hari Singh, a devout Hindu. Singh wanted Kashmir to remain an independent state, but the state’s geographic location made this impossible. Kashmir was positioned on the border of India and Pakistan. While Singh was holing out, Kashmir was invaded in August of 1947 by armed raiders from the North West Frontier province and by troops from the Pakistani Army. Singh was forced to seek military protection from India, and the Indian-Pakistani War of 1947 was underway. The Pakistani forces entered Kashmir quickly by defeating Singh’s weak ground troops. Peter Lyon, an international relations researcher, says, “Some British officers may have helped the Pakistani
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This assistance the British provided to Pakistan was important because Singh’s men could likely have defended their land from Pakistan if it had not been receiving British assistance. The Pakistani Army, unlike the Indian Army, did not have many military resources and was relatively weak in comparison. Singh realized he soon need assistance himself, so he called upon India. The Indian military soon countered by launching their offensive with advanced weaponry and aircraft. The Pakistani forces started their retreat within days, but small skirmishes continued until Indian Prime Minister requested the United Nations (UN) intervene. The UN declared a cease-fire line on December 31, 1948 which both nations agreed to after 3,000 soldiers had been lost in the war. The UN’s terms forced Pakistan to completely withdraw its forces from Kashmir while the Indian military was allowed to keep a minimal presence. Pakistan was given a small portion of Kashmir in the West, but India was rewarded with the rest of the region. The final proposal the UN put forth is that a plebiscite should be held to determine which nation the people of Kashmir would prefer to join. The first Indian-Pakistani War resulted in India officially controlling a majority of …show more content…
In Pakistan, the nation was lacking proper leadership due to the death of the governor. Jinnah died on September 11, 1948 due to tuberculosis, and Liaquat Ali Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, took over the operations of the country. Liaquat was a capable leader, but only two days after the death of Jinnah, India invaded Hyderabad. Hyderabad was a state similar to Kashmir in that it wanted to remain an independent, but there were a few differences. Hyderabad was located in the heart of India, and it had a Muslim ruler with a large Hindu population. While Jinnah was Pakistan’s Governor-General, the sovereignty of Hyderabad was observed by India because of Pakistan’s military presence, but following his death, the Indian Army invaded Hyderabad on September 13, 1948. Many Pakistani’s thought that their homeland would be invaded next. Because of this fear, Pakistanis wanted peace with India through the UN administered plebiscite in Kashmir. The UN proposal that said an American would administer but plebiscite, but no official name had been announced yet. Because of growing relations with the United States, Liaquat thought this would be the best opportunity Pakistan could settle for peace in
This assistance the British provided to Pakistan was important because Singh’s men could likely have defended their land from Pakistan if it had not been receiving British assistance. The Pakistani Army, unlike the Indian Army, did not have many military resources and was relatively weak in comparison. Singh realized he soon need assistance himself, so he called upon India. The Indian military soon countered by launching their offensive with advanced weaponry and aircraft. The Pakistani forces started their retreat within days, but small skirmishes continued until Indian Prime Minister requested the United Nations (UN) intervene. The UN declared a cease-fire line on December 31, 1948 which both nations agreed to after 3,000 soldiers had been lost in the war. The UN’s terms forced Pakistan to completely withdraw its forces from Kashmir while the Indian military was allowed to keep a minimal presence. Pakistan was given a small portion of Kashmir in the West, but India was rewarded with the rest of the region. The final proposal the UN put forth is that a plebiscite should be held to determine which nation the people of Kashmir would prefer to join. The first Indian-Pakistani War resulted in India officially controlling a majority of …show more content…
In Pakistan, the nation was lacking proper leadership due to the death of the governor. Jinnah died on September 11, 1948 due to tuberculosis, and Liaquat Ali Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, took over the operations of the country. Liaquat was a capable leader, but only two days after the death of Jinnah, India invaded Hyderabad. Hyderabad was a state similar to Kashmir in that it wanted to remain an independent, but there were a few differences. Hyderabad was located in the heart of India, and it had a Muslim ruler with a large Hindu population. While Jinnah was Pakistan’s Governor-General, the sovereignty of Hyderabad was observed by India because of Pakistan’s military presence, but following his death, the Indian Army invaded Hyderabad on September 13, 1948. Many Pakistani’s thought that their homeland would be invaded next. Because of this fear, Pakistanis wanted peace with India through the UN administered plebiscite in Kashmir. The UN proposal that said an American would administer but plebiscite, but no official name had been announced yet. Because of growing relations with the United States, Liaquat thought this would be the best opportunity Pakistan could settle for peace in