In the thirteenth century,
Islam became the dominant religion in Kashmir. The
Muslims and
Hindus of Kashmir lived in relative harmony, since the Sufi-Islamic way of life that ordinary Muslims followed in Kashmir complemented the Rishi tradition of Kashmiri Pandits. This led to a syncretic culture where Hindus and Muslims revered the same local
saints and prayed at the same shrines. Famous Sufi saint Bulbul Shah was able to persuade the king of the time, Rinchan Shah, who was prince of Kashgar Ladakh, to adopt Islamic way of life and the foundation of Sufiana composite culture was laid when Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists were peacefully co-existing.
Some Kashmiri rulers, such as Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, were tolerant of all religions. However, several Muslim rulers of Kashmir were intolerant. Sultan Sikandar Butshikan of Kashmir (1389-1413) is often considered the worst of these. The Tarikh-i-Firishta records that Sikandar persecuted the Hindus and issued orders proscribing the residence of any other than Muslims in
Kashmir. He also ordered the breaking of all "golden and silver images."
But faced with Islamic conquest in the thirteenth century,
Ladakh chose to seek and accept guidance in religious matters from
Tibet. Lhachen Bhagan was a Basgo king who united Ladakh in 1470 by overthrowing the king of Leh. He took on the surname Namgyal (meaning victorious) and founded a new dynasty, which survives into the twenty-first century. For nearly two centuries, until about 1600, Ladakh was subject to raids and invasions from neighboring Muslim states, which led to weakening and fracturing of Ladakh, and partial conversion of Ladakhis to
Islam.
The region is divided among three countries in a territorial dispute:
Pakistan controls the northwest portion (Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir),
India controls the central and southern portion (Jammu and Kashmir) and
Ladakh, and China controls the northeastern portion (Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract). India controls the majority of the Siachen Glacier (higher peaks), whereas Pakistan controls the lower peaks. India controls 39,145 square miles (101,387 square kilometers of the disputed territory, Pakistan 33,145 square miles (85,846 km²) and China, the remaining 14,500 square miles (37,555 km²).
Like all the states of India, Jammu and Kashmir has a unicameral legislature with 87 seats and sends 10 members to the Indian national parliament—four to the Rajya Sabha (upper house) and six to the Lok Sabha (lower house). The main political parties include the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, the Indian National Congress and the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party. The Constitution of India grants Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status as a temporary provision. However, some Kashmiri political parties demand greater autonomy and sovereignty, while others would like to see the state fully integrated into India.
Pakistan administered Kashmir is nominally autonomous, with its own elected president, prime minister, legislature, and high court. The state is divided into two administrative divisions, which in turn are composed of eight districts.
The Northern Areas is divided into six districts in three divisions: the two Baltistan districts of Skardu and Ghanche, two Gilgit districts of Gilgit and Ghizer and two Diamir districts, districts of Astore and Diamir. The main political centers are the towns of Gilgit, Skardu, and Chilas.
Aksai Chin was, in 2007, under the administration of the People's Republic of China, with the majority of it as a part of Hotan County, in the primarily Muslim Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to which it was transferred by China from
Tibet.
Though these regions are in practice administered by their respective claimants, India has never formally recognized the accession of the areas claimed by Pakistan and China.
India claims those areas, including the area "ceded" to China by
Pakistan in the Trans-Karakoram Tract in 1963, are a part of its territory, while Pakistan claims the region, excluding Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract.
Pakistan argues that Kashmir is culturally and religiously aligned with Pakistan (Kashmir is a Muslim region), while India bases its claim to Kashmir off Maharaja Hari Singh's decision to give Kashmir to India during the India-Pakistan split. Kashmir is considered one of the world's most dangerous territorial disputes due to the nuclear capabilities of India and Pakistan.
The two countries have fought several declared wars over the territory. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 established the rough boundaries of today, with Pakistan holding roughly one-third of Kashmir, and India two-thirds. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 began with a Pakistani attempt to seize the rest of Kashmir, erroneously banking on support from then-ally the
United States. Both resulted in stalemates and
UN-negotiated ceasefires.
More recent conflicts have resulted in success for India; it gained control of the Siachen glacier after a low-intensity conflict that began in 1984, and Indian forces repulsed a Pakistani/Kashmiri guerrilla attempt to seize positions during the Kargil War of 1999. This led to the coup d'etat bringing Pervez Musharraf to power in Pakistan.
