1. Pakistan and Kashmir

2. India Independence
1947: Indian Independent Act passed by British parliament. What were the effects?
Ended British rule in India
Divided the area into two nations India (Hindu majority) and Pakistan (Muslim majority)
Partition led to violence 500,000 killed
Muslims fled India to Pakistan & Hindus fled Pakistan to India
15 million took part in the mass migration

3. Pakistan
British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan after WWII.
The Indian Independence Act ended British rule in India.
It partitioned, or divided the area into two separate and independent nations. One nation was Hindu-dominated India. The other nation was Pakistan, with a Muslim majority.

4. Pakistan divided into West and East

5. Pakistan
In 1947, Pakistan was made up into two regions, West Pakistan and East Pakistan the two areas were separated by 1,000 miles (India)
West and East little in common except both have large Muslim populations.
Civil War in 1971, East Pakistan won and it became Bangladesh.

6. How has Imperialism impacted the conflict between India and Pakistan and what should be done with Kashmir?
Effects of British Imperialism contributed to the conflicts between India and Pakistan.
U.S. Imperialism has impacted the region today relationships with India and Pakistan (Cold War)
India and Pakistan: Capitalism & Landlordism

7. Kashmir
What: Kashmir a region of India, source of conflict and tensions between India & Pakistan
Where: located in the mountains that border India, Pakistan, and China.
When: Since 1947 to present
Why: Dispute over division of Kashmir since it was divided has led to three wars between India and Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1999.
It is potentially one of the most dangerous disputes in the world and in the worst-case scenario could trigger a nuclear conflict.
In 1998 India and Pakistan both declared themselves to be nuclear powers with a string of nuclear tests.

8. Indus flows to the NW from China Tibet(R to L)
What should be done with Kashmir?
Indus flows to the NW from China Tibet(R to L)

9. Imperialism and Kashmir conflict
KASHMIR’S HISTORY HAS been dominated by foreign powers: first by different feudal regimes, then by British imperialism and, recently, by Indian and Pakistani capitalism and landlordism.
Kashmir: was once one of the largest of the 565 ‘princely states’ that were part of British imperialism’s Indian empire.
Dispute over the division of Kashmir following independence from British imperialism in 1947 has led to three wars between Indian and Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1999.
Today a million troops face each other across the Indo-Pakistan border.

10. How is Kashmir divided?
HANDOUT

11. Why do both India and Pakistan believe control is so important?
The people of Kashmir are still tribal in nature. The geography is mostly rural, with fierce mountains, deserts, and valleys. Industry is undeveloped. If this region has natural resources such as oil or gold or silver in any quantity, this has not yet been discovered. Why the fuss?

12. Why important?
Control of the Indus River. The headwaters of the Indus River are located in Kashmir. Whomever controls the headwaters, controls the river. The Indus is vital, begins in Kashmir, then flows through Pakistan, then flows into mainland India.

13. The Indus River
If India chose, since Kashmir is part of India, they could dam the Indus and change the flow of the river. Without fertile land to grow crops, Pakistan would become a desert and its people would starve. Pakistan does not trust India, nor does India trust Pakistan. They will not share control of the Indus. They both want total control.

14. Two more reasons
2. Religious Sites. Both Pakistan and India have sites in Kashmir that are important to their respective religions. Pakistan is primarily Muslim, so is Kashmir. India-Hindu. 3. Strategic Location. For India, Kashmir acts as a buffer. For Pakistan, Kashmir offers a fertile roadway into India for possible invasion.