Jammu and Kashmir

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This article details only the area administered by India. For the full region see Kashmir region

Jammu and Kashmir

Capital - Coordinates	Jammu - 34.08° N 74.83° E
Largest city	Srinagar
Population (2001) - Density	10,069,917 (18th) - 45.31/km²
Area - Districts	222,236 km² (?) - 14
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Establishment - Governor - Chief Minister - Legislature (seats)	1947-10-26 - S.K. Sinha - Ghulam Nabi Azad - Bicameral (89 + 36)
Official language(s)	Kashmiri (Koshur), Urdu
Abbreviation (ISO)	IN-JK
Website: jammukashmir.nic.in
† Jammu is the winter capital

Jammu and Kashmir pronunciation (help·info) (IPA: /dʒəmmuː ənd kəʃmiːr/, Kashmiri: جۄم تٕہ کٔشِیر ज्वम त॒ कॅशीर, Urdu:جموں و کشمیر, Hindi:जम्मू और कश्मीर) (often abbreviated as Kashmir), is the northern-most state of Republic of India, lying mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with Himachal Pradesh to the south, Pakistan to the west and People's Republic of China to the north and the east.

Jammu and Kashmir consists of three divisions: Jammu, the Vale of Kashmir and Ladakh. Srinagar is its summer capital, and Jammu its winter capital. The Vale of Kashmir, also known as Kashmir Valley, is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape. Known as the "City of Temples", Jammu attracts tens of thousands of Hindu and Muslim piligrims every year. Ladakh, also known as "Little Tibet", is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture which was established as early as the 2nd century. Though Islam is practiced by the majority of population, Jammu and Kashmir has large and vibrant communities of Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs.

1 History
2 Government
3 Geography and climate
4 Economy
- 4.1 Macro-economic trend
5 Culture
6 Demographics
7 Districts
8 Tourism
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Kashmir

The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, circa 1900.

Once a seat of the Dogra Rajput dynasty, Jammu came under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19-th century and became a part of the Sikh Kingdom. The Rajputs were however able to re-establish their control over Jammu under the command of Maharaja Gulab Singh. With the help of General Zorawar Singh, Gulab Singh established the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir which extended beyond the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley to the Tibetan Buddhist Kingdom of Ladakh and the Emirates of Hunza, Gilgit and Nagar. The rule of Dogras over Jammu and Kashmir came to an end in 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession making the princely state a part of the Union of India.

Jammu and Kashmir lies at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute between India, Pakistan and the People's Republic of China. India has fought three wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1999 and one with China over Kashmir. India, which considers the entire state as its sovereign territory, has control of about half the area of Jammu and Kashmir. The territory under its control enjoys special provisions under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. India's claim to the entire state is disputed by Pakistan, which controls a third of Kashmir. Aksai Chin, an arid region in the east, and the Trans-Karakoram Tract are claimed by India but administered by China. The Government of Pakistan classifies Jammu and Kashmir as "Indian Occupied Kashmir".

Since the 1990s, the state has long been hit by the confrontation between militant separatists and Indian Armed Forces, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. The Indian army maintains a significant deployment of troops to maintain law and order.

[edit] Government

Flag of Jammu and Kashmir

The Indian Constitution grants Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status as a temporary provision; however, some Kashmiri political parties demand greater autonomy and sovereignty. Jammu and Kashmir has a multi party democratic system of governance. Main political parties include the National Conference,the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP). Presently, Indian National Congress and its ally PDP hold the maximum number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly.

After Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of the PDP completed his third year as Chief Minister, as per the power-sharing agreement between the PDP-Congress alliance reached in late 2002, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad replaced Mufti on November 2005.

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[edit] Geography and climate

The region of Kashmir and Jammu includes dry climates in the southwest, a strip of humid temperate climate through the center of the region, and a humid cold climate in the north.

For decades, the climate has dictated the lives of Kashmiris. for instance, due to severe weather, the state government of Jammu and Kashmir changes its headquarters from Srinagar to Jammu every year during the winter season.

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[edit] Economy

Jammu and Kashmir's mountainous landscape and extreme weather conditions has made construction of highways across the state extremely difficult. Shown here is the only highway connecting Srinagar to Leh.

[edit] Macro-economic trend

This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Jammu and Kashmir at market prices estimated by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

Year	Gross State Domestic Product
1980	11,860
1985	22,560
1990	36,140
1995	80,970
2000	147,500

Jammu and Kashmir's gross state domestic product for 2007 is estimated at $12 billion in current prices.

Its economy is mostly dependent on farming and animal husbandry. Though small, the manufacturing and services sector is growing rapidly. In recent years, several consumer goods companies have opened manufacturing units in the region. Before insurgency intensified in 1989, tourism formed an important part of the Kashmiri economy. The tourism economy in the Kashmir Valley was worst hit. However, Jammu and Ladakh continue to remain as popular tourist destinations. Wood from Kashmir is also used to make high-quality cricket bats, popularly known as Kashmir Willow.

Only one S&P CNX 500 conglomerate has its corporate office in this troubled state viz. Jammu and Kashmir Bank. It reported a gross income of Rs.18,394 million for 2005.

[edit] Culture

Houseboats and Shikaras are a common feature in lakes and rivers across Kashmir.

Kashmiri lifestyle is essentially, irrespective of the differing religious beliefs, slow paced. Comprised of generally peace-loving people, the culture has been rich enough to reflect the religious diversity as tribes celebrate festivities that divert them from their otherwise monotonous way of life. Kashmiris are known to enjoy their music in its various local forms and the dress of both sexes are quite colorful.

The Dumhal is a famous dance in Kashmir, performed by men of the Wattal region. The women perform the Rouff, another folk dance. Kashmir has been noted for its fine arts for centuries, including poetry and handicrafts.

Islam entered the state when Sufi saint Bul Bul Shah converted Rinchan (erstwhile Buddhist king) to Islam. The practice of Islam in Kashmir has heavy Sufi influences, which makes it unique from orthodox Sunni and Shiite Islam in the rest of South Asia. Other religions practised in the state include Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and a very small number of Jews to the north, said to be descended from Israelites who migrated along the Silk Route.

Non-Kashmiris are not allowed to purchase plots of land in the state unless they obtain citizenship. As a way around this, houseboats took the center-stage for many who wished to live in Jammu and Kashmir but were unable to buy their own land. This was a very popular choice for the British soldiers during the British Raj. However, several local Kashmiris and non-Kashmiris continue to live in these houseboats which have now become an integral part of Kashmiri lifestyle.

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[edit] Demographics

Religious groups in Kashmir Valley
Muslims	95%
Hindus, Others	4%
Religious groups in Jammu
Muslims	28%
Hindus	66%
Sikhs, Others	4%
Religious groups in Ladakh
Muslims	44%
Buddhists	50%
Hindus, Others	5%

Hindus form the majority of the population in Jammu. Shown here is a roadside Hindu temple in Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir contain an approximately 70% Muslim majority. The rest of the population are Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and others. The people of Ladakh are of Indo-Tibetan origin, while the southern area of Jammu includes many communities tracing their ancestry to the nearby Indian states of Haryana and Punjab, as well as the city of Delhi.

In 1941, Hindus represented 15% of the total Kashmiri population. However in 1990, the bulk of Kashmiri Hindu population in the region was forced out due to anti-Hindu insurgency in Kashmir. As of 2006, only some 5,000 to 15,000 Hindus live in the Kashmir valley out of approximately 200,000 in 1947 (some scholars and community activists claim the Hindu population in the Valley was higher, with up to 450,000 - for the full historical debate see Alexander Evans's ‘A departure from history: Kashmiri Pandits, 1990-2001’ Contemporary South Asia, Vol 11, 1 2002 p19-37). According to an estimate by the Central Intelligence Agency, most of the 500,000 Kashmiris, internally displaced due to the ongoing violence, are Hindus. ^[1]. While Jammu is a Hindu majority area, the Kashmir Valley is predominantly Muslim and Ladakh has a Buddhist-majority population.

[edit] Districts

Jammu and Kashmir is divided into 14 districts:

Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Doda, Jammu, Kargil, Kathua, Kupwara, Leh, Pulwama, Poonch, Rajouri, Srinagar, Udhampur

[edit] Tourism

View of Dal Lake and Srinagar city

Kashmir is known as heaven on the earth. In the seventeenth century the Mughal emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the valley of Kashmir. He said that if paradise is any where on the earth, it is here, while living in a house boat on the mesmerizing Dal Lake. The pleasure of the Mughal gardens makes every minute one spends in Kashmir a joy to the soul. In Jammu and Kashmir the most important tourist places are Kashmir, Srinagar, Mughal gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam-the valley of shepherds, Jammu, Ladakh.

Because of the relatively tolerable climate on the higher planes of Jammu and Kashmir, and also because of its scenic beauty and bodies of water, Jammu and Kashmir are a tourist attraction. "Going to Kashmir" was synonymous until few years ago in India with going on a honeymoon, or for a tour to a cold place during hot summers.

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