Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)

This article is about the administration of the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu. For the history, see Kashmir § History.

Jammu and Kashmir, also known as Kashmir and Jammu,^[1] was a princely state in a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company from 1846 to 1858 and under the paramountcy (or tutelage^[2][3]) of the British Crown, from 1858 until the Partition of India in 1947, when it became a disputed territory, now administered by three countries: China, India, and Pakistan.^[4][5][6] The princely state was created after the First Anglo-Sikh War, when the East India Company, which had annexed the Kashmir Valley,^[7] from the Sikhs as war indemnity, then sold it to the Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh, for rupees 75 lakhs.

Jammu and Kashmir
1846–1952
Top: Flag of Jammu and Kashmir (1846‍–‍1936) Bottom: Flag of Jammu and Kashmir (1936‍–‍1953) Coat of arms
Jammu and Kashmir in 1946
Status	Princely state
Capital	Srinagar Jammu
Common languages	Kashmiri, Dogri, Ladakhi, Balti, Shina, Pahari-Pothwari
Religion	Hinduism (state), Islam (majority), Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
Government	Monarchy
Maharaja
• 1846–1857	Gulab Singh (first)
• 1925–1952	Hari Singh (last)
Dewan
• 1917–1921	Daljit Singh (first)
• 1948–1952	Sheikh Abdullah (last)
History
• End of the First Anglo-Sikh War and formation of the state	1846
• End of British Crown Suzerainty	15 Aug 1947
• Beginning of the First Kashmir War	22 Oct 1947
• Accession to the Indian Union	26–27 Oct 1947
• End of First Kashmir War (cession of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan)	1 January 1949
• Constitutional state of India	17 November 1952
• Disestablished	1952
Today part of	Disputed; see Kashmir conflict

At the time of the partition of India and the political integration of India, Hari Singh, the ruler of the state, delayed making a decision about the future of his state. However, an uprising in the western districts of the state followed by an attack by raiders from the neighbouring Northwest Frontier Province, supported by Pakistan, forced his hand. On 26 October 1947, Hari Singh acceded^[8] to India in return for the Indian military being airlifted to Kashmir, to engage the Pakistan-supported forces.^[9] The western and northern districts now known as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan passed to the control of Pakistan after it occupied it,^[10] while the remaining territory stayed under Indian control, later becoming the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir.^[11] India and Pakistan defined a cease-fire line dividing the administration of the territory with the intercession of the United Nations which was supposed to be temporary but still persists.^[12][13]

Administration

Map of Kashmir showing the borders of the princely state in dark red.

According to the census reports of 1911, 1921 and 1931, the administration was organised as follows:^[14][15]

• Jammu province: Districts of Jammu, Jasrota (Kathua), Udhampur, Reasi and Mirpur.
• Kashmir province: Districts of Kashmir South (Anantnag), Kashmir North (Baramulla) and Muzaffarabad.
• Frontier districts: Wazarats of Ladakh and Gilgit.
• Internal jagirs: Poonch, Bhaderwah and Chenani.

In the 1941 census, further details of the frontier districts were given:^[14]

• Ladakh wazarat: Tehsils of Leh, Skardu and Kargil.
• Gilgit wazarat: Tehsils of Gilgit and Astore
• Frontier illaqas: (under the Gilgit Agency) Punial, Ishkoman, Yasin, Kuh-Ghizer, Hunza, Nagar, Chilas.

Prime ministers (Jammu & Kashmir)

#	Name	Took office	Left office
1	Raja Sir Daljit Singh	1917	1921
2	Raja Hari Singh	1925	1927
3	Sir Albion Banerjee	January 1927	March 1929
4	G. E. C. Wakefield	1929	1931
5	Hari Krishan Kaul[16]	1931	1932
6	Elliot James Dowell Colvin[16]	1932	1936
7	Sir Barjor J. Dalal	1936	1936
8	Sir N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar	1937	July 1943
9	Kailash Narain Haksar	July 1943	February 1944
10	Sir B. N. Rau	February 1944	28 June 1945
11	Ram Chandra Kak	28 June 1945	11 August 1947
12	Janak Singh	11 August 1947	15 October 1947
13	Mehr Chand Mahajan	15 October 1947	5 March 1948
14	Sheikh Abdullah	5 March 1948	9 August 1953

Demographics

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1901	2,905,578	—
1911	3,158,126	+8.7%
1921	3,320,518	+5.1%
1931	3,646,243	+9.8%
1941	4,021,616	+10.3%
Sources: Census in British India

Population of Jammu & Kashmir Princely State by Province (1901–1941)

Census Year	Jammu Province		Kashmir Province		Frontier Regions		Jammu & Kashmir Princely State
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
1901[17]	1,521,307	52.36%	1,157,394	39.83%	226,877	7.81%	2,905,578	100%
1911[18]	1,597,865	50.6%	1,295,201	41.01%	265,060	8.39%	3,158,126	100%
1921[19]	1,640,259	49.4%	1,407,086	42.38%	273,173	8.23%	3,320,518	100%
1931[20]	1,788,441	49.05%	1,569,218	43.04%	288,584	7.91%	3,646,243	100%
1941[21]	1,981,433	49.27%	1,728,705	42.99%	311,478	7.75%	4,021,616	100%

Religion

Religious groups in Jammu & Kashmir Princely State (British India era)

Religious group	1901[17]		1911[18]		1921[19]		1931[20]		1941[21]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	2,154,695	74.16%	2,398,320	75.94%	2,548,514	76.75%	2,817,636	77.28%	3,101,247	77.11%
Hinduism	689,073	23.72%	690,390	21.86%	692,641	20.86%	736,222	20.19%	809,165	20.12%
Buddhism	35,047	1.21%	36,512	1.16%	37,685	1.13%	38,724	1.06%	40,696	1.01%
Sikhism	25,828	0.89%	31,553	1%	39,507	1.19%	50,662	1.39%	65,903	1.64%
Jainism	442	0.02%	345	0.01%	529	0.02%	597	0.02%	910	0.02%
Christianity	422	0.01%	975	0.03%	1,634	0.05%	2,263	0.06%	3,509	0.09%
Zoroastrianism	11	0%	31	0%	7	0%	5	0%	29	0%
Tribal	—	—	—	—	—	—	134	0%	51	0%
Judaism	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	10	0%
Others	60	0%	0	0%	1	0%	0	0%	95	0%
Total population	2,905,578	100%	3,158,126	100%	3,320,518	100%	3,646,243	100%	4,021,616	100%
Note: The Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir includes the contemporary administrative divisions of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Jammu Province

Including Jammu District, Kathua District, Udhampur District, Reasi District, Mirpur District, Chenani Jagir, and Poonch Jagir.

Religious groups in the Jammu Province of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir (1901–1941)

Religious group	1901[17]		1911[18]		1921[19]		1931[20]		1941[21]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	876,599	57.62%	953,293	59.66%	989,644	60.33%	1,091,021	61%	1,215,676	61.35%
Hinduism	626,177	41.16%	626,439	39.2%	626,806	38.21%	665,246	37.2%	722,835	36.48%
Sikhism	13,113	0.86%	16,659	1.04%	21,627	1.32%	29,282	1.64%	38,566	1.95%
Buddhism	4,831	0.32%	452	0.03%	442	0.03%	507	0.03%	522	0.03%
Jainism	439	0.03%	345	0.02%	528	0.03%	591	0.03%	901	0.05%
Christianity	145	0.01%	672	0.04%	1,207	0.07%	1,753	0.1%	2,788	0.14%
Zoroastrianism	0	0%	5	0%	5	0%	0	0%	23	0%
Tribal	—	—	—	—	—	—	41	0%	29	0%
Judaism	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0	0%
Others	3	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	93	0%
Total population	1,521,307	100%	1,597,865	100%	1,640,259	100%	1,788,441	100%	1,981,433	100%

Kashmir Province

Including Baramulla District (Kashmir North District), Anantnag District (Kashmir South District), and Muzaffarabad District.

Religious groups in the Kashmir Province of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir (1901–1941)

Religious group	1901[17]		1911[18]		1921[19]		1931[20]		1941[21]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	1,083,766	93.64%	1,217,768	94.02%	1,324,403	94.12%	1,478,287	94.21%	1,615,478	93.45%
Hinduism	60,682	5.24%	62,414	4.82%	64,594	4.59%	69,296	4.42%	85,580	4.95%
Sikhism	12,637	1.09%	14,772	1.14%	17,742	1.26%	21,190	1.35%	27,034	1.56%
Christianity	244	0.02%	218	0.02%	341	0.02%	339	0.02%	555	0.03%
Zoroastrianism	11	0%	26	0%	2	0%	5	0%	6	0%
Jainism	2	0%	0	0%	1	0%	3	0%	9	0%
Buddhism	0	0%	3	0%	2	0%	5	0%	10	0%
Tribal	—	—	—	—	—	—	93	0.01%	20	0%
Judaism	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	10	0%
Others	52	0%	0	0%	1	0%	0	0%	2	0%
Total population	1,157,394	100%	1,295,201	100%	1,407,086	100%	1,569,218	100%	1,728,705	100%

Frontier Regions

Including Ladakh District, Astore District, Gilgit Leased Area, and Gilgit Agency.

Religious groups in the Frontier Regions of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir (1901–1941)

Religious group	1901[17]		1911[18]		1921[19]		1931[20]		1941[21]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	194,330	85.65%	227,259	85.74%	234,467	85.83%	248,328	86.05%	270,093	86.71%
Buddhism	30,216	13.32%	36,057	13.6%	37,241	13.63%	38,212	13.24%	40,164	12.89%
Hinduism	2,214	0.98%	1,537	0.58%	1,241	0.45%	1,680	0.58%	750	0.24%
Sikhism	78	0.03%	122	0.05%	138	0.05%	190	0.07%	303	0.1%
Christianity	33	0.01%	85	0.03%	86	0.03%	171	0.06%	166	0.05%
Jainism	1	0%	0	0%	0	0%	3	0%	0	0%
Zoroastrianism	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Tribal	—	—	—	—	—	—	0	0%	2	0%
Judaism	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0	0%
Others	5	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Total population	226,877	100%	265,060	100%	273,173	100%	288,584	100%	311,478	100%

See also

• List of political parties in Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)
• Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir
• Dogra dynasty
• Jammu and Kashmir Bodyguard Cavalry

References

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This article incorporates text from the Imperial Gazetteer of India, a publication now in the public domain.