Research Guide: India & Pakistan: Home

Examines the history, people, and politics of Kashmir in an attempt to understand the long and ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan for control of the region, and to discuss possible solutions.

How has the valley of Kashmir, famed for its beauty and tranquility, become the focus of a dispute with the potential for nuclear conflict? How does the Kashmir separatist movement challenge the integrity of the Indian state and threaten the stability of a region of tremendous strategic importance? As Pakistan and India square up for what may become a major regional conflict, Victoria Schofield examines the Kashmir question, from the period when the valley was an independent kingdom to its current status as a battleground for two of the world's newest nuclear powers: India and Pakistan. Schofield traces the origins of the conflict in the 19th century and explains the issues that divide India and Pakistan, assessesing the military positions of both states as their troops mass alongthe border.

Discusses the political history of Kashmir and examines American efforts and specific policies established to encourage a settlement between India and Pakistan over the region.