The
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, or the
First Kashmir War,
[24] was a war fought between
India and
Pakistan over the
princely state of
Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four
Indo-Pakistani wars between the two
newly independent nations. Pakistan precipitated the war a few weeks after its independence by launching tribal
lashkar (militias) from
Waziristan,
[25] in an effort to capture
Kashmir and to preempt the possibility of its ruler joining India.
[26] The inconclusive result of the war still affects the geopolitics of both countries.
Hari Singh, the
Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, was facing an
uprising by his Muslim subjects in
Poonch, and lost control of the western districts of his kingdom. On 22 October 1947, Pakistan's
Pashtun tribal militias crossed the border of the state. These local tribal militias and irregular Pakistani forces moved to take the capital city of
Srinagar, but upon reaching
Baramulla, they took to plunder and stalled. Maharaja Hari Singh made a plea to India for assistance, and help was offered, but it was subject to his signing of an
Instrument of Accession to India.
The war was initially fought by the
Jammu and Kashmir State Forces[27][28] and by militias from the
frontier tribal areas adjoining the
North-West Frontier Province.
[29] Following the
accession of the state to India on 26 October 1947, Indian troops were airlifted to
Srinagar, the state capital. British commanding officers initially refused the entry of Pakistani troops into the conflict, citing the accession of the state to India. However, later in 1948, they relented and Pakistan's armies entered the war shortly afterwards.
[29] The fronts solidified gradually along what later came to be known as the
Line of Control. A formal ceasefire was declared effective 1 January 1949.
[30]
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