Opinion | Formation of Jammu and Kashmir 

The present UT of Jammu and Kashmir was earlier three separate regions of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh frontier. It was united under a single political body by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1846 after the disintegration of Sikh power. In November 1845 the war broke out between British government and Sikh durbar. Sikhs wanted Gulab sing to help them but he was not interested and remained aloof. By doing so he wanted to earn gratitude of British diplomats and hence was successful. He wanted to make a separate state for himself. After Sikhs were vanquished, he was offered to become the prime minister of Punjab. He was delighted by this and wanted to keep himself in touch with British government.
As a result of negotiations between defeated Sikhs and British, British government demanded one and a half crore rupees for war indemnity from Sikhs. However British knew that Sikhs were not able to pay much. Their main objective was to weaken the Sikh durbar, which was a constant menace to British government , so British was thinking if Sikhs offer Kashmir instead the payment of one and half crore and will transfer it to Gulab Singh in payment of the seventy five lakh nanakshahee(the then currency of Punjab) rupees.
On March 9, 1846, the treaty of Lahore was signed between Raja Dhuleep Singh and British. In this treaty, the Raja Dhuleep Singh cedes all his forts, territories, doab and the country, hills and plains situated between river Beas and Sutlej. After seven days this treaty was concluded, another treaty (the treaty of Amritsar) was signed between Ghulab Singh and British. This treaty provides the “sale deed of Kashmir” where Kashmir was simply sold to Maharaja Ghulab Singh for 75 lakh nanakshaheee rupees. Article l of the treaty says that Kashmir was made over forever to Raj Gulab Singh and his male heirs. Article ll of the treaty mentions, in consideration of the transfer of Kashmir to Maharaja Gulab Singh and his male heirs, Gulab Singh has to pay 75 lakh nanakshahee rupees to British govt. Out of which 50 lakh were paid at the time of ratification and 25 lakh on or before 1 October of the current year i.e. 1846.
And so, for a total sum of Rupees seventy five lakh was sold to Maharaja Gulab Singh, an area of 84,471 sq. miles and two and half million people. This transaction between the British govt. and Gulab Singh has been a subject of great controversy. The British Government accepted a payment of Rupees seventy-five lakh for transferring the state to Raja Gulab Singh.

At the time of “sale of Kashmir” no consideration was given to the moral effects of the deed. Millions of people were sold like sheep and cattle and the whole transaction was made behind their backs. The Treaty of Amritsar consisting of ten articles made no mention whatsoever, of the rights, interests or the future of the people of the state. Untrammeled power was transferred to a Dogra Hindu Ruler to rule over the Muslim majority population. Since, in the Indian Native state absolute autocracy was the principle characteristic of the political life at that time; no voice was raised against this transaction in the state but outside the state empathy was shown towards the masses in Jammu and Kashmir.
In British India, Dr. Alama Iqbal (RA), the great Urdu poet wrote:
“Their fields, their crops, their streams,
Even the peasants in the vale;
They sold, they sold all, alas!
How cheap was the sale.”
Ghulab Singh from Jammu had earlier annexed Ladakh. After getting Kashmir, he made the three separate regions as a single political entity of Jammu and Kashmir. Under such circumstances was the state of Jammu and Kashmir created. The whole area was brought under the control of one single ruler, but this did not mean, as we shall see presently, the country was unified. The mountainous character of the country and the paucity of communication prevented the growth of anything like a common sentiment of nationality. The different communities continued to live a separate existence till the repercussion of the freedom struggle in India inspired the national conference to unite the Kashmiri people.
(About Writer : Zahoor Akbar Kumar is a Ba Student at Gdc Sogam Lolab and can be reached at zahoorzahid885@gmail.com)