With the arrival of the Mughals in 1586, the centers of power shifted outside of Kashmir for the first time in our recorded history. Kashmir then fell under the Afghans in 1752 and then the Sikhs in 1819 until it was sold by the British to a Dogra ruler in 1846.

After the Partition of British-India, from October–November 1947, in the Jammu region of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, many Muslims were massacred and others driven away to West Punjab. The killings were carried out by extremist Hindus and Sikhs, aided and abetted by the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh.

The exact number of casualties in the killings that continued for two months is not known, but estimates range from 20,000 to 237,000 and nearly half million were forced into displacement across the border into the newly created nation of Pakistan and its administered part of Kashmir.

On 22 October 1993, the Indian Army killed 51 civilians during protests over the siege of the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar. 25 of those killed were students and, like every massacre in Kashmir, none of the accused were punished.

On October 22 1947, before the Hindu Dogra king of Kashmir could decide whether he wanted to join India or Pakistan, a rebellion against his rule took place, with tribal groups from Pakistan coming to support Kashmir’s Muslims. The king appealed to India for military assistance, and its leadership agreed upon the condition that the king would accede to India. He hands over control of his defense, communications and foreign affairs to the Indian government.

On October 27th, Indian forces landed in Srinagar and haven’t left since.

India split the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, a move that gives the government in New Delhi greater control. The unprecedented move came nearly three months after India launched a ‘security’ crackdown in Kashmir, suspending all communications initially, and placing heavy restrictions on movement and public gatherings.