Why has the valley of Kashmir, famed for its beauty and tranquility, become a major flashpoint, threatening the stability of a region of great strategic importance to pose a nuclear threat for the entire world? This book examines the Kashmir conflict in its historical context, from the period when the valley was an independent kingdom right up to the struggles of the present day. Drawing upon research in India and Pakistan, as well as historical sources, this book traces the origins of thestate in the 19th century, the controversial "sale" by the British of the predominantly Muslim valley to a Hindu Maharaja in 1846 and the 20th century clashes between Muslim and Hindu interests now culminating in the threat of a major war.<br />