THE POSTCOLONIAL FAULTLINES OF A COMPOSITE STATE: HISTORY, IDENTITY, AND THE POLITICS OF FRAGMENTATION OF KASHMIR

This article examines the postcolonial formation of Jammu and Kashmir as a composite state shaped by the violent transition of 1947 and its enduring internal fault-lines. It argues that the simultaneity of invasion, mass violence, and hurried accession produced a political entity marked by uneven legitimacy, divergent regional memories, and unresolved questions of representation. Drawing on a historically grounded interpretive approach, the article traces how these foundational tensions evolved into competing regional identities and contemporary fragmentation. It highlights the interplay between internal dynamics and external influences,including Pakistan’s role, and concludes that any sustainable political future must engage with these layered histories rather than bypass them.