Keywords
Tribal Invasion
PoJK
Jammu and Kashmir
Partition of India
How to Cite
Abstract
In October 1947, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a major turning point when tribal militias, supported by Pakistan, invaded the region. The invasion led to widespread violence, particularly against Hindu and Sikh minority communities in the western border areas, forcing nearly 35,000 families to flee their homes. These displaced families are now known as Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir Displaced Persons (PoJK DPs. Despite the vast amount of literature on Partition violence, the events during the tribal invasion in Jammu and Kashmir have not received adequate scholarly attention. This study seeks to examine the nature and extent of this violence, with a focus on the role of local involvement. It draws upon both primary and secondary sources, placing special emphasis on interviews, memoirs, and personal accounts of survivors and eyewitnesses. Through these voices, the study aims to present a more grounded and nuanced understanding of the experiences of those who lived through this period.
References
1. Brecher, M. (1953). The struggle for Kashmir. Oxford University Press.
2. Census of India. (1941). Census of India 1941: Vol. XXII, Jammu & Kashmir State (Parts I & II).
3. Copland, I. (1991). The Abdullah factor: Kashmiri Muslims and the crisis of 1947. In D. A. Low (Ed.), The political inheritance of Pakistan (p. 258). St. Martin’s Press.
4. Gupta, B. K. (2012). Forgotten atrocities: Memoirs of a survivor of the 1947 partition of India. Lulu.
5. Gupta, C. P. (2013, November 24). Fall of Mirpur. Daily Excelsior.
6. Jha, P. S. (n.d.). Kashmir, 1947: Rival versions of history. Oxford University Press.
7. Mehta, K. (1954). Chaos in Kashmir. Signet Press.
8. Saraf, M. Y. (2015). Kashmiris fight for freedom (Vol. 2, 1947–1978). National Institute of Kashmir Studies.
9. Sehgal, C. L. (2008). Daastan hazar din: Bantavare ke baad Pakistan mein bita veh vaqt. Penguin Books.
10. Sharma, C. L. (2022). Kashmir ek ankahi dastan (B. Bhushan, Trans.). Rajesh Kumar.
11. Tamiri, R. (2023). Pakistan’s invasion on J&K (1947–48): Untold stories of victims. Jammu: Dr. Ramesh Tamiri.
12. Vaid, S. P. (2007). How partition rocked Jammu & Kashmir. Shyama Publications.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 South India Journal of Social Sciences