Conspiracy and Intrigue: Truth Unveiled

Between March and August 1947, the political environment in the Indian Subcontinent underwent a churn like never before. The British, masters of many games, created ripples by suddenly rescheduling the date of exit, withdrawing the option of independence for the bigger princely states, and creating a situation where Jammu & Kashmir could be forcibly annexed.

Mohd Ali Jinnah, having declared publicly that he had no issues with the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir remaining independent, harboured the unsaid ambition of owning a private cottage in Kashmir. 

Maharaja Hari Singh, not even sure about the geographical contiguity of his state with an independent India till as late as 17 August 1947, kept on nursing his dream of staying independent while the National Conference and Muslim Conference stirred trouble for him in Kashmir and Jammu regions respectively. Lord Mountbatten tried to coax the Maharaja to join Pakistan, while Mohandas Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel tried to do their bit differently. 

Many British commanders and officers, holding responsible posts in yet-to-be-born twins and the princely State of J&K, indulged in activities that could simply be called unbecoming of such officers. Times could not have been more turbulent in such an environment… this is the story of those uncertain times!

About the Author

Colonel Ajay K Raina, SM, is an Indian Army veteran and a military historian. He has authored 25 books, including a five-book series on the 1947-48 Conflict in Jammu & Kashmir. He is the founding Trustee of the Military History Research Foundation ®, which aims to enable military historians and authors to take their well-researched works to the public. The author can be contacted at ajaykrraina@gmail.com