The Making of Modern Kashmir

About The Making of Modern Kashmir

The Making of Modern Kashmir is a scholarly work by Altaf Hussain Para, published by Routledge India, with the subtitle Sheikh Abdullah and the Politics of the State. If you want to understand the Making of Modern Kashmir through the career of one of its most prominent political figures, this book offers a detailed academic study. Lafz Bookstore is based in Srinagar and stocks one of the largest online collections of Kashmir books, and this title is a natural companion to the other history and politics books in our collection. For the exact year and print details of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock.

This description stays neutral and factual. The interpretations in the book belong to its author, and readers are encouraged to read widely and compare different accounts.

What the book covers

The book looks at the role of Sheikh Abdullah in shaping Kashmir in the twentieth century and traces how the region moved from being a princely kingdom to a state within independent India. According to the publisher, it examines events before 1947, the formation of the Muslim Conference, the plebiscite movement and the Kashmir Accord, and it considers the complex legacy of a leader who dominated the politics of the region for more than five decades.

• The political background before Independence and Partition
• The formation and early work of the Muslim Conference
• The changing relationship between the state and the Indian Union
• The plebiscite movement and the Kashmir Accord
• An assessment of the long political career and legacy of Sheikh Abdullah, as the author presents it

About the author

Altaf Hussain Para is the author of this study and writes on the political history of Jammu and Kashmir. His book is aimed at readers who want to see how political leadership, popular movements and state institutions shaped one another across several decades. As with any biography-driven political history, the conclusions are the author’s own judgments, and readers can test them against other sources.

Why the Making of Modern Kashmir is worth reading

Modern Kashmir cannot be understood without studying the decades between the 1930s and the 1980s. A study built around a central political figure helps the reader follow the thread of events, from the politics of the princely state to the arrangements that followed Partition. It shows how decisions taken at particular moments, and the debates around them, left long shadows on later politics. For students, it provides names, dates and context that are useful for further reading.

Who should read this book

• Students and researchers of history, political science and South Asian studies
• Readers who want a scholarly account of twentieth-century Jammu and Kashmir
• Teachers preparing lectures on the political history of the Valley
• Libraries and institutions building a Kashmir studies collection
• General readers in Srinagar and beyond who wish to know the background of present-day debates

Tips for getting the most from it

Keep a simple timeline while reading, noting each major event and the year it took place. Distinguish between facts the author documents and judgments the author offers. When a chapter covers a disputed episode, read another scholar’s treatment of the same episode before drawing a conclusion. A balanced understanding comes from comparing sources, not from relying on a single book.

Part of our Kashmir books collection

This title is listed under Politics and Kashmir. Readers who enjoy it often move on to other studies of the region, so we suggest browsing the wider Kashmir books section for further history, politics and society titles.

Edition details

Title: The Making of Modern Kashmir (Sheikh Abdullah and the Politics of the State). Author: Altaf Hussain Para. Publisher: Routledge India. Length: 320 pages. Language: English. For the year, binding and condition of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock. Same-day dispatch from Srinagar. Delivery takes about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days across the rest of India.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the author? Altaf Hussain Para.

Who publishes it? Routledge India.

How many pages does it have? 320 pages.

Is the book about one person? It is a political history centred on Sheikh Abdullah and the politics of the state, and it also covers the wider events of his time.

Can I get details of the copy in stock? Yes, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock.

How fast is delivery? We dispatch the same day from Srinagar, with delivery in about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days across the rest of India.

Looking for more Kashmir books like this? Browse our Politics & Kashmir collection or explore all Kashmir Books. Follow Lafz Bookstore on Instagram for new arrivals and book recommendations.