Kashmir in the Aftermath of Partition

About Kashmir in the Aftermath of Partition

Kashmir in the Aftermath of Partition is a scholarly history by Shahla Hussain that looks at Kashmir after 1947 through the experiences and voices of Kashmiris themselves. For readers who want to understand the Aftermath of Partition in Jammu and Kashmir through a historian’s detailed research, this book offers a long-range view that stretches across about a century. For the publisher, edition, year and pages of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock.

The book is an academic study, and the argument it makes is the author’s own. This page describes what the book sets out to do so that you can decide whether it suits your reading or research.

What the book argues

Shahla Hussain approaches the subject from the ground up. Rather than telling the story only from the point of view of states and governments, she centres Kashmiri voices and experiences. A key idea in the book is that Kashmir works as a political imaginary, shaping how Kashmiris think about and negotiate their rights in relation to India, Pakistan and the wider world. The book also follows the changing meanings of the word freedom over time, from the period of anti-colonial struggle to later movements, and looks at how religious identity, secularism and regional politics intersect.

What the book covers

• Political movements in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir
• Developments after the Partition of 1947
• Regional dissent and the debates around the plebiscite
• Diaspora activism, including communities abroad
• The contemporary period, including the armed insurgency
• A wide range of sources: archives, interviews, poetry and ballads from Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, Britain and elsewhere

About the author, Shahla Hussain

Shahla Hussain is a historian at St. John’s University in the United States who specialises in the history of South Asia. This book has been recognised with the John F. Richards Prize of the American Historical Association (2022) and the Berkshire Women Historians Book Prize (2023). As with any scholarly work, readers are encouraged to read it alongside other books and to form their own judgement.

Why this book is worth reading

Studies of Kashmir often rely mainly on official records and on the positions of governments. This book draws on oral histories, songs and poems as well as archives, which gives a fuller picture of how people lived through the decades after Partition. Readers who want to know how ordinary Kashmiris and their communities understood the events of their time will find the approach useful. Because it covers politics, religion, culture and memory together, it suits readers from several disciplines.

Who should read Kashmir in the Aftermath of Partition

• Students and researchers of South Asian history, politics and sociology
• Readers who want a scholarly account that draws on Kashmiri sources
• Teachers building a reading list on modern Kashmir
• Journalists, writers and general readers who want deeper background
• Libraries and institutions with Kashmir studies collections

How to read an academic history

Begin with the introduction, where the author sets out her main questions and her sources. Read each chapter with a pen in hand and note the evidence offered for each claim. Keep a glossary of unfamiliar names and terms. After finishing, compare the book with other studies, such as works on the early history of the Valley or accounts written from different viewpoints, so that your understanding rests on more than a single author.

Part of a larger Kashmir collection

Lafz Bookstore is based in Srinagar and stocks one of the largest online collections of Kashmir books. We dispatch the same day from Srinagar. Delivery takes about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days across the rest of India. This title sits alongside our other books on the history, society and politics of the Valley.

Edition details

Title: Kashmir in the Aftermath of Partition. Author: Shahla Hussain. Language: English. For the publisher, year, number of pages and binding of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the author? The book is written by the historian Shahla Hussain.

Is it a political pamphlet? No. It is an academic history based on archives, interviews and other sources, and its arguments are the author’s own.

What time span does it cover? Roughly a century, from the political movements of the princely state to the contemporary period.

How quickly will it reach me? Same-day dispatch from Srinagar. Delivery is about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days in the rest of India.

How do I get edition details? Please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492.

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