Kashmir: The History and Legacy of the Indian Subcontinent's Most Disputed Territory

*Includes pictures*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further readingAfter the Sepoy Rebellion, India was governed directly from England through a dedicated department: the India Office, headed by the Secretary of State for India. The territory was divided into “British India”, which came under direct British control, and the Princely States. The latter were the territories and sovereignties of various powerful tradition leaders, remnants of the old system of rule, who were permitted, under various weights of British superintendentship, to maintain their positions and continue their rule.British India ultimately covered some 54 percent of the landmass and 77 percent of the population. By the time the British began to contemplate a withdrawal from India, 565 princely states were officially recognized, in addition to thousands of zamindaris and jagirs, which were in effect feudal estates. The stature of each Princely State was defined by the number of guns fired in salute u