Seventy years of hostility in the Himalayas has led Pakistan and India back to the brink of major conflict.
Mountains Of Trouble: The Kashmir Conflict
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In 1947 Kashmir had a mostly Muslim population but a Hindu ruler. Maharajah Hari Singh (pictured in London) needed to decide if his region would join India, Pakistan, or become an independent state.
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As the maharajah wavered, violent uprisings broke out and tribal militants sent from Pakistan infiltrated the region in a bid to seize it by force. This rare photo shows one of the Pathan fighters, swaddled in looted clothing, after his capture by Indian troops.
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Finally, in late October 1947, the maharajah requested military help from Delhi and signed a declaration to join his mountainous fiefdom with India. The maharajah fled to safety, and Indian troops arrived in Kashmir to seize control. But the chronology of those events remains bitterly disputed.
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Female fighters being inspected by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in Kashmir in 1947. Many argue that Maharajah Singh had left the region before signing the accession and therefore had no right to declare Jammu and Kashmir's union with India.