Kashmir was historically British India's defense against China; India now uses the territory as a shield against Pakistan. Kashmir is the only place in India where Muslims carry the Hindu surnames Pandit and Bhat. The British left it to the 562 princely states to choose whether to align with India or Pakistan. He eventually opted to join India following an invasion of Kashmir by Muslim tribesmen backed by Pakistan. Since April 1984, India and Pakistan have fought sporadically over the disputed Siachen Glacier, which traverses close to the Line of Control.

Source: Forbes April 26, 2017 21:45 UTC