Accession Day in Jammu and Kashmir Date in the current year: October 26, 2024

Between 1846 and 1947, Jammu and Kashmir was a princely state of the British Raj – a vassal state under a regional ruler in a subsidiary alliance with the British Empire in India. In August 1947, the British parliament approved the partition of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan. Princely states could join either of the dominions or remain independent.

Initially, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, preferred to maintain independence. Being a Hindu, he didn’t want Jammu and Kashmir to be a part of Pakistan. On the other hand, he was believed to have been hostile towards the Indian National Congress and its leader Jawaharlal Nehru in particular.

Pakistan, for its part, wanted to annex Jammu and Kashmir because it was a Muslim majority state. After an invasion of Pashtun tribes from Pakistan, Hari Singh appealed to India for help and signed the Instrument of Accession, agreeing to accede to the Dominion of India. The document was signed on October 26, 1947 and went into effect the next day.

The anniversary of the accession to India is celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir as Accession Day. Separatist leaders who fight against the “occupation” of Jammu and Kashmir by India refer to it as Black Day.