The fight for Srinagar in October–November 1947 decided whether Kashmir would remain part of India or fall to a tribal invasion backed by Pakistan. The city held because a handful of soldiers, State Forces, volunteers and air-landed troops stabilised a collapsing front long enough for India to build a defence.

Why Srinagar mattered in 1947

Srinagar was the heart of the Valley: the political centre, the only major airfield, and the hinge connecting Baramulla to the Jhelum-Uri axis on one end and the routes to Gulmarg, Ganderbal, Pampore and Anantnag on the other. If the city fell, the entire Valley would collapse in a cascade toward Banihal, making any future recovery nearly impossible. For the attackers, seizing it offered the chance to dictate the political fate of the princely state be

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