Maharaja Hari Singh

We’ve discussed the charts of Pakistan and the Independence of India. It makes sense to look at the chart for the accession of Kashmir, cause for the single greatest conflict between the two countries, both of which are nuclear power. It has been generally regarded that the onset of a nuclear war is most likely between these two countries. Once a single nation stretching to Iran and Afghanistan, the two neighbours have seen virtually endless sectarian aggression

At the centre of the crisis was Mararaja Hari Singh, “one of the renowned rulers of British India as well as the Indian Union as king of the geographically largest and strategically most important empire of Jammu & Kashmir. He gained acclamation for being the last ruling king of Independent India since he continued to rule the state till November 5, 1952 while all other rulers of princely states had seized to be kings by 1948” (JP Singh.  Sept. 22, 2010, Chandigarh, India  Tribune)

The ten week period between Independence and Partition and the Pakistani aggression has been referred to as the interregnum.  On the 25 October 1947 the Maharaj of Kashmir declared accession to India. He was Hindu in a Muslim majority region. The British had made arrangements for dozens of Princely states to be virtually autonomous , mostly in exchange for trade.

This isn’t discussed much, but the British had a tiny armed presence in India which would soon have been overwhelmed without these kinds of agreements. The Maharajahs were mostly very happy with the arrangements and expected that they would remain as independent states after partition. The new Indian government would have nothing of it.

Kashmir had no sense of urgency and failed to respond to all initial calls for a decision; Kashmir could be part of India or Pakistan. This is the chart for the time the Maharaja declared accession. It was in effect made in a state of panic. Pakistan was invading and he was willing to accede Kashmir to India in exchange for protection.

It is therefore difficult to see this event as a birth of any kind, but rather a necessary surrender of sovereignty. In somewhat the same way as the Independence chart for India it is an act of dissolution in reaction to violence from the new state of Pakistan.

However Nehru, as starry eyed and incompetent as ever, elected to make the conflict a world issue by effectively turning it over to the UN.  If he had been more decisive, the story of Kashmir might have been different.

The chart mostly speaks for itself. There are however some particularly striking elements in this chart that have played out to this day.

It’s a tight contest for Lord / Lady of the Geniture, but at the end of the day I will take an unafflicted luminary over a Twelfth House Jupiter in this case, even if the Moon is not in sect. The Day and Hour Belong to Saturn and Mars in both the Almuten and the Killing Planet.

We are immediately drawn to the string of Scorpio planets with Ketu and Mercury, all on the Midheaven  and in the Eleventh House. Both malefics are in the House of Death: Saturn disposits the Ascendant in Capricorn. Sun and Mars are in Mutual Reception, with the latter dispositing everything in the  Eleventh House. It’s very difficult not to see the assistance from the Eleventh House as overwhelmingly military, but it fails to give much comfort with the two malefics working together in such a violent manner. To top it off, Algol is conjunct (and parallel) the North Node

Jupiter in Sagittarius is in the Exaltation of the South Node, but the effects are ameliorated  due to house placement. Jupiter can only expand the trials and misfortunes otherwise indicated.

The South Node is in Scorpio. Jupiter does however oppose the Part of Fortune on the Twelfth / Sixth House Axis.  The PoF is disposited by Gemini which takes us back to Mercury in Scorpio. The Eleventh House is shadowed by the Planetary Parts of Mars and Saturn

The Moon in Pisces is applying to a Martial Venus. As we have already noted, Venus is the significator of Islam, so I see her as an emissary of Peace, particularly since she is the Lady of the Geniture – rather like a diplomat.

However, she also disposits the Seventh House of partnership and open enemies. The Moon in Mundane usually refers to the people, and with the Part of Forth in the Sixth, this makes an even stronger case. It is, after all, the people who will ultimately make the difference between war and peace in Kashmir, as long as it remains majority Muslim it is exceedingly difficult to see how peace can become a reality for this very troubled and strategically significant region. It also suggested a country that would be exceedingly difficult to govern in any way

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Srinagar, India – Jammu Kashmire Libertion Front – Killed mostly civilians since thier inception in 1989

• Mountbatten’s conditional acceptance of accession is dated 27 October, 1947 to signify his acceptance of the Instrument of Accession signed by the Kashmir Maharaja.
• The letter reads, in part : ” In the special circumstances mentioned by your Highness my Government have decided to accept the accession of Kashmir State to the Dominion of India. Consistently with their policy that in the case of any State where the issue of accession has been the subject of dispute, the question of accession should be decided in accordance with the wishes of the people of the State, it is my Government’s wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir and her soil cleared of the invader the question of the State’s accession should be settled by a reference to the people.
  

  Bichitr – Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Sheikh to Kings, with James I lower left

• Meanwhile in response to your Highness’ appeal for military aid action has been taken today to send troops of the Indian Army to Kashmir to help your own forces to defend your territory and to  protect the lives, property and honour of your people.”

It wasn’t intended to be the final word on the matter, but Mountbatten couldn’t have imagined that Kashmir would be tortured and destabilized by violence sixty years into the future, with no end in sight. It was essentially a stop-gap measure, meant to protect Kashmir against invasion. Mountbatten notes with pleasure that Sheikh Abdullah, a Muslim was invited by the the Maharaja to form an interim Government to work with the Kashmiri Prime Minister. This follows comparable attempts made by the Indian Congress and those associated with it even before Partition.

In spite of efforts made, violence has continued to this day. The Mumbai bombers were said to have been radicalized over the status of Kashmir. It is therefor difficult to know which dates to choose, but let’s look at the war of 1965. Kashmir itself is like a Paradise on Earth, as Shah had said four hundred centuries  before Partition.

The second Indo-Pakistani conflict (1965) was also fought over Kashmir and started without a formal declaration of war. The war began in August 5, 1965 and was ended Sept 22, 1965. Let’s look at the Solar Revolution for 1965, employing the  Accession chart as point of reference.

The war is over Kashmir, fought between Pakistan and India. So we have what Arif Jamal calls a Shadow War.

The Lord of the Year is Saturn, Day is Saturn, Hour is Venus. Mars is the Almuten and Retrograde.

The Moon is in Via Combusta in her Fall in Scorpio, but she applying to a trine with Venus in her Exaltation in the Fourth House.

The Ascendant isn’t very strong with Jupiter Cadent in the Sixth and conjunct Algol. Other than that there are no extraordinary afflictions. The relative dominance of both malefics isn’t as strong as in the 1947 chart, but they do play into excessive violence

The Seventh House of open enemies is disposited by Mercury in Leo. This isn’t strong either. The North Node is exalted in Gemini. We wouldn’t expect this particular conflict to last lang and it didn’t.

This all points to heavy losses on the parts of India and Pakistan over Kashmir. That was in fact the case, but the Indian Kashmiris took the upper hand and made significant long term tactical advantages