Kashmir: Religion
Current census figures1 for religious affiliation in Kashmir according to the BBC are:
| Religious groups: Indian-administered Kashmir | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Buddhist | Hindu | Muslim | Other |
| Kashmir Valley | - | 4% | 95% | - |
| Jammu | - | 66% | 30% | 4% |
| Ladakh | 50% | - | 46% | 3% |
| Religious groups: Pakistani-administered Kashmir | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Buddhist | Hindu | Muslim | Other |
| Northern Areas | - | - | 99% | - |
| Azad Jammu and Kashmir | - | - | 99% | - |
Courtesy of the Kashmir Study Group.
Also see here for more information.
Most of the Muslims in the Kashmir valley, Jammu province and Azad Kashmir are Sunnis. Shias, mainly Nizari Ismailis, dominate in the Northern Areas. Ladakh also has a large number of Shias.
Muslims are a majority in the Kargil district of Ladakh while Buddhists dominate in the Leh district. There are also some Sikhs, mostly in Jammu.
Overall, according to the 1981 census, Muslims are 74.9% of the population of Kashmir, followed by Hindus (22.6%) and Buddhists (0.8%).
According to the 1941 census2, the percentage of Muslim population in the districts of Kashmir was as follows:
| District | Muslim | Controlled by |
|---|---|---|
| Gilgit Agency | 99.99% | Pakistan |
| Gilgit Wazarat | 100.00% | Pakistan |
| Ladakh | 79.00% | India |
| Baramula | 96.49% | India |
| Muzaffarabad | 92.89% | Pakistan |
| Punch | 90.97% | Pakistan |
| Srinagar | 91.55% | India |
| Mirpur | 80.41% | Pakistan |
| Riasi | 54.79% | India |
| Udhampur | 43.15% | India |
| Jammu | 39.00% | India |
| Kathua | 25.45% | India |
| TOTAL | 77.11% |
The “controlled by” data in the above table is based on who controls more of the district as some districts are divided by the Line of Control. For example, more than half of the Punch district is controlled by Pakistan but the town of Punch is on the Indian side of the line of control.
1 It is not clear which census results they are using. For India, the religious data for the 2001 census has not been released yet and it seems that the 1991 census was not conducted in Indian Kashmir due to “disturbed conditions”. Pakistan’s Population Census Organization does not have data for Northern areas or Azad Jammu and Kashmir in their online 1998 census tables.
2 My source for this is a map of Jammu and Kashmir state and Gilgit agency published by Information Division, Embassy of Pakistan, Washington D.C. in 1963 (found in my school library). I have checked a few figures online and they seem to be correct. If you have a better source for the 1941 census data online, please let me know.
ڈفر Duffer
interesting
Don’t rely too much on the 2001 Indian census; many of the figures will be guesstimates or extrapolations for Kashmir.
Conrad: I am not expecting much interesting data for Kashmir from the 2001 census. Plus the religious data is not going to come out until 2005 or something.
A post about why indians get so worked up at the mention of kashmir would be interesting… not to mention pakis
KO: May be I’ll. This Kahmir blog project is becoming really large. I have quite a few ideas about posts but need to do some research and reread some stuff. Takes a lot of time and I am kinda really busy nowadays.
Zack: True, though I suppose it doesn’t make too much difference in most ways given the special status and restrictions on movement and settlement in operation within IaK.
It’s good to know there is a excellent debate going on jammu and kashmir. look forward to more such data.—Thanks , kanishk
At last I have found some authentic figures which are copied from the well-researched and documented book British Raj in India – an Historical Review.
JAMMU PROVINCE
Muslims 1,208,675 61%
Hindus 772,760 39%
KASHMIR PROVINCE
Muslims 1,489,988 91.455%
Hindus 139,217 8.545%
WHOLE STATE OF JAMMU & KASHMIR
Total Muslims 3,101,247 77.115%
Total Hindus 809,165 20.120%
Total sikhs 65,903
Total Buddhists 40,696
Others 4,605
Total population 4,021,616
It is, therefore, clear that before partition, provinces of Jammu and Kashmir, separately, were Muslim majority areas.
If the current complexion of the population has become different, and the Muslim majority in Jammu is now a minority, it is entirely the work of the 700,000-strong Indian army stationed in the state, one soldier for every six Kashmiris, during the last 57 years – something that the world should take note of.
Dad: Thanks for those population figures. They seem to be from the 1941 census.
Jammu province, as distinct from Jammu district or Jammu city, was majority Muslim in 1941, I believe. This was because most of what is now Pakistani Azad Kashmir was part of the Jammu province. I think only Muzaffarabad wasn’t.
The current population distribution is not much different overall, except that the Indian parts of Jammu province have become more Hindu while Pakistani Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas have been emptied of their Hindu population.
Out of the portion named Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bhimber and Mirpur formed part of province Jammu and Kotli, part Poonch and Muzaffarabad formed part of province of Kashmir. Bhimber with very population could only becompared withh a village. Mirpur also had Hindu population who migrated much earlier than the trouble started.
… and since Mexicans make up the majority of parts of Cailfornia and Texas, lets make them independent, i’m sure they’d love that. Better yet, let them become a part of Mexico.
Oh and since many parts of southern L.A. are black, let them become a part of Africa.
What idiotic logic these terrorists use…
David: Your comment makes no sense. Did you see anywhere that I agreed with terrorists? Did you even see any argument for Kashmir to separate from India? This is just a factual post about the religious composition of Kashmir.
I interest in your web site. But please attach some beautiful pictures of Azad Kashmir on your web site.
Uzair: Thanks. I have some photos of Kashmir here along with links to more.
salams and hellos, im from jammu and kashmir, i just wanted to say that as a kashmiri its my duty to tell everyone that we want independance or join pakistan, if i said that in kashmir itself i would be looking at accusations of being a terrorist and some bloodshed with the 700 000 odd troops there. someone made the sarcastic humorous statement that california is full of hispanics and should go to the mexicans, well my answer to them is that jammu kashmir are not people who moved there like hispanics but are from that land itself, the hindus and sikhs moved to the beautiful state on orders by the indian government making settlements. kashmiris are a different race completely to indians, pandits were hindus who came to preach thier hinduism a long time ago. hinduism only belonged to the indian race however when hindus moved to other regions they settled and became whatever like romani gypsies originating from india. also alot of hindus and sikhs became muslim by kashmiri scholars and formed a new breed of muslims ie pakistani, indian muslims etc (obviously before the partition long long time ago!). i have just reliazed that im giving everyone a school type of history lecture so il cut short and say “may the jammu kashmiri people recieve a referendem and vote for thier fate god willing and be free of oppressive indian forces” i am sorry if ive offended anyone as im not an offending type of person! however i believe freedom should be given even if it means fighting for it inshALLAH, bye bye everyone!
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE STATISTICS SEEM TO DIFFER, MIRPUR IS AT LEAST 99% MUSLIM AND IN JAMMU ID SAY THERE ARE MORE MUSLIMS UNLESS THE INDIANS HAVE KILLED THEM OFF AND REPLACED THEM WITH SETTELMENTS LIKE ISRAEL HAS DONE WITH PALESTINE. THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT WILL OBVIOUSLY GIVE FALSE STATISTICS, AND NOT SHOW THE TRUE STATISTICS AS IT HAS TO MUCH TO LOOSE. MY DAD WAS BORN IN JAMMU AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN THERE SINCE AS WE ARE NOT ALLOWED, WHOEVER LEFT THERE DURING THE PARTITION IS NOT ALLOWED BACK YOU SEE, NON MUSLIM MINORITYS WERE DUE TO THEM LEAVING PAKISTAN AND SETTLING IN REGIONS OF INDIAN HELD KASHMIR.
Khaqan: The population statistics I listed are based on the 1941 census and the 1981 censuses. The 80% Muslim figure for Mirpur is from the 1941 census. The current percentage is probably 99%.
OK COOL! IF THATS WHAT YOU SAY YOU DID, IL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT.
hi dere culd u plz tell me how many sikhs are in da whole world?
Jasline: I am not sure but a quick web search shows a population of 23 million.
i think india should give independence to kashmir valley. keep jammu & ladakh. make permanent boundry
hello Kashmiris from usa.
I am not kashimiri, niether i am muslim, but i have a friend who is born and raised in kashimir, yet when i ask him any question about kashimir , he has very few words to describe kashimir. I think he needs to be more in touch with his own people, therefore you people should write to him and make him more kashimiri then american, please reply him back, zobs42@hotmail.com specially girls reply him back.
thank you
God bless kashimir
rawalakot n bagh were part of JAMMU REGION during british times
n btw , MIRPUR , KOTLI and POONCHH ( part wid pakistan now i.e rawalakot n bagh ) made DA JAMMU REGION ALONG WID da districts of KATHUA , JAMMU , UDHAMPUR , RAJOURI , POONCHH ( part wid india ) N DODA ( including kishtwar ); so kindly correct urself
da language spoken in dese districts ( except DODA ) is NOT kashmiri but dogri , gujari n pahari ( potowari n other poonchhi versions ) ; s0 kindly MAKE NOTE ——-> 61 % MUSLIM P0PULATION 0F JAMMU REGION INDICATES DA MUSLIM POPULATION IN ALL OF DESE DISTRICTS mentioned above ….
besides ,
firstly , i’ll ask pakistanis to awake from slumber
NO INDIAN CITIZEN WHO D0ES N0T H0LDS DA STAUS 0F ” JAMMU AND KASHMIR CITIZEN “i.e. STATE CITIZEN CAN BUY LAND 0R 0WN PR0PERTY IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR …
so da claim made by ppl. here dat MANY HINDUS HAVE BEEN SETTLED IN INDIAN JAMMU REGION IS C0MPLETELY SHALLOW
secondly , da lower districts 0f JAMMU REGION ( KATHUA , JAMMU , UDHAMPUR ) has seen little if any insurgency n PRESECE OF ANTI-INSURGENCY TROOPS n its dese 3 states in JAMMU REGION which makes JAMMU REGION MAJORITY “HINDU” …
muslims are in a majority in RAJOURI , DODA N POONCHH , so st0p makin FALSE CLAIMS OF INDIAN ARMED FORCES N GOVT INTERFERIN N TRYIN TO ALTER DA DEMOGRAPHY OF JAMMU REGION
n thirdly ,
KASHMIR demography comprises of various ethnic n lingual groups
TALKIN ABT PEOPLE FROM DA VALLEY …..
DEN MAJORITY MUSLIMS IN KASHMIR VALLEY HAVE DER KRAMS OF HINDU LINEAGE ……….
der few SYEDS n even fewer pathans , bukharis and mughals in kashmir valley ; daz why da person makin a claim dat HINDUS ( PANDITS ) SETTLED IN KASHMIR FROM OUTSIDE IS YET AGAIN SHALLOW .
da ISLAMISATION OF KASHMIRI MASSES BEGAN FROM DA MIDDLE OF 14TH CENTURY AFTER DA EASTABLISHMENT OF MUSLIM RULE IN DA VALLEY N CONTINUED TILL DA MUGHAL N PATHAN RULE .
It’s obvious why pakis want to separate Kashmir from India…because we kicked their butts and separated East Bengal from them. It’s only a matter of time before India announces the annexation of Bangladesh due to increased insurgency. And when it come’s to the pakis, they can’t spend a day without thinking about fingering India.
hey friends,
m a secular person……but den m also a hindu……n i hav been 2 kashmir 7 times……n i hav seen the plight f HINDUS in J&K……i hav spoken there to muslims about the media spread terms like..ATROCITY BY INDIAN TROOPS……and i hav come 2 a conclusion that barring a few minor cases there has been love,supoort and care…….after all even the army is HUMAN…….and then who can forget the plight of the KASHMIRI PANDITS…….they are the worst hit……remembered only 2 months before elections……PAKISTANIS are good people but they are a majority fanatic…..and that nature hurts the peace procedure………i hav muslim and hindu friends from kashmir whose relatives hav been killed in the last decade…..and i bet you none of my muslim friends are considering them as martyrs……because they know….they were fanatics…..
so i request to abide by the peace process and lets fight for the good of the kashmiris….
SALAM
I M MUSLIM $ PAKISTANI
I LOVE KASHMIR
A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY
Hi
I’m on MA Creative Writing at the university of Teesside, Middlesbrough and for my final assignment I’m doing a long poem called ‘Honour Palace’.This the buliding of palaces in Mirpuri by ex-pats, when there is no one to live there. In this poem I want to weave the history of Kashmir, Mirpur, and the effects of Mangla Dam.
I would be most grateful for any information including press cuttings regarding protests over Mangla dam, pictures of old Mirpur, names of villages drowned etc.
The opening lines of the poem are:
75,000 Rupees, one horse, 12 goats and three shawls.
The price haggled by the Honourable East India Company and Maharaja Gulab Singh, for Kashmir. Men, women, children, and livestock all bargained for like an old nag at horse fair.
One shawl and 100 goats also to be given every year otherwise Kashmir would revert back to the British.. This became the famous Treaty of Amritsar.
Khadim Hussain
khadam27@ntlworld.com
i think india should give independence to kashmir valley. keep jammu & ladakh. make permanent boundry
There was no Islam existed in india or Kashmir.. These were coward hindus became muslims fearing the curl mughals invander from Afghanistan. Muslims forced indus valley people to became muslims. Even during the partition or india and pakistan… the curl muslim league killed non-muslims (kafirs). Now 40% of paki punjab population are in fact hindus. see the british records… the hindus and sikhs never came to india.. instead they become muslims.. if this bloody bastard jinah would have been died 2 years earlier.. it won’t be no problem now.
why they made pakistan.. when they couldn’t send all the muslims to phakistan
Alexander: I think you need to read some history about Kashmir and how the people there became Muslim.
Thanks.. yes… i have read the history. it say force conversion. So you all people living in Kashmir renounce muslim religion and become either sikh or hindu and retain your ancestors dignity. Killing is sin.. and you will renounce terrorist acts as well…
Seperatists who are demanding freedom are mere politicians who are arousing the general public. But once the freedom is given, their fate would be worst then their current situation. The common man in Kashmir should atleast have an idea of what the situation of their counter parts on the other side is. Keep this in mind, Always!
Hahahaa….
Everyone is telling their truth. You will think, i might me telling my truth. But no I have a question to ask. If legally the father of the girl & father of boy agree to marry their son & daughter, by knowing their love. Then I think nobody can challenge this marriage. And the villain (terrorist) should be kicked on his butt. Taking you to 1947, here father of boy is British viceroy at the time of partition & his son is INDIA, girl’s father is Maharaja (King) of Jammu & Kashmir & girl is Jammu & Kashmir state. British viceroy had a villain son i.e PAKISTAN, today also a ( popular terrorist ) by profession.
INDIA integrated J & K, only after recieving legal written documents from Maharaja of J & K, in presence of British Viecroy in 1947. As Maharaja has to run for his life, after PAKISTANI TERRORISTS invaded Kashmir. For people who had used Muslim religion a reason for joining Pakistan. They must know India has 10 times more population of muslims living here compared to Pakistan. We all are first Indians than muslims or sikhs etc.
I agree, it is the duty of Hero to teach a lesson to villian, which he deserves desperately but, I dont know why he is waiting for right time. Think of a same situation with you, if you are a brother or a father or a mother of your beloved daughter/ sister, will you marry her with a terrorist ?
The answer is with you now. Thanks. Read historical facts & then support .
After reading these comments from different persons, being a Kashmiri, some times i enjoyed it and sometimes became sad. No body has kept kashmiris in view that what they want. The best and possible way to solve the problem is giving a chance to the natives of Kashmir. In above text one of my friend had written that ‘Kashmiris do not considerthe people as martyrs who lost their lives in last 20 years’ but the truth is that public believe them as true Martyrs actually they are.
Shaheed ki jo mot hai woh qoam ki hayaat hai.
Main hoon shaheed mere sath sari qayinat hai.
wel pakistanis r basterd by nature. dnt want peace. and as muslim mentality
they r violent. & always fight for no reason.
why kashmir muslim forget there are hindus & buddhist in kashmir, muslims demand for dar-ul-salam but what abt others wher they will go. muslims will converts them into muslim. ths is indian govt. who ignore hindus & buddhst
good
I want to tell all the persons above that they should first see the history of Kashmir. And then start making remarks about our motherland.As we all know that the partition of india was based on religion. So according to partition the J&K was to become a part of pakistan …Then some traitors of kashmir sold us(first by maharaja in 1947 &then again by Sheikh Abdullah by signing Indira-Abdullah accord)…. Then in late 80’s there arose a armed rebellion against india for the cause of freedom & right to self determination…..In last 22 years india has shown their real face of their so called democracy by killing about 1 lakh innocent kashmiris and dissappearing thousands of our brothers and molested & raped thousands of our soil…….. So iam calling on every indian people first see the realty about kasmir………
Dear all…
we all from so called by pakistani Govt. Northern Areas but actual name is Baloristan (Gilgit Baltistan) neither want Kashmir,Pakistan,India we want self rule which is our basic right so listen every person from world don’t shows us with Kashmir..
we have our culture our civilization which never same as with kashmiri
Sadiq Ali Joher
sadiqalijoher@yahoo.com
kshmir is a beauty of india
Well ! All of you should know… I read the history… Kashmir was sikh state…. Hari Singh is King.. a Hindu.. Guru Tegh Bahadur of Sikh’s saved further force conversion. Mughals were killing Hindu.. It is lastest history and every Sikh know it. I don’t understand.. Sikhs gurus were slaughter by Muslims and holiest places of Sikh and Punjab go to Muslims.. These fucking Babbers giving blow jobs to paki.. in lahore… I the Alexander the great was born as Ranjit singh kicked mughals ass.. Now i think i have to come into the power again to free these lands from muslims… these fucking evils..
kashmir is a muslim majority area and its must with pakistan.