The First Kashmir War: Conflicts After Colonialism The First Kashmir War, fought from 1947 to 1948, erupted shortly after the partition of British India. As British India gained independence, the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, with a Muslim-majority population but ruled by a Hindu king, became a flashpoint. Pakistan supported tribal militias and later regular forces, while India sent its military to defend the region. The war ended with a UN-mediated ceasefire, but the Kashmir dispute rema