In 1931, Kashmir witnessed the dawn of a political awakening in the form of a popular upsurge against the ruler, which was unprecedented both in magnitude and the far-reaching consequences that it had for the whole state. This work is an in-depth study of the character and raison d'etre of the upsurge and its consequences and makes an attempt to provide a well-decorated and systematic analysis of the issues involved. The author shows how various political forces that had been in operation in this region for a long time appeared in conjunction in the fateful year resulting in the upsurge.