The year 1931 marks an important landmark in the history of what was once the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and is now a part of the Indian Union. In that year Kashmir witnessed the dawn of political awakening in the form of a popular upsurge against the ruler, which proved unprecedented both in its 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-documented and systematic analysis of the issues involved. The author rejects the oft-repeated explanation based on the belief that the upsurge was an instant happening, the catalyst of which was the charisma of one individual – Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah. He has shown how, contrary to this belief, various political forces that had been in operation in this region for a long period of time appeared in conjunction in the fateful year and resulted in the upsurge.