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. About the Author Upinder K. Zutshi, a native of Srinagar, Kashmir, got his Masters degree in Political Science from the University of Jammu & Kashmir and his PhD from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is presently working as an independent researcher. Earlier he held teaching assignment at the University of Jammu and research job in the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.