Ram Chandra Kak (5 June 1893 – 10 February 1983) was the prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir during 1945–1947. One of the very few Kashmiri Pandits to ever hold that post, Kak had the intractable job of navigating the troubled waters of the transfer of power from British Raj to the independent dominions of India and Pakistan. He handled the activism of the state's political parties, the National Conference and Muslim Conference, and warded off pressure from the new dominions for the accession of the state. He advised the Maharaja to stay independent for at least a year before making the final decision. His actions were highly unpopular with the state's activist Muslims, and he was dismissed from the post of prime minister shortly before the independence of India and Pakistan in August 1947. Kak was also a pioneering archaeologist who excavated the major sites of antiquities in Kashmir Valley and wrote a definitive treatise on them. Early life Ram Chandra Kak was the second among seven children (four sons and three daughters) of Keshav Lal Kak (b. 1873) —a money-lender and part time trader— and Bhageshwari Devi. He spent his early life in the Gurguri Mohalla of Srinagar. Kak graduated from Sri Pratap College in 1913 and enrolled for a M. A., before being selected for training in archaeology. From 1914 to 1919, Kak trained under John Marshall. Career After training, Kak was appointed as the superintendent of the newly established Department of Archaeology, before being promoted to the Director. He also served as the curator of SPS Museum, and Librarian of Maharaja Hari Singh's private library. Political administration Kak was appointed to the post of Chief Secretary in 1934, followed by Inspector General of Customs & Excise in 1935. In 1938, he was inducted as the "Political Advisor" to the Maharaja, and then as the Minister of Military Affairs in 1941. He held the role of "minister-in-waiting" for the Maharaja Hari Singh during 1942–1945. He served as the prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir from June 1945 until 11 August 1947, during the key transitional period when the British were preparing for departure from India. 1946 In 1946, as the National Conference (NC) began the Quit Kashmir movement against the Maharaja, Kak declared martial law and had all leaders arrested on 20 May. Sheikh Abdullah was soon sentenced to imprisonment for three years. Jawaharlal Nehru attempted to