Shah Mir dynasty

History

Shah Mir

A. Q. Rafiqi states:

Shah Mir arrived in Kashmir in 1313 along with his family, during the reign of Suhadeva (1301–1320), whose service he entered. In subsequent years, through his tact and ability Shah Mir rose to prominence and became one of the most important personalities of his time.

Annemarie Schimmel suggests that Shah Mir belonged to a family from Swat which accompanied the sage Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, and were associated with the Kubrawiya, a Sufi group active in Kashmir. He worked to establish Islam in Kashmir and was aided by descendants of Shah Mir, especially Sikandar Shah Miri. Shah Mir reigned as Shamsu'd-Din Shah for three years and five months from 1339 to 1342. He was followed by his two sons who became kings in succession.

Jamshid

Sultan Shah Mir was succeeded by his elder son Sultan Jamshid who ruled for a year and two months. In 1343, Sultan Jamshid suffered a defeat from his brother who ascended the throne as Sultan Alau'd-Din in 1347.

Alau'd-Din

Sultan Alau'd-Din's two sons became kings in succession, Sultan Shihabu'd-Din and Sultan Qutbu'd-Din.

Shihabu'd-Din

He was one of the only Shah Miri rulers to keep Hindu courtiers in his court. Prominent among them were Kota Bhat and Udyashri. Ruler of Kashgar in Central Asia attacked Kashmir with a large army during his reign. Despite numerical inferiority, Sultan Shihabu’d-din fought and defeated the army of Kashgar. Sultan also marched towards Delhi, and the army of Feroz Shah Tughlaq opposed him at the banks of Sutlej. After a brief confrontation, a peace treaty concluded between the two with Delhi Sultanate ceding the territories from Sirhind to Kashmir to the Shah Miris.

As a broad minded intellectual, Shihab'ud-Din, in the first half of his tenure, took care of the sultanate and brought stability to the social and integral structure of Kashmir. He also to expand his state. Marching through Baramulla, he first occupied Pakhli and went on to add Swat to his realm. Next, he invaded the Khokhar domains, which extended from Attock to Sialkot. His commander-in-chief (Mir Bakhshi), Malik Candra, on the other hand subdued Jammu, Kishtwar, Chamba, and other hill states. Occupying all the bordering states in the south, Shihab'ud-Din went on to defeat the Dardic forces of Gilgit and the hill states of the north. Baltistan under the Maqpons and Ladakh under the Maryuls were, at that time, tributary states of Moghulistan and Tibet, respectively. Shihab'ud-Din, along with Malik Candra, faced the Baltis and Kashgaris, defeating them easily and soundly. He then moved towards Ladakh, beating the joint forces of Ladakhis and Tibetis. After all these conquests, Shihab'ud-Din returned to Srinagar around 1370 but just after some years, in 1373, he died due to a viral illness.

Qutubu'd-Din

He succeeded Shihab'ud-Din. The only significant event of his rule was the arrival of Sufi saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani at Kashmir in his reign. In 1380 Qutbud’din died and was succeeded by his son Sultan Sikander, also known as the Sikander Butshikan.

Sikandar

Sultan Sikandar (1389–1413 CE), was the sixth ruler of the Shah Miri dynasty. Barring a successful invasion of Ladakh, Sikandar did not annex any new territory. Internal rebellions were ably suppressed. A welfare-state was installed — oppressive taxes were abolished, and free schools and hospitals were commissioned. Waqfs were endowed to shrines, mosques were commissioned, numerous Sufi preachers were provided with jagirs and installed in positions of authority, and feasts were regularly held. Economic condition was decent.

Jonaraja and later Muslim chroniclers accuse Sikandar of terminating Kashmir's longstanding syncretic culture by persecuting Pandits and destroying numerous Hindu shrines; Suhabhat — a Brahman neo-convert and Sikandar's Chief Counsel — is particularly blamed for having instigated him. Scholars caution against accepting the allegations at face value and attributing them solely to religious bigotry. His policies, like with the previous Hindu rulers, were likely meant to gain access to the immense wealth controlled by Brahminical institutions; further, Jonaraja's polemics stemmed, at least in part, from his aversion to the slow disintegration of caste society under Islamic influence. However, Sikandar was also the first Kashmiri ruler to convert destroyed temples into Islamic shrines, and such a display of supremacy probably had its origins in religious motivations.

Sikandar died in April, 1413 upon which, the eldest son 'Mir' was anointed as the Sultan having adopted the title of Ali Shah.

Ali Shah

He was the seventh ruler of the Shah Mir dynasty, and reigned between 1413 and 1420. He was defeated by Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin at Thanna with the help of Jasrat, a Khokhar chieftain from Punjab. The fate of Ali Shah is uncertain: he may have died in captivity or have been put to death by the Khokhar.

Zain-ul-Abidin

Zain-ul-Abidin was the eighth sultan of Kashmir. He was known by his subjects as Bod Shah or Budshah (lit. 'Great King') and ruled from 1418 to 1470.

Zain-ul-Abidin established a fair rule in Kashmir. He called back the Hindus who had left Kashmir during his father's reign and allowed building of temples. Jizya was also abolished during his reign. From the regulation of commodities to the reviving of old crafts, Zain-ul-Abidin did everything for overall development of Kashmir and his subjects. He revived Kashmir’s industries by inviting Persian and Central-Asian craftsmen who introduced shawl-weaving, carpet-making, silk, wood-carving, and papier-mâché arts. He also promoted paper-making and bookbinding, transforming Kashmir into a centre of fine handicrafts and learning. He launched major public-works and agricultural projects, digging canals such as the Zaingair, building bridges including Zaina Kadal, and founding new settlements like Naushahr (Zainagir). These measures improved irrigation and communication across the valley.

Haider Shah

Next Sultan of Kashmir was Haji Khan, who succeeded his father Zain-ul-Abidin and took the title of Haider Khan, and ruled from 1470 to 1472.

Later Shah Miri sultans (1472–1540)

Interruption by Haidar Dughlat

In 1540, the Sultanate was briefly interrupted when Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat, a Chagatai Turco-Mongol military general attacked and occupied Kashmir. Arriving in Kashmir, Haidar installed as sultan by the head of the Sayyid faction, Nazuk. In 1546, after Humayun recovered Kabul, Haidar removed Nazuk Shah and struck coins in the name of the Mughal emperor. He died in 1550 after being killed in battle with the Kashmiris. He lies buried in the Gorstan e Shahi in Srinagar.

Decline and takeover by Chak dynasty (1550–1561)

Architecture

Some of the architectural projects commissioned by the dynasty in Kashmir include:

• Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
• Khanqah-e-Moulah in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
• Aali Masjid in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
• Tomb of the Mother of Zain-ul-Abidin in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir

Reign and successions

The list of Shah Miri sultans of Kashmir is as follows:

Note: Muhammad Shah had five separate reigns from 1484 to 1537.