In the years that followed the era of Sultan rule, few clans- the tribes which had largely converted to Islam, shared the power. Their reign was marked by the internal disruption of power. In 1529 CE, the Magre and Chak clans resorted to bitter strife and Abdal Magre sent a request to Babar, the ruler of Turkestan, for help. Babar responded positively. In their first aggression, they contended with ransom and tribute, but it is believed that they left with reluctance.
Babar died the next year and was succeeded by his eldest son Humayun. His brother Kamran was governor of Punjab and he sent an army on a corrective mission to Kashmir in October – November 1531 but they preferred to return to Lahore rather than face risky winter in a blocked Kashmir valley. However, the Kashmir army had simply shut themselves in the forts, allowing an easy and impeded access to Mughal Calvary.
Two years later, another Mughal force, sent by Sultan Said Khan of Kashgar, with 4,000 horses entered the valley. Once again the opposition to this attack was negligible. This last campaign was led by Mirza Haidar Dughlat Gurgan, a Tashkent – born, first cousin of Babar, as their mothers were sisters.
In the coming decade, the Mughal fortunes had been dismantled in Delhi and ambitious and powerful Afghan, Shershah Suri had routed Humayun at Kanauj in 1540, enforcing devastating exile for Babar’s son. Humayun was further damaged by betrayal from both of his brothers, Kamran and Askari. Mirza Haider was the only one who showered Humayun with loyalty and suggested Humayun make Kashmir an operating base for recovering his lost empire.
Mirza Haider, who had earlier served Sultan Said Khan, entered Kashmir as the head of the Mughal army but Humayun could only provide 400 soldiers including slaves. To overcome this limitation he strategized his ambush intelligently. He took the longer Poonch route as it was unguarded and ransacked Srinagar. He established his control over it but refrained from seizing the crown. He placed Nazuk Shah on the throne with the help of Magres and ran successful governance for Eleven years.(1541-1551)
But, Delhi understood Mirza’s impelling motive better than Srinagar. Hence, Sher Shah despatched a powerful force of 5000 cavalries, along with infantry, under the command of Hussain Khan Sherwani and Adil Khan, in support of the defeated claimant to the Kashmir throne, Kachi Chak. It was a fairy-tale battle, as Mirza himself depicted In Tarikh-i-Rashidi and Akbarnama. Mirza completely eschewed the encamped Afghan troupe at Watanar. The ferocious battle threw the Afghans into total chaos and kept the Mughal hope alive, years after they had been demolished from Delhi.
With years passing by, Humayun’s fortunes were ascending again with the recovery of Kabul but that of Mirza was on the decline. It was largely Mirza’s own fault or he had skipped out on the wise sensibility and falsely strategized the further move in Kashmir.
He did try to provide good governance and promote Cultural heritage. (Music was his passion) and issue Scholarships, but that worked against him. Mirza Haidar’s governance provided a welcome respite to the Kashmiris. Mirza revived the industry which was on a decline after the death of Zain-ul-Abidin. The trade flourished but he unduly favoured the Mughal generals and gave them all the high posts and distributed Jagirs, depriving the local nobility of the same. He threw away the facade and issued coins and had the Khutba read in Humayun’s name. These agitated Kashmiri sentiments and Mirza appeared as a threat to their Kashmiriyat.
With building pressure, he fell for the temptation of bigotry. He equated Islam with the majority Sunni sect and was as harsh with apostates as with idol worshippers. He turned extremely spiteful towards much loved Sufis and this triggered anger amongst Kashmiris. The Mirza even demolished the tomb of Mir Shamsuddin Iraqi at Zadibal.
Mirza Haidar’s fatal mistake was devastating to the ‘Kashmiriyat’…
Kashmiriyat, is the cultural identity of Kashmiris, even if the religious, social, or political convictions differed. Kashmiris belonged to the land Kashmir and when their Motherland was attacked and desecrated, every difference evaporated, maybe only briefly. Every clan put aside their disputes and built a common front against the foreign usurpers. Even the Magre and Chak clans came together and co-operated. A revolt by Kashmiri soldiers incited an uprising and an isolated Mirza Haider was killed in November 1550.
With the departure of the Mughals, the power slipped in and out of the hands of weak Sultans with seismic frequency. The inscription on the tomb of Sultan Habib Shah in the Mazar-i-Salatin at Srinagar delineates that the ‘graveyard would soon be too narrow…’
That could be an indication of the future and an elegy of the last Kashmiri kings of Kashmir.
Yusuf Shah became Sultan at a very young age, when his father, Ali Shah fell off his horse while playing Polo and expired. By propensity, he was a poet and his songs in Kashmiri and Persian had become very popular. He enjoyed wandering through the woods and valleys of his picturesque homeland immensely.
On a solitary walk one day, he heard a song in the air, sung in a deep and mellifluous voice, portraying a melody of sadness, loneliness, and grief.
An entranced Yusuf Shah was instantly and irresistibly drawn toward the voice…
And he met Zoon.
Zoon was a peasant’s daughter, born in a village named Chandrahar, located amid the Saffron fields of Pampur. She had learnt to recite Quran and had learnt some Persian from the family Maulavi. But, her fortunes had ended very soon and she was married off to an imbecile. She divorced him and returned home. The status of divorce had a stigma attached to it.
The talented Zoon, expressed her anguish in the songs she wrote and composed
Yusuf Shah was swept off his feet and fell head over the hill in love with the owner of such melodic voice. He made Zoon his queen and she became Hebba Khatoon or the lady of love.
Sources of Information –
हमारी भूलोका स्मारक – धर्मांतरित कश्मीर
नरेन्द्र सहगल
My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir
Jagmohan ji
Kashmir Behind The Vale
M J Akbar
Madhvi Bhuta is the National Executive of BJP Mahila Morcha and a Columnist on various Forums.