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The Shah Mir dynasty was a dynasty that ruled the region of
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
in the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...
. The dynasty is named after its founder,
Shah Mir Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir () was a ruler of Kashmir and founder of the Shah Mir dynasty. Shah Mir is believed to have come to Kashmir during the rule of Suhadeva (), where he rose to prominence. After the death of Suhadeva and his brother Udayanad ...
. During the rule of the dynasty from 1339 to 1561,
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
forcefully established in Kashmir.


Origins

The dynasty was established by
Shah Mir Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir () was a ruler of Kashmir and founder of the Shah Mir dynasty. Shah Mir is believed to have come to Kashmir during the rule of Suhadeva (), where he rose to prominence. After the death of Suhadeva and his brother Udayanad ...
in 1339 CE, there are two theories regarding Shah Mir's origin. Historian A. Q. Rafiqi states that some Persian chronicles of Kashmir describe Shah Mir as a descendant of the rulers of
Swat In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
. He thinks it more likely that he was a descendant of Turkish or Persian immigrants to Swat, who had intermarried with local
indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
peoples. It has also been suggested that he belonged to a family which accompanied the sage
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani ( fa, میر سید علی همدانی; CE) was a Persian scholar, poet and a Sufi Muslim saint of the Kubrawiya order. He was born in Hamadan, Iran and preached Islam in Central Asia and Kashmir as he travelled to p ...
, and who were associated to either the Kubrawiya، Sufi groups in Kashmir. According to Jonaraja, Shah Mir was the descendant of Partha (Arjuna) of Mahabharata fame. Abu ’l-Fadl Allami, Nizam al-Din and Firishta also state that Shah Mir traced his descent to Arjuna, the basis of their account being Jonaraja’s Rajatarangini, which Mulla Abd al-Qadir Bada’uni translated into Persian at Akbar’s orders. This seems to be official genealogy of the Sultanate. On the other hand, the 15th century Kashmiri historian
Jonaraja Jonaraja (died A.D. 1459) was a Kashmiri historian and Sanskrit poet. His ' is a continuation of Kalhana's ' and brings the chronicle of the kings of Kashmir down to the time of the author's patron Zain-ul-Abidin (r. 1418–1419 and 1420–1470 ...
, writing in the court of Shah Mir's descendant Budshah, states that Shah Mir came to Kashmir along with his tribe from the country of ''Panchagahvara'' (identified as the Panjgabbar valley between
Rajouri Rajouri or Rajauri (; Pahari: 𑠤𑠬𑠑𑠶𑠤𑠮, راجوری; sa, राजपुर, ) is a city in Rajouri district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about from Srinagar and from Jammu city on the ...
and Budhal). He was said to belong to the family of an ancestor called ''Partha'', who was described as a second Partha (an allusion to the
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
hero
Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
). Some scholars state that the Panjgabbar valley was peopled by
Khasas Khasas (Devanāgarī: खश; ') were an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe and a late Janapada kingdom from Himalayan regions of northern Indian subcontinent mentioned in the various historical Indian inscriptions and ancient Indian Hindu and Tibetan lite ...
and so ascribe a Khasa ethnicity to Shah Mir. Most modern historians accept the Swati origins of Shah Mir. Swati are Afghans came to Dir Malakand region in time of Ghaznavi. Kashmiri scholar N. K. Zutshi, having critically examined the sources, reconciles the two versions by noting that the Persian chronicles mentions ''Swadgir'' rather than Swat, which he interprets as ''Swadgabar'', meaning "suburbs of Gabar", which coincides with Jonaraja's description of ''Panchagahvara-Simani'' (on the borders of Panchagagvara). A. Q. Rafiqi states:


History


Shah Mir

Shah Mir worked to establish Islam in Kashmir and was aided by his descendant rulers, specially
Sikandar Butshikan Sikandar Shah (Sikandar Butshikan – "Sikandar, the Iconoclast") was the sixth sultan of the Shah Miri dynasty of Kashmir from 1389 to 1413. Sources The only contemporaneous source that exists is the Rajatarangini (lit. Flow of Succession o ...
. He reigned for three years and five months from 1339 to 1342 CE. He was the ruler of Kashmir and the founder of the Shah Mir dynasty. He was followed by his two sons who became kings in succession.Baharistan-i-Shahi – Chapter 3 – EARLY SHAHMIRS
/ref>


Jamshid

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


Alau'd-Din

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


Shibu'd-Din

He was the only Shah Mir ruler to keep Hindu courtiers in his court. Prominent among them were Kota Bhat and Udyashri. Ruler of Kashgar (Central Asia) once attacked Kashmir with a large army. Sultan Shihabu’d-din did not have a large number of soldiers to battle against the Kashgar army. But with a small army, he fought and defeated the whole army of Kashgar. After this battle, the regions of Ladakh and Baltistan which were under the rule of Kashgar came under the rule of Shah Miris. It is believed that Sultan also marched towards Delhi and the army of Feroz Shah Tughlaq opposed him at the banks of River Satluj. Since the battle was motive-less for the Delhi Sultanate peace concluded between them on a condition that all the territories from Sirhind to Kashmir belong to the Shah Mir empire. Shihabu’d-din was also a great administrator who governed his kingdom with firmness and justice. A town named Shihabu’d-dinpura aka Shadipur was founded by him. He was also called the Lalitaditya of Medieval Kashmir as he erected many mosques and monasteries.


Qutubu'd-Din

He was the next Sultan of Kashmir. The only significance of his rule is that the
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
saint
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani ( fa, میر سید علی همدانی; CE) was a Persian scholar, poet and a Sufi Muslim saint of the Kubrawiya order. He was born in Hamadan, Iran and preached Islam in Central Asia and Kashmir as he travelled to p ...
arrived at Kashmir in his reign. In 1380 C.E. Qutbud’din died and was succeeded by his son Sultan Sikander also known as the Sikander Butshikand.


Sikander

Sultan Sikandar Sikandar Shah (Sikandar Butshikan – "Sikandar, the Iconoclast") was the sixth sultan of the Shah Miri dynasty of Kashmir from 1389 to 1413. Sources The only contemporaneous source that exists is the Rajatarangini (lit. Flow of Succession ...
(1389-1413 CE), was the sixth ruler of the Shah Mir Dynasty. Barring a successful invasion of Ladakh, Sikandar did not annex any new territory. Several internal rebellions were suppressed, though. A welfare-state was apparently installed; oppressive taxes were abolished whilst free schools and hospitals were opened for public usage. ''Waqfs'' were endowed to shrines, mosques ( Khanqah-e-Moula,
Jamia Masjid A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...
etc.) were commissioned, numerous Sufi preachers were provided with ''jagirs'' and installed in positions of authority, and feasts were regularly held. Economic condition was good enough. Sikandar's rule however terminated the long-standing syncretic and tolerant culture of Kashmir, and in its rigorous abidance by Sharia, severely oppressed the Kashmiri Hindu population. Music, dance, gambling, intoxicants etc. were prohibited and the office of ''Shaikhu'l-Islam'' was established to enforce these rules. Brahmans were forcibly converted, Hindu and Buddhist shrines of worship were destroyed, Sanskrit literature were purged, ''
Jizya Jizya ( ar, جِزْيَة / ) is a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on dhimmis, that is, permanent non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Islamic law. The jizya tax has been understood in ...
'' was imposed for those who objected to the abolition of
Hindu rituals Samskara (IAST: , sometimes spelled ''samskara'') are sacraments in Hinduism and other Indian religions, described in ancient Sanskrit texts, as well as a concept in the karma theory of Indian philosophies. The word literally means "putting t ...
, and caste marks were prohibited. Scholars ascribe different motivations to these policies. 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 , spouse = , issue = Haider Shah , issue-link = , issue-pipe = , house = Shah Mir dynasty , father = Sikandar Shah Miri , mother = , birth_date = 25 November 1395 , birth_place = Kashmir, Shah ...
at Thanna with the help of Jasrath Khokhar, a chieftain from
Pothohar Plateau The Pothohar Plateau ( ur, ) is a plateau in north-eastern Pakistan, located between Indus River and the Jhelum River, forming the northern part of Punjab. Geography Potohar Plateau is bounded on the east by the Jhelum River, on the west by the ...
. The fate of Ali Shah is uncertain: he may have died in captivity or have been put to death by Khokhar.


Zain-ul-Abidin

Zain-ul-Abidin was the eighth ''
sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
'' of
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
. He was known by his subjects as '' Bod Shah or Budshah'' () and ruled from 1418 to 1470. Zain-ul-Abidin worked hard to establish a fair rule in Kashmir. He called back the Hindus who had left Kashmir during his father reign and allowed building of temples.
Jizya Jizya ( ar, جِزْيَة / ) is a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on dhimmis, that is, permanent non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Islamic law. The jizya tax has been understood in ...
was abolished too in his command. From the regulation of commodities to the reviving of old crafts, Abidin did everything for overall development of Kashmir and his subjects. Zain-ul-Abidin is also called as
Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
of Kashmir and
Shahjahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
of Kashmir on account of religion and development respectively.


Haider Shah

Next Sultan of Kashmir was Haji Khan, who succeeded his father Zain-ul-Abidin and took the title of Haidar Khan.


Interruption by Haidar Dughlat

In 1540, the Sultanate was briefly interrupted when
Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat Beg ( Persian: میرزا محمد حیدر دولت بیگ c. 1499/1500 – 1551) was a Chagatai Turco-Mongol military general, governor of Kashmir, and a historical writer, He was a Turkic speaking Dughlat prince ...
, a Chagatai Turco-Mongol military general attacked and occupied Kashmir. Arriving in Kashmir, Haidar installed as sultan 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 Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its ...
.


Architecture

Some of the architectural projects commissioned by the dynasty in Kashmir include: *
Jamia Masjid A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...
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 *
Amburiq Mosque The Amburiq Masjid ( ur, مسجد امبوڑک) is a mosque located in Shigar, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. It is one of the oldest mosques in Baltistan. The mosque was built by Sayed Ali Hamdani and is among the famous landmarks ...
in Shigar, Gilgit-Baltistan * Chaqchan Mosque in Khaplu, Gilgit-Baltistan File:Tomb of the Mother of Zain-ul-Abidin.jpg, Tomb of the Mother of Zain-ul-Abidin in Srinagar File:Jami Masjid courtyard (6133553291).jpg, The courtyard of the Jama Masjid, Srinagar.
Hari Parbat Hari Parbat (), also called Koh-i-Maran (), is a hill overlooking Srinagar, the largest city and the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the site of a fort, built by the Durrani Empire, and of a Hindu temple, mosques, and gurdwara. The ...
is visible in the background. File:Mausoleum of Shah e Hamadan 01.JPG, The Khanqah on the banks of Jhelum File:Ziyarat Naqshband Sahab Shrine.jpg, A view of Ziyarat Naqshband Sahab from its yard.


Reign and successions

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


See also

*
Sikandar Butshikan Sikandar Shah (Sikandar Butshikan – "Sikandar, the Iconoclast") was the sixth sultan of the Shah Miri dynasty of Kashmir from 1389 to 1413. Sources The only contemporaneous source that exists is the Rajatarangini (lit. Flow of Succession o ...
*
Zain-ul-Abidin , spouse = , issue = Haider Shah , issue-link = , issue-pipe = , house = Shah Mir dynasty , father = Sikandar Shah Miri , mother = , birth_date = 25 November 1395 , birth_place = Kashmir, Shah ...
*
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani ( fa, میر سید علی همدانی; CE) was a Persian scholar, poet and a Sufi Muslim saint of the Kubrawiya order. He was born in Hamadan, Iran and preached Islam in Central Asia and Kashmir as he travelled to p ...
*
List of Sunni Muslim dynasties The following is a list of Sunni Muslim dynasties. Asia Middle East Arabian Peninsula * Banu Wajih (926–965) * Sharif of Mecca (967–1925) * Al Uyuniyun (1076–1253) * Sulaymanids (1063–1174) * Mahdids (1159–1174) *Kathiri (Hadhramau ...
* List of Monarchs of Kashmir


Notes


References

{{Reflist


External links


Baharistan-i-Shahi: A Chronicle of Mediaeval Kashmir
History of Kashmir 1339 establishments in Asia 14th-century establishments in India Medieval India History of India History of Pakistan 1561 disestablishments in India Sunni dynasties