Shah Mir dynasty

The Shah Mir dynasty was a dynasty that ruled the region of Kashmir in the Indian subcontinent. The dynasty is named after its founder, Shah Mir.

Quotes

• Sikandar died in A.D. 1413 and was succeeded by his son Mir Khan who assumed the name ‘Ali Shah. The king, at the beginning of his reign, left the management of affairs in the hands of Suhabhatta who remained the Chief Minister till his death and con- tinued his policy of persecuting the Hindus. According to Nizam- ud-din, he perpetrated various kinds of oppressions and tyranny on the people, with the result that most of the Hindus left the- country and some killed themselves.°S Firishta writes: “That statesman (Sthabhatta), with all the zeal of a convert, persecuted the few Brahmins who still remained firm to their religion; and by putting all to death who refused to embrace Mohamedanism, he drove those who still lingered in Kashmir entirely out of that kingdom”’.
  • Majumdar R. C., editor. The History and Culture of the Indian People The Delhi Sultanate. 4. ed. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

• Jonaraja gives more details. He begins by saying that while Sikandar put some limits to the persecution of the Hindus, tnese were now exceeded and there was no restraint. What he probably means is that, while the religious bigotry in the preceding reign took the forms mainly of destroying temples and demolishing the images of gods, Sthabhatta now more violently persecuted the Brahmanas. He imposed a fine or inflicted punishment (danda) on the Brahmanas and forbade religious sacrifices and processions (yoga-yatradi). Lest the Brahmanas leave the country to avoid the oppression and maintain their caste, orders were issued that no one might leave Kashmir without a passport, so that Sihabhatta might torment the Brahmanas as a fisherman torments the fish after putting them in a net in river. In spite of the regulation, some left the country by unfrequented roads. As to the rest, some tried to save themselves by putting on Muslim dress, while others put an end to their lives by fire, poison, drowning, hanging and jumping from a precipice. In order to put a stop to Hindu learning, Suhabhatta stopped the allowances of the Brahmanas, who had to move from door to door, like dogs, for food. It is interesting to note that Sthabhatta maintained that all these he did out of his regard for Islamic faith, and not out of any malice towards the Brahmanas (vv. 863-81).
  • Majumdar R. C., editor. The History and Culture of the Indian People The Delhi Sultanate. 4. ed. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

• A series of rebellions, in which a son of Sikandar played some part, disturbed the reign of ‘Ali Shah, but all were suppressed. Later, the king left the country on a pilgrimage, leaving his brother Shahi Khan in charge of the country. But ‘Ali Shah’s father-in- law, the king of Jammu®5, reproached him and induced him to return with an army from Jammu. Shahi Khan was glad at his brother's return, but was angry at the arrival of the foreign army with him. He returned the kingdom to his brother but left Kashmir with the Thakkuras and went to Jasrath, the chief of the Khokkaras (vv. 928-31). The king asked him to return. but he refused. Thereupon ‘Ali Shah led an exnedition against Jasrath for having given shelter to his brother, but was defeated. His end is not known, but according to late accounts ‘Ali Shah was captured by the Khokkaras and died at Chadura.
  • Majumdar R. C., editor. The History and Culture of the Indian People The Delhi Sultanate. 4. ed. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.