RAAHEL

Roll no.: 1137

Semester: IV th

Paper name: History of India- VI

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TITLE OF THE PAPER: AKBAR’S CONQUEST OF KASHMIR AND THE

FATE OF YUSUF SHAH CHAK

ABSTRACT:
Attempts at conquest of Kashmir were being made since the time of Babur
and the final annexation happened only under Akbar after a series of
expeditions. The chak ruler, Yusuf Shah, at first himself invited Akbar to help
him regain the throne but a series of events led to him being imprisoned by
Akbar later.the shifting clan alliances in kashmir also helped mughals conquer
it. This paper seeks to give a background of attempts made under Babur and
Humayun to annex kashmir and then focus on the expeditions and final
conquest under Akbar while also looking at subsequent reactions by Yusuf
Shah.

KEYWORDS: KASHMIR, CONQUEST, AKBAR, YUSUF SHAH

Background:
Taimur or Tamerlane, the great ancestor of Mughals, though himself never
visited Kashmir, but in his autobiography, made note that ‘made enquiries
about the country and the city of kashmir, from men who were acquainted with
it, and from them he learnt that.. Kashmir is an incomparable country…’ 1 The
internal politics of Kashmir throughout the medieval times remained very
chaotic leading to invitations to outsiders for help but these outsiders soon
began to overtake the inviters. The very first of such invitations was sent to
Babur by Sikander, to whom he responded by sending troops under two of his
generals namely Kuchak Beg and Shaykh’ Ali Beg, who were defeated by
Malik Kazi Chak, the vizier of Muhammad Shah from 1517-1528 , the ruler of
Kashmir from2 . In 1528, Babur again received an invitation from a kashmiri
noble named Abdal Magray to which Babar readily sent Shaykh’ Ali Beg and
Muhammad Khan to help them. They were defeated by Malik Kazi Chak at
Havel.3 Once again, in the same year, on being induced by Kazi Chak, Babur
sent a well organised expedition to Kashmir, by making Nazuk shah as the
1 Akbar, M. J. “Kashmir, Behind the Vale.” Roli, 2002, p. 33.
2 Culture and Political History of Kashmir: Medieval Kashmir, by Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai,
vol. 2, M.D. Publications, 1994, p.365
face of this expedition4. This time, the mughal army succeeded in entering the
valley and Nazuk shah was enthroned as the ruler of kashmir. Within a year,
in 1530, he was replaced by Muhammad Shah.
This was the same year as the death of Babur and the enthronement of
Humayun. In 1531, Humayun’s brother, Kamran Mirza was the governor of
Punjab5. On being informed about the disunity prevailing in Kashmir, Kamran
dispatched 3000 horsemen under Shaykh Ali and Mahram Beg, who had to
return from Nowshehr only, due to the resistance by Kashmiri nobles.
Then comes the maternal cousin of Babur named Mirza Haider Daughlat,
whose conduct had a role to play in the affairs of kashmir. In his history of
Moghuls called Tarikh-i-Rashidi, he talks extensively about Kashmir, giving us
a good idea on how important as well as difficult was the conquest of Kashmir
for Mughals. 6 In 1532, Mirza Haider dauglat under sultan Sayyid of kashgar
led an expedition to kashmir. Though they emerged victorious in the battle
fought at babul but the resistance by kashmiri soldiers led them to sign a truce
and return back. In 1540 again, Mirza led an expedition to kashmir with only
400 troops(because humayun had been defeated by sher shah at this time). In
October 1540, he reached srinagar and established control by placing Nazuk
Shah over the throne, who remained in power for over 11 years. But the
situation didn’t remain the same and in november 1550, an uprising by
kashmiri soldiers led to the killing of Mirza Haider. 7

Yusuf shah and Akbar:

From 1550 to 1578, the political situation of kashmir remained unstable with
power shifting from one sultan to the other, with Chaks finally seizing power
under Ghazi chak in 1554. Around the same time in Delhi, Jalaludin
Muhammad Akbar had got the throne in 1556. Yusuf Chak or Sultan
Nasiruddin Muhammad Yusuf Badshah Ghazi ascended the throne of
Kashmir in 1578 after the death of his father.8 But he had many enemies
including Abdal chak, his paternal uncle, who allied with Miran Sayyid
Mubarakh Khan, another contender for the throne of Kashmir. In the battle of

3 Pandita, Kashi Nath. “Chak Rulers.” Baharistan-i-shahi A chronicle of mediaeval Kashmir,

Firma KLM Private Limited, 1998, p. 74. www.kashmiri.net.
4 Culture and Political History of Kashmir: Medieval Kashmir, by Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai,
vol. 2, M.D. Publications, 1994, p. 368
5 Pandita, Kashi Nath. “Chak Rulers.” Baharistan-i-shahi A chronicle of mediaeval Kashmir,
Firma KLM Private Limited, 1998, p. 76
6 Ross, E. Denison. The Tarikh-I-Rashidi of Mirza Muhammad Haidar, Dughlát: A History of
the Moghuls of Central Asia (Classic Reprint), London Sampson low, Marston and company
limited, 1895, pp. 423-484.
7 BHS, p 74-85
8 Pandita, Kashi Nath. “Chak Rulers.” Baharistan-i-shahi A chronicle of mediaeval Kashmir,
Firma KLM Private Limited, 1998, p.108-132
Eidgah fought between the groups of Yusuf and these two, Yusuf lost and got
dethroned. Miran Sayyid was raised to the throne.
After spending months in the mountains of Nayaks, Yusuf khan, when couldn’t
see anything helping him, went and sought protection from Raja Man Singh
and Mirza Yusuf Khan at Punjab. They brought him to the court of Akbar in
January 1580. According to some sources9, Yusuf stayed at the court of Akbar
for eleven months and was gifted with two mistresses as well and Akbar was
happy to help him, expressed in the words of Abu’l Fazal, ‘ the hands of the
kindness of the world’s lord raised him from dust, and distinguished him by
various favours.’ An order was issued that the Punjab officers should give him
the convoy of a suitable army10. Back in kashmir, another feud led to the
removal of Sayyid from throne and the enthronement of Lohar Chak with the
tactics of Abdal Bhat.11
While they were on the way to kashmir with mughal troops, Yusuf received
soft letters from kashmir asking him to come alone stating that mughal troops
will exploit the people. Yusuf trusted them and from Bahlool Pora, turned
towards Rajouri mountain, deceiving the mughals. But Abdal Bhat and others
had different plans for Yusuf Shah. Various messages passed and soldiers
were killed at Sopor, where Yusuf emerged victorious and ascended the
throne again in 1580. 12 Back in Delhi, Akbar had been very displeased with
the conduct of Yusuf Shah.13
In Kashmir, the attempts at snatching power never settled; after a lot of
fighting with Yusuf, Haidar chak, Yusuf Lund and Ali Khan went to the capital
city of Lahore, asking for help from Man Singh. Yusuf and his new vizir knew
that Raja was already displeased and their enemies joining them could result
in danger. Yusuf sent Khawaja Qasim, along with Khwaja Ghani and exquisite
gifts to Lahore and talked to Man singh to provoke him against Haidar Chak.
Raja didn’t listen to khwaja. Khwaja came back but narrated the whole
incident to Yusuf in a distorted manner . Meanwhile, Raja man singh sent
Timur beg as his emissary to Yusuf , ‘combining both threats and favours14’,
asking Yusuf to summon before him. Yusuf Shah sent his son, Yaqub Shah
along with the emissary to lahore. While Yaqub was there, news of the death
of the governor of kabul reached Lahore and Man singh started advancing
towards kabul, taking yaqub along. On the way, he asked various times to
9 In BHS, the author mentions another source named Tarikh-i-malik haider
10 “expedition of H.H. to ajmer.” The Akbar Nama of Abu-l-Fazl, by Abū al-Faz̤l ibn Mubārak,
translated by Henry Beveridge, vol. 3, Low Price Publications, 2002,p. , BHS, p. 115
11 BHS, p.115
12 BHS, p. 117
13 “expedition of H.H. to ajmer.” The Akbar Nama of Abu-l-Fazl, by Abū al-Faz̤l ibn Mubārak,
translated by Henry Beveridge, vol. 3, Low Price Publications, 2002, pp. 408-409.
14 BHS, p. 117
send for his father to appear before him but Yusuf didn’t pay heed. Yaqub took
raja’s permission to go back and talk to father. 15
In 1585, Kuar Man singh while on his expedition to Punjab sent Hakim Ali and
Bahauddin Kambu to Kashmir to summon Yusuf shah to come and do
homage to His majesty or Akbar, who was in Panjab at that time.16 According
to Abu'l Fazal, Yusuf in his letters to the imperial court often expressed the
desire to come and do homage but was always taken aback due to distance.
As per Abu’l fazal in Akbarnama, when the envoys returned from Kashmir and
represented the arrogant behaviour of Yusuf shah, Akbar got displeased.
Therefore, on 20th december, 1585, Akbar dispatched 22 nobles M. Shahrukh
Bahadur, Shah quli mahram, Madhu singh, M. Ali Akbarshahi, Shaikh Yaqub
Kashmiri, Haidar Chak17 under Raja Bhagwant Das . It was decided that the
army would go by Bhimber as the route was smooth and when the snow
cleared, they would advance further. But the order came that they should
proceed during snow fall because the opponent would be off guard at that
time by the Palki route.18.
Yusuf Shah left the city, in order to confront the mughal troops, and arrived at
Gawarmeet. A small fight took place and many of Yusuf's men were
beheaded. Ysuuf realised that it was not possible to resist the imperial troops
and thus, after discussions with Khawaja qasim, sent Qasim to Bhagwan das .
Raja and Qasim made an agreement by which Yusuf was to appear before
the raja at the earliest. 19
As soon as the mughal troops came near Bulyas, Yusuf Khan decided to
surrender and do homage. Via the pass of Kuarmast, he with only few men
‘under the pretext of wishing to examine the battle-field’ emerged and sent an
envoy to the Mughal officers, who sent him back . On 14th february, 1586,
Yusuf came back with some men to surrender. Akbar approved of Yusuf's
coming and ordered that Yusuf would be welcomed with princely favours.20
While Yusuf reached the camp, back there, Yaqub assumed the reins of his
father’s kingdom.
Due to the previous deceits of Yusuf, Akbar was not convinced with the army’s
return from kashmir, so he ordered that the army should proceed further. The
army followed the orders of high majesty but the route was not easy. Forty

15 In BHS, at one place it is mentioned that Yaqub sought permission but at another it is mentioned
that he ran away. Akbarnama also has it that he ran away without seeking the permission of Raja Man
Singh.
16 BHS says Akbar sent hakim ali and saleh aqil whereas in akbarnma, it is mentioned that man
singh sent hakim ali and bahaudin kambru
17 Akbarnma, p. 715-737
18 Ibid, p.715-737
19 BHS, p. 144-160
20 Akbarnama, p.715-737
men including Hasan beg Ahadi and some other rajputs were killed but
fighting between the two sides continued even in hard conditions. To put an
end to the hostiliities, Mughals sent Ali Akbar as an emissary to Yaqub. While
the army was advancing further through the village of Karna, Kashmiris came
with ‘entreaties and proposed a peace treaty’. 21The following were the
conditions made in the peace treaty:
- The khutba should be read in the name of Shahinshah Akabr
- Coins should mention the name of akbar
- The mint, the saffron and the silk and the game should be imperial
- Superintendent (darogha) should be appointed at each department
According to Abu’l fazl though, Akbar was not happy with the settlement, he
had to regard the conditions of the army22.
From Buylas, Yusuf was carried to Lahore. On 28th march, Raja Bhagwant
Das and others brough Yusuf to the court of Akbar and he was questioned
about his deceits. He remained silent. Though Akbar thought of restoring
Kashmir to him, others at court suggested that he ought to receive
punishments and that kashmir should be conquered first.23 So Yusuf was
handed over to Raja Todar Mal and given imprisonment for 2 years and six
months. On noticing that his promise of treating Yusuf well had been broken,
Raja Bhagwan Das thrust his dagger into his own belly, but was saved.24
Yaqub, who had acquired the throne in the meanwhile, didn't adhere to the
treaty of 14th February and wrongly assumed that he had escaped Akbar's
vision. He delved into some practices (majorly the killing of Maulvi Qazi Musa)
which led to the people of Kashmir turning against him. Akbar decided to
conquer the territory fully and assigned Qasim khan Bahr the leadership of the
task to conquer kashmir with various kashmiri leaders including Shaykh yaqub
and Haidar chak under his command25 .The troops reached Bhimbher on
September 1st. A large battle was fought on the Hastiwanj hill and in october,
1585, Nawwab qasim khan finally entered the city.26 Citizens, soldiers, as well
as the general masses of Kashmir were not very happy with the turn of
events. Each day witnessed renewed fighting between the Kashmiri soldiers
and the Mughals which continued for two and a half months but kashmir had
finally been conquered by Mughals.
Ya'qub Shah, who had run away to Kathwar, later joined Mughal forces.

21 Ibid, p. 715-737
22 The Akbar Nama of Abu-l-Fazl, by Abū al-Faz̤l ibn Mubārak, translated by Henry
Beveridge, vol. 3, Low Price Publications, 2002, p.725
23 Ibid, p. 715-737
24 BHS, p. Akbarnama also mentions that he stabbed himself.
25 Akbarnma, p. 757-762
26 BHS, p. 129
The fate of Yusuf Shah was after spending 2 years 6 months in jail, he was
given the jagir of biswak in orissa and died there in 1591 AD, where his mortal
remains were also buried.27

CONCLUSION:

This marked the end of Chak rule in Kashmir, which Historian M.J. Akbar
expresses beautifully, ‘when the last Kashmiri dynasty ended, it went neither
with a bang nor a whimper, but with a song’, referring to the songs of longing
by Zooni (popularly known as Habba Khatoon*), the peasant turned queen
wife of Yusuf Shah. 28 Akbar visited kashmir three times (in 1589, 1592, 1597),
bringing changes that touched every aspect of the valley and continue to do
so even today, in many ways.

27 BHS, p. 138
28 Akbar, M. J. “Kashmir, Behind the Vale.” Roli, 2002, p. 38. *Habba Khatoon is neither
mentioned in Akbarnama or Baharistan-i-shahi, but her memory lives in the folklore of
Kashmir.
Bibliography:

1. The Akbar Nama of Abu-l-Fazl, by Abū al-Faz̤l ibn Mubārak, translated

by Henry Beveridge, vol. 3, Low Price Publications, 2002.

2. Culture and Political History of Kashmir: Medieval Kashmir, by Prithivi

Nath Kaul Bamzai, vol. 2, M.D. Publications, 1994.

3. Akbar, M. J. “Kashmir, Behind the Vale.” Roli, 2002.

4. kaul, gwasha lal. (57-69) kashmir through the ages (5000 B.C. to 1965

A.D.). chronicle publishing house Srinagar-kashmir (india), 1963.

5. Pandita, Kashi Nath. “Chak Rulers.” Baharistan-i-shahi A chronicle of

mediaeval Kashmir, Firma KLM Private Limited, 1998.

6. “the periods of kashmir history.” Kashmir an historical introduction, by

James P. Ferguson, centaur press London, 1961.

7. Ross, E. Denison. The Tarikh-I-Rashidi of Mirza Muhammad Haidar,

Dughlát: A History of the Moghuls of Central Asia (Classic Reprint),

London Sampson low, Marston and company limited, 1895.

Abbreviations:
BHS: baharistan-i-shahi