Shah Mir established Muslim rule in Kashmir in 1339 AD. He established his own dynasty named the Shah Mir dynasty by replacing Loharas. He took the title ‘Sultan Shahmuddin‘ and managed the administration. Shah Mir dynasty was the second dynasty of Kashmir.
Info: The rulers of Shah Mir dynasty were patrons of Islam, especially Sufism
Shah Mir [1339-1342]
- Some historians suggest that Shah Mir was from Swat (Pakistan) in Dardistan.
- His full name is Shamsu’d-Din Shah Mir.
- He is also known as Shah Mirza.
- He served for Suhadeva who was a previous ruler of Kashmir.
- During this time many Hindu temples and idols of gods and goddesses were destroyed.
- Also many Hindus and other people were forced to convert. As a result, many Hindus left Kashmir.
- He banned the practice of sati-immolation in Kashmir.
Info: Shah Mir – Lohara War: In this war, Shah Mir revolted against the Hindu Lohara dynasty. Shah Mir got the victory and ascended the throne.
Jamshid [1342 – 1343]
- He was the elder son of Sultan Shah Mir.
- He served as a military commander under his father Shah Mir.
- He was a governor of Kamraj (appointed by Maharaja Udayanadeva)
- He ruled for 14 months.
- 1343: He was defeated by his brother Alauddin Shah.
Info: Jamshid was selected as the Sultan by the heir apparent after his father Shah Mir.
Alauddin Shah [1343 – 1354]
- His real name was Ali Sher.
- 1347: He ascended the throne as Sultan.
Sherashamak [1354-1373]
- His another name is Shihabu’d-Din Shah Miri.
- He expanded his kingdom from Kashgar Ladakh to West Punjab and from Kabul to Chamba.
- He marched towards Delhi to attack the Tughlaq but at the bank of Satluj River he made a peace treaty with Feroz Shah Tughlaq.
- Kota Bhat and Udyashri were two important Hindu figures in his court.
Info: The name Sherashamak means “The Lion’s Claw“.
Hindal [1373 – 1389]
- His other name is Qutbu’d-Din Shah Miri.
Sikandar Shah Miri [1389 – 1412]
- He was the eldest son of Hindal.
- He invaded Ladakh but did not capture any region.
- 1398: Timur threatened to attack Kashmir, but Sikandar made a peace treaty.
- 1400: Sikandar won the war against Ohind’s Hindu ruler Firuz.
- He also attacked Jammu’s king Pala Deo and became a vassal of Kashmir.
- Sikandar Shah started persecuting the Brahmins and Hindus of Kashmir.
- He abolished the caste system in Kashmir.
- He forced Hindus to pay Jizya tax.
- He contracted the Jamia Masjid at Srinagar.
Info: Sikandar destroyed many Hindu and Buddhist temples such as Martand, Vijayesvara, Cakradhara, Suresvari and Tripuresvara.
Ali Shah Miri [1412-1418 & 1419-1420]
- He was a peaceful ruler.
- Suhabhatta was his prime minister.
- He rule Kashmir twice from 1413 to 1418 and 1419 to 1420.
Zayn al-Abidin [1418-1419 1420-1470]
- He is regarded as the greatest Sultan among the rulers of Kashmir.
- He was awarded titles such as ‘Akbar of Kashmir‘, ‘Badshah‘ or ‘Great Sultan‘.
- As an educated and moral ruler, he made arrangements to bring the exiled Hindus back to Kashmir.
- He had an extraordinary etymology in languages like Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Tibetan etc.
- Many Sanskrit texts like the Mahabharata and Kalhana’s ‘Rajatarangini‘ were translated into Persian under his patronage.
- Many Arabic and Persian books were also translated into Sanskrit during this time.
- He was the first Sultan of India to abolish the jizya tax on non-Muslims.
- He banned cow slaughter and revoked the ban on sati-immolation at the request of Hindus.
- He gave Hindus religious freedom.
- He is said to have sent two persons to Samarkand to learn the papermaking process and bookbinding.
- Apart from this, stone cutting, polishing, glass-bottle making, gold leaf making, shawl weaving industries improved during his time.
- He established a new town called Naushahr which was his new capital.
- He built an artificial island called ‘Jain Lanka‘ in Wular Lake in Kashmir.
- He resisted the Mongol raids in Ladakh and conquered the region of Baltistan (Tibet-i-Nurad) and maintained authority over places like Jammu, Bajauri etc.
- 1470: He died.
Info: In the book, Rajatarangini Dvitiya, Jonaraja recounts the first thirty-five years of Zayn al-Abidin reign.
Info: Zayn al-Abidin’s pen name was Qutb. In this name, he wrote several Persian poems.
Later Rulers:
- Haider Shah [1470 – 13 April 1472]
- Hasan Shah Miri [1472 – 19 April 1484]
- Muhammad Shah Mir [1484 – 14 October 1486]
In 1586 AD, Akbar deposed the ruler of Kashmir, Muhammad Yakub, and annexed Kashmir to the Mughal Empire.