Rise of Islam in Kashmir. A strange and wondrous combination of three events — arrival of Musawi Saiyyid, disciple of Sufi divine Shah Niamatullah Farsi, presence of an adventurer driven by a dream from his native Swat and death of Kublai Khan in Beijing — created the conditions for the establishment of first Islam and then Muslim rule in the Valley in 14th century.

Mahmud of Ghazni brought the sword of Islam in 1015, but retreated. Three hundred years later, Saiyyad Bilal Shah, immortal as Bulbul Shah, who came in the reign of King Sahdev, brought the love and compassion of Islam, which continues to flourish to this day. By the time Bulbul Shah passed away in 1327, the King, King’s brother and Commander-in-Chief of the army were Muslims. The first mosque of Kashmir, now called Bulbul Langar, was constructed.

The great Changez Khan never reached Kashmir though, he knocked on its door after Tibet fell to him in 1203. It was left to Kublai Khan (1260-1294) to extend the stability of Mongol empire to this vast, remote and frozen plateau. However, after Kublai Khan’s death, the various tribes launched into an internecine war, and that was how Kublai Khan’s death brought the young Rinchin, son of Beijing’s viceroy to the Tibetan plateau, across the Zojila Pass into Kashmir.

Rinchin found shelter and service in the castle of Rama Chandra, the Commander-in-Chief of Sahdeva’s army in Gagangir village. In fact, another foreigner: Shah Mir: with similar body of men was already in service in the castle. Shah Mir, from Valley of Swat had a dream in which a holy man told him to go to Kashmir where he would one day become king. Immediately, he collected his family and followers and came to Sahadeva’s court. Soon Rinchin and Shah Mir became very good friends. Rinchin also fell deeply in love with Rama Chandra’s beautiful daughter, Kota, who reciprocated his love.

Rinchin and Shah Mir alongwith Kota organized resistance against Dulacha. Rama Chandra became King in the vacuum left by Dulacha’s departure, as Sahdeva’s attempt to seize Srinagar failed. But soon Rinchin struck with help of his followers and killed Rama Chandra, thereby becoming the lord of Kashmir on 06 Oct 1320 with Kota as queen and Shah Mir on his side. He proved an astute ruler winning people’s goodwill with intensive relief and rehabilitation programme, and established what Kashmir thirsted for most: peace.

But, Rinchin was Buddhist and since Buddhism had virtually disappeared, he decided that he had no option but to worship Lord Shiva, the God of Kashmiris, and sent word to Deva Swami, head priest of the Shaiva Hindus. A solemn conclave was summoned by the pandits, and they informed King Rinchin that conversion to Hinduism was not possible because they could not decide which caste in hierarchy to place Rinchin in. The folly of the pundits provided Shah Mir with the opportunity he had been waiting for. He offered Islam to his friend, and Rinchin became a Muslim next morning, taking the name of Sultan Sadruddin. And thus did Muslim rule reach Kashmir.

After Rinchin’s demise in 1323, Sahadeva’s brother, Udayanadev, staked his claim to the throne. In the struggle for power that followed, Kota and Shah Mir invited Udayanadev to sit on the throne with Kota marrying him to remain queen. However, history chose to repeat itself. A Turk invader, Achala, entered the Valley. The King ran away but Kota Rani stayed back with Shah Mir. Both of them proved master tacticians as they organised both the Kashmiri people and scanty troops and at an opportune moment attacked Achala, destroyed his army and publicly beheaded him. Kota and Shah Mir became most adored leaders and Udayanandev remained King only in name. When, Udayanandev, finally died in 1338, Shah Mir besieged Kota and Sultan shamshuddin (Shab Mir) proclaimed himself as Sultan Shamshuddin. The dynasty he established in 1339 would last 222 years, and in these two centuries, Islam became the paramount religion of Kashmir.

Shah Mir Dynasty. The Sultanate established by Shah Mir quickly flourished as he introduced basic elements like a standing Army and standard tax system. However, Sikander was Sultan when Taimur, the lame warrior, marched into India in 1398. Though, Taimur’s goal was wealth of Delhi but a frightened Sikander waited for him at Bhimber after a savage campaign to raise 30,000 horses and 1,00,000 silver rupees to be paid to him. When Taimur learnt of this, he conveyed that it was unnecessary: simple allegiance was sufficient. However, notwithstanding this, Sikander’s officials seized the wealth of Hindu temples, broke idols, imposed the hated Jiziya tax and vicious anti Hindu policy was unleashed, from forcible conversions to a ban on music and the wearing of tika on the forehead. It was the first display of Islamic fundamentalist power in Kashmir.

After the death of Sikander, Ali Shah, the new sultan could not challenge these corrupt forces. It was left to Ali Shah’s younger brother, Shahi Khan, to revolt and at the battle of Thanna, near the Pir Panjal pass in 1420, Ali Shah was defeated and killed. Tradition says that by this summer, after two decades of repression, there were only eleven Hindu families left in the Kashmir Valley. Shahi Khan ruled Kashmir for 50 years (1420-1470) taking the name Zainul Abidin. By the time he died, he was known among the masses as Bud Shah, or the Great King.

Zainul Abidin displayed a fine sense of statecraft and justice became synonymous with his name. Architecture, craft, trade, and arts - particularly music -flourished. The first road with stone pavings was constructed, as well as the first wooden bridge across the Jhelum in Srinagar, known to this day as the Zainal Kadal. Extensive lodging houses were built for students and the king helped the students by providing teachers, books, houses, food and money.

But the transition from Zainul Abidin to Bud Shah was because of decisions of genius: that he was ruler of Kashmir, not just of Kashmiri Muslims. The State took a firm decision not to interfere with the faith of its citizens. In fact there was state sponsored reconversion. Emissaries were sent to persuade Hindus in exile to return. Jiziya, the cremation tax, was abolished and cow slaughter was banned. The sultan personally visited Hindu shrines and places of pilgrimages like Kausar Nag and the famous Amarnath. Important festivals of Hindus were celebrated and Zainul Abidin gave the stamp of royal approval to the traditions by his personal participation. Pandits were inducted into the bureaucracy, on one condition - they had to learn Persian - the State language.

As his rule matured, learning rose to new heights. Historians like Jonaraja and Srivara were given state patronage as much as Persian and Arabic scholars like Mau- lana Kabir and Qazi Mir Ali. Corruption in revenue collection was strictly curbed, law and order maintained, canals and bridges built, cities constructed and floating islands laid on Dal Lake (which are still cultivated). When he went to Heaven on 12 May 1470, all were dumb with grief. Jonaraja summed up the Sultan’s life in memorable words:-

“He possessed courage will to perform what was beyond the of most Kings and power what may be beyond the ability of future rulers”.

The psyche of the Kashmiris has always been isolationists, they wanted nothing from rest of the world and even less, did they want to share what little they had. But you can’t protect your poverty stricken paradise forever. On 16 October 1586, the commander of Mughal troops, Rasim Shah, finally entered Srinagar, proclaimed Akbar, the emperor of the land and Khutba was read in his name. Kashmir lost its independence that day, and was never to find it again.

Bud Shah’s sons were mediocre and even before he passed away; his three surviving sons launched their wars of succession. The victor of this succession war was Haji Khan, who quite literally gave himself up to wine, women and song after seizing power. He died after a year and ten months in power. His son and successor Hassan Shah proved more durable (1472— 1484), but a pattern of weakness had already been formed. Inability created instability. The nobles of the court converted their petty squabbles into serious conspiracies.

It was an age of Kingmakers, not kings. Perhaps the symbol of the era was Muhammud Shah: he became Sultan four times in one life, in 1489, 1497, 1499 and then again between 1529 and 1534. He was seven years old when he was first plumped on to the throne to prevent the designated successor, Fateh Khan, grandson of Bud Shah, from taking over.