238 AFOOT THROUGH THE 



belonging to him and his nobles, and the air was spiced 

 with the perfumes of the millions of rOses and musk 

 plants grown for " attar." His beautiful wife, too, 

 planned and built and further beautified the valley, 

 leaving in far-distant districts evidences of her taste 

 and energetic invention in the countless groves and 

 graceful fountains. 



Not content with beautifying his domains, his 

 successor, Shah Jehan, governed his people well through 

 clever subordinates, who upheld his power by finally 

 subduing the Chaks, and also engendered good feeling 

 by treating the people with consideration and reducing 

 various vexatious imposts. Less amiable was Aurung- 

 zeb, whose short visit to the valley remained impressed 

 on the memories of the people by reason of its terrible 

 consequences, as the relentless persecution of the 

 Brahmins. 



Under later emperors the central authority of Delhi 

 was much weakened, and the provincial governors, 

 including the Subah of Kashmir, became virtually inde- 

 pendent, and used their power to worry their " misfor- 

 tunate " people, till in 1751 these fell from the frying 

 pan into the fire, and became subject to Pathan rule, 

 the worst they had yet known. 



The Shahani Durani period shows no relieving point, 

 and squeezed by rapacious governors, tortured by cruel 

 kings, persecuted for their religion, and forced to witness 

 the destruction of beautiful memories left from happier 

 times, the lot of the wretched Kashmirians was unenvi- 

 able. Eventually, considering any change must be 

 for the better, they invited Ranjit Singh, the great Sikh 

 leader, the Lion of the Punjab, to turn out their ruler. 

 The work was accomplished and the price paid, but a 

 worthless Mussulman, Muhamad Azim Khan, being left 



