1864.] Some Persian Inscriptions found in Stinagar. 



285 



Note 2. The dates of this inscription also do not agree with those 

 given by the native historians. The inscription places Haidar's first inva- 

 sion in the year 935. Birbar gives as the date 939, though he agrees 

 with the inscription in the number of horse, 4000 ; Captain Newall 

 gives the less probable amount of 14,000 cavalry. Hiigel (following 

 principally Abul Fazl) gives 930 (A. D. .1523) as the year of the 

 invasion, and 10,000 as the size of the army. It is possible to re- 

 concile these statements by assuming that the army of invasion con- 

 sisted of 10,000 foot and 4,000 horse. The second invasion the 

 inscription places in 974 ; Captain Newall (who does not seem to 

 recognise the invader as the Mirza Haidar of the former invasion 

 from the north) gives its date as 947, which is in general agreement 

 with the above-mentioned Pandit, and with Hugel, both of whom give 

 948 (1541); the latter, however, speaks of "a considerable force." 

 The statement of the inscription must probably be understood to 

 mean that he set out from Lahor with 450 horse ; he probably gather- 

 ed an army of adventurers and malcontents as he proceeded. The 

 confusion is very great in that part of the histories of Kashmir, 

 which relates to the decade of Haidar's rule, — it does not seem' to 

 have been reign — principally because he who was at one time Haidar's 

 nominal sovereign, was soon afterwards his nominal opponent. The 

 name of this individual, evidently a puppet, so common in all Asiatic 

 histories, was doubtless <jsj • U but whether this should be read Tdrih 

 Shah, as Birbar reads, or Ndzih Shah, as Hugel reads, appears uncer- 

 tain ; Captain Newall gives the name Tarhh Shah, which is un- 

 doubtedly wrong. In this period also falls the first recorded attempt 

 on the part of the Moghul emperors to take possession of the valley. 

 For Haidar, much harassed by the rising Chak family, offered the 

 sovereignty of the country to Humayun, when it was really no longer 

 in his power to offer it. The Mirza's embassy found Humayun en- 

 camped at Atok, on his return from Persia to Hindustan. Humayun 

 set out immediately for Kashmir ; but the expedition failed, as the 

 army mutinied at or near Mozufferabad. Haidar's death the inscrip- 

 tion places in 987, Birbar in 959. The latter relates that during his 

 war with Tarik Shah, Haidar went alone into the fort of Avantipiir ; 

 a butcher asked him who he was ; he could not reply in Kashmiri 

 whereupon the butcher killed him with the axe which he happened to 

 have in his hand, Newall says that his death took place (in 1351 



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