1854.] A Sketch of the Mahomedan History of Cashmere. 417 



son Mahomed Shab a child of seven years of age, destined in 

 after life to experience more of the vicissitudes of fortune than 

 usually falls even to the lot of kings. Encouraged by the circum- 

 stances of the king's youth, A. D. 1487, (A. H. 893,) his uncle Futteh 

 Shah, the brother of the late king, was tempted to aspire to the 

 throne, and on the pretext of invading Hindustan, he managed to 

 get the king's army under the commander-in chief Mullick Saifdar 

 out of the country, and during the temporary absence of the youthful 

 king, who accompanied the army on the expedition, was appointed 

 viceroy, and was on the point of throwing off his disguise when the 

 sudden return of the king Mahomed Shah disconcerted his pro- 

 jects for the time. 



After a short interval however he entered into a secret alliance 

 with Sirung Reigna and Mullick Shums Chukk, chieftains of Cash- 

 mere, whose combined forces defeated the king's army under 

 Mullick Saifdar, and forced Mahomed Shah to vacate the throne 

 after reigning two years and seven months. Futteh Shah thus 

 obtained temporary possession of the throne and made Shums 

 Chukk, commander-in-chief and minister, A. D. 1489. Thus things 

 remained some two and half years, after which a party headed by 

 Meer Syud, Ibrahim Magrey, Mullick Hadjie Padr, and Abdie 

 Eeigna, gradually brought together their adherents and defeated 

 Shums-ood-deen Chukk, and his nephew Kajee Chukk, who fled to 

 the Kamraj, where they took refuge in their strongholds, A. D, 

 1492. 



Upon this Mahomed Shah regained his throne and Meer Syud 

 Mahomed and Mullick Moosa Eeigna became ministers. Mahomed 

 Shah then followed the Chukks into the Kamraj as far as Sopur ? 

 and his army took and destroyed their stronghold of Taragaom* 

 Determined on revenge, however, Shums Chukk still kept the 

 field with a party of horse, and meditated a night attack upon 

 the king who was encamped at Sopur ; this project however coming 

 to the king's knowledge, he ordered the bridge over the river 

 Jheluin at that place to be destroyed, and preparations were made 

 to receive the enemy. At the dead of night the Chukks, led by 

 their brave chieftain, swam the river, and fell upon the king's camp. 

 A sanguinary conflict ensued, which, notwithstanding all his efforts, 



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