420 A Sketch of the Maliomedan History of Cashmere. [No. 5. 



with his former master Eutteh Shah, died in exile amidst the 

 mountains of Hind. 



A. D. 1519. — It might have been now expected that, his rival 

 being dead, Mahomed Shah would at length have been left in the 

 peaceable enjoyment of his throne, but although indeed he continued 

 to bear the title of king, he was a mere puppet in the hands of his 

 ministers ; and his country from his last accession to the throne till 

 his death in the year A. D. 1537, was the scene of incessant intes- 

 tine struggles for power amongst those powerful nobles in whom 

 rested the real power of the state. Erom this period until the sub- 

 jugation of the country by the Emperors of Delhi, the history of 

 Cashmere is little else than a record of the wars of the tribes 

 of Chukk, Eeigna, and Magrey, in which, the former two were 

 chiefly at variance, the Chukks generally having the upper hand, 

 and eventually a decided preponderance of power. To follow the 

 details of these petty wars seems needless, and indeed the various 

 historians of the period differ considerably from each other in their 

 narration of events : The frequent mention also of various chiefs 

 bearing similar names, renders it still more difficult to trace any 

 consecutive history ; the following facts, however, may be shortly 

 enumerated as occurring from about the time of Mahomed Shah's 

 last accession to the throne in the year A. D. 1519. 



Nusrut Eeigna and Sohur Magrey were both killed in bat- 

 tle. 



Kajee Chukk, the king's minister, quarrelled with his old ally 

 Jehangire Padr, and forced him to fly the country : (in the year 

 A. D. 1520.) 



Mullick Abdie Eeigna, and Sohur Magrey, brought prince 

 Sikundar Khan, a son of Eutteh Shah, with a large army from 

 Hindustan ; Jehangire Padr and others joined them, and amongst 

 them they set up Sikunder Khan for the throne, Kajee Chukk 

 despatched his son Musood Chukk against them, (A. D. 1520,) 

 who met them in the Lar Pergunnah, but was defeated and slain ; 

 Prince Sikundar however finding the Chukks, as yet, too strong 

 for him, retreated into the mountains. After this Kajee Chukk 

 became so powerful that the king Mahomed Shah, becoming jea- 

 lous of him, formed a party of Magrey s in opposition, who, taking 



