1854.] A Sketch of the Makomedan History of Qashmere. 423 



A battle ensued, in which, however, Kajee Chukk was defeated, 

 and fled across the Pir Pinjal as far as Thannah, where he died. 

 He is related to have been of a kind and merciful disposition, and, 

 except in battle, never to have shed the blood of his enemies. I 

 may here remark that mercy towards the vanquished appears to 

 have been (with a few exceptions) a characteristic of the gallant 

 tribes which so long withstood the invasions of surrounding enemies, 

 and at length, only succumbed to the weakness arising from intes- 

 tine dissensions, and the fatal error of calling in foreign aid. 



A. D. 1540. — Mirza Hyder, being now established, made Abdah 

 Eeigna his commander-in-chief, but coined in the name of Tarkh 

 Shah. He was in power ten years ; he set to work to clear 

 the country of the powerful nobles, many of whom he put to 

 death or banished. Eeygie Chukk paid the penalty of his rash- 

 ness in calling in a foreign ally, being forced to fly the country. 

 Soon after the accession to power of Mirza Hyder, his patron, the 

 Emperor Humaioon being forced to fly to Persia, (A. D. 1542,) the 

 usurper Shere Shah ascended the throne of Delhi ; the same year 

 also, during the misfortunes of his father, was born in exile the 

 future Emperor Akbar, destined at no very distant period to exer- 

 cise dominion over the fair province of Cashmere, (A. D. 1540 — 51,) 

 the brightest jewel of his crown. Left to his own resources, 

 Mirza Hyder turned his attention to alliances with the surround- 

 ing states, always hostile to the influence of Cashmere, and ready to 

 side with any invader against that country ; he introduced armies 

 of those nations, especially Kashgurries, with a view of securing a 

 counterbalance to the power of the native nobles, who, for a time, 

 being helpless, acquiesced in this state of things. 



A. D. 1551. — At length a party of the Cashmere nobles, 

 (Hussan Magrey, Quaja Heigie, Abdie Eeigna, and others) en- 

 tered into a conspiracy, having for its object the defeat and dis- 

 persion of the foreign armies in detail. With this view in the 

 character of confidential advisers, they persuaded Mirza Hyder to 

 detach his forces to the frontiers, and selected Dowlut Chukk to 

 accompany the principal army consisting of Kashgurries. No 

 sooner was this effected than Dowlut Chukk, instructed in the 

 part he was to play, seized the person of the commander of the Kash- 



