436 A Sketch of the Mahometan History of Cashmere. [No. 5. 



been concerned in the conflagration, and, at the instigation of Noor 

 Jehan Begum, he was compelled to rebuild it at his own expense. 

 It had been twice partially destroyed by fire before, and rebuilt, 

 once by Hussan Shah, and again by Ibraham Magrey. 



A. D. 1619. — The Emperor Jehangire, urged thereto by Hyder 

 Mullick (if we may believe the historian's own assertion), now deter- 

 mined upon visiting Cashmere, and was conducted by the Pynwutch 

 (now Poonch) road under guidance of Mullick Hyder Rais-ul-moolk- 

 chogatai (to give him his full titles). This noble afterwards became 

 a protege and confidant of Noor Jehan Begum, and conducted 

 many works of improvement and utility. Cashmere having been 

 surveyed and reduced to order in the time of the Emperor Akbar, 

 having also been beautified with palaces and gardens, little else 

 remained for his son and successor, the magnificent Jehangire, than 

 to enjoy the delights of this eastern paradise, in company with his 

 empress, the peerless Noor Mahal whose romantic spirit appears to 

 have led her lord and emperor to roam into the most secluded and 

 picturesque recesses of the valley, many of which pleasant retreats, 

 are to this day pointed out as the spots where the royal pair were 

 wont to disport themselves in those days of regal abandon. 



A. D. 1621. — Again in the summer of 1621 the emperor honored 

 the valley with a visit for the second time. A successor had the 

 previous year been appointed to Dilawer Khan, in the person of 

 Iradut Khan, who is said to have built a beautiful palace for the 

 emperor at Naopoora, and afterwards chopped off the Master 

 Mason's hand to prevent his again executing a similar work of art : 

 he however conferred on him great wealth as a compensation for his 

 loss. After being in power two years, he was succeeded in 1622 by 

 Nawab Etekaad Khan, a cruel governor, who commenced a systema- 

 tic destruction of the Chukks, whom he hunted down and put to 

 death. Bands of this fierce tribe still infested the surrounding hills, 

 especially the range to the north of Cashmere, from which strong- 

 holds they issued on their predatory excursions. This crusade had 

 the effect of almost exterminating that ill-fated tribe, the descend- 

 ants of which at the present day, are the professional horse-keepers 

 of the valley, and in their character, still in some degree display 

 remnants of that ancient independent spirit, which led to their 

 destruction. 



