1854.] A Sketch of the Mahomedan History of Cashmere. 445 



them and some fighting took place, which terminated in the death 

 of the Soobahdar by the hand of an assassin. Abul Burkat, 

 however, does not seem to have been privy to this act ; indeed 

 Mahomed Azim the historian of the period, expressly affirms his 

 innocence. 



A. D. 1740. —Abul Burkat having thus thrown off his allegiance, 

 sought alliances amongst the surrounding tribes. The Rajah of 

 Kishtewar especially sent troops to his assistance, and with their 

 aid he succeeding in puttiug down all present opposition to his 

 power. The usual effects of foreign alliances however soon deve- 

 loped themselves, and the Kishtewaries plundered the city and 

 country. The following year a comet was visible in Cashmere, to 

 oriental superstition ever associated with portents of war, or other 

 extraordinary events. 



A. D. 1741. — In fact the same year Asud Khan was commis- 

 sioned by the Emperor to proceed to Cashmere and reduce the 

 refractory Naib. At his instigation the Rajah of Paonch attacked 

 Abul Burkat and his allies, 500 of whom fell in battle : notwith- 

 standing this reverse however Abul Burkat still held out, (A. D. 

 1745,) nor was it till the arrival of Shere Jung Bahadur, the Naib 

 of the JN"azim Sufter Jung, that he, four years afterwards, was 

 induced to surrender his government and present himself at the 

 court of Delhi, where he died the same year. (Hej. 1158). 



Shere Jung had scarcely remained six months when Afrasiab 

 Khan succeeded as viceroy of Cashmere, (A. D. 1745,) over which 

 he exercised a vigorous rule for nearly nine years. At this time the 

 accumulated phenomena of ages would appear to have burst forth 

 on the devoted inhabitants of the happy valley ; during the two 

 first years of Afrasiab Khan's government, a dreadful famine occur- 

 red, during which it is said that slaves sold for four pice (about a 

 penny) each. The famine produced its natural result, a pestilence, 

 which swept away many thousands of the people ; an eclipse also 

 added to their terror, and storms of rain followed by floods, carried 

 away all the bridges. 



In the year Hejira 1160, (A. D. 1747,) Nadir Shah was 

 murdered, and his successor Ahmed Shah, having expressed some 

 intention of visiting Cashmere, the nobles secretly despatched a 



