446 A Sketch of the Mahomedan History of Cashmere. [No. 5. 



letter inviting him to take possession of the country ; the letter 

 was however intercepted by Afrasiab, and the nobles finding 

 their plans discovered, openly rebelled against the Soobahdar, 

 and set up (A. D. 1747,) Asmutoola Khan as governor of Cash- 

 mere, for the Emperor Ahmed Shah Abd-allie ; he succeeded in 

 gaining possession of the city for a day or two, (A. D. 1 747,) when 

 he was shot by a soldier of Afrasiab Khan who resumed the govern- 

 ment, but died shortly afterwards by poison. His son Ahmed Allie 

 Khan a boy, was maintained as his successor for one-half month ; 

 after which Mullick Hussan Khan a Cashmerie was in power 

 some three months, when the nobles wrote to Mahomed Shah 

 to name some governor of the country. He accordingly appointed 

 for the present, until his successor should arrive, Meer Ahmed 

 Mokeem, who, however, after ruling five months, was attacked and 

 driven away by Abul Kasim, a son of Abul Burkat. 



A. D. 1752-3. — This year Ahmed Shah Abd-allie being at Lahore, 

 the fugitive Meer Ahmed Mokeem presented himself before him 

 and craved assistance. The Emperor accordingly despatched a force 

 under Abdoola Khan Ashuk Akarsu to his aid. The Mogul gover- 

 nor fled at his approach, and the victorious Abdoola Khan, setting 

 aside his powerless ally, seized the country, and, during the six 

 months he remained as governor, plundered and extorted a crore of 

 rupees from the unhappy valley already exhausted (A. D. 1752,) by 

 pestilence and famine, with which he presented himself before his 

 master Ahmed Shah ; having left Kajah Sookh Jewan as his mooktear. 

 Cashmere thus passed from the sway of the Mogul throne, under 

 that of the Dooranees, and we shall accordingly here close that por- 

 tion of its history. 



Part 4. — Cashmere under the Dooranee Governors. 



A. D. 1 753. — Abdoola Khan, the first Dooranee governor, having 

 left Eajah Sookh Jewan as his mooktear departed from Cashmere, 

 which was again desolated by a famine. No sooner, however, was 

 his back (H. 1167,) turned, than a general impatience at Dooranee 

 rule manifested itself. Kajah Sookh Jewan, placing himself at the 

 head of the movement, began to form a confederacy amongst the sur- 

 rounding hill tribes, and to entertain soldiery which gradually swelled 



