102 
[No. 2, 
C. J. Iiodgers —The Square Silver Coins of 
on hearing the inscription read to him, that had the plate been on the 
wall he would not have destroyed the temple and thus would have upset 
the pretensions of the astrologers. 
Sikandar by such acts as these earned for himself amongst Musal- 
mans the title of Butshikan or Iconoclast. Like the bigot he was, he 
forbad all use of wine in his dominions. He at last died of a burning 
fever in the year 819 A. H. after a reign of 20 years and 9 months. 
His death took place one year after the battle of Agincourt. Hence his 
persecution of the Brahmans was contemporaneous with the persecu¬ 
tions of the Lollards in England, and the result was much the same in 
both countries. Kashmir is now one of the head quarters of Brahmanism 
and lessons of intolerance learned 500 years ago seem not to have been 
forgotten. 
Ali Slier .-—Sikandar left three sons Mir Khan, to whom he gave 
the kingdom and the title AH Sher, Shahi Khan and Muhammad 
Khan. 
When Ali Sher ascended the throne the converted Brahman Syah 
But was kept on as wazir. His treatment of his former co-religionists 
became more and more severe. The Brahmans fled the country until 
not so much as the sign of one remained. Syah But’s persecutions soon 
came to an end for he was carried off by consumption. After his death 
AH Sher determined to see the world. He made his brother Shahi 
Khan, a young man of great ability, his viceroy during his absence. 
Going by the way of Jammu AH Sher was persuaded to return to 
Kashmir to wrest the reins of government from Shahi Khan. He was 
successful and Shahi Khan became a fugitive in the direction of Sialkot 
where he met with a Ghakkar named Jasrat who had'escaped from the 
hands of Taimur in Samarqand and had attained to something like king- 
ship in the Panjab. Ali Slier followed him. But Shahi Kirin and 
Jasrat defeated him in a night attack and here he is lost to history* 
He had reigned six years and nine months when this event happened 
in 826 A. H. Some authorities say be went on a pilgrimage. 
Zain-ul-Abidin .—Shahi Khan ascended the throne with the title of 
Zain-ul-’Abidin. The events of the long reign of this the greatest of the 
Sultans of Kashmir are given without any reference to their chronolo¬ 
gical sequence. There is evidently a strong desire on the part of the 
historian to exaggerate. It is easy to tolerate this. We must make 
allowances. There is no doubt that the actions of the Sultan were 
worthy of being chronicled : they speak for themselves. For half a 
century and more Kashmir was blessed with the rule of this virtuous 
and tolerant prince. 
His first recorded acts were those of conquest, the Panjab and Tibet, 
