Husain Shah ascended the throne in 970 A.H. Khusrav-i- ‘Adl is the chronogram of his accession. He was, comparatively speaking, a mild ruler, less bigoted than his brother, and solicitious about the well-being of his state finances. In the year 972 A.H.(1564 A.C.), Husain Shah sent his brother Shunkar Chak as governor of Rajauri. The brother gathered an army and rebelled to seize the throne for himself. He was defeated by the minister Malik Muhammad Naji,- the grandfather of Haider Malik Chadura, our historian,-and the king’s younger brother ‘Ali Khan Chak. This victory secured considerable favours for Malik Muhammad Naji from the king.
The trouble, it appears, did not end here. Next year, in 973 A.H.(1565 A.C.), the Budshah happened to be hunting at vethnar, in Tahsil Islamabad(Anantnag). In his absence, Fath Chak, called also Khwaja Fath Baqqal and surnamed Khan-uz-Zaman, a minister of the state, rebelled with his son Bahadur khan. Fath Chak attacked the king’s palace to seize the treasure and proclaim himself king.
Malik Muhammad Naji who had been left in charge of the palace was, however, able by recourse to a clever strategem to beat back Khan-uz-Zaman,and to kill his son . In the course of this contest, Mas’ud Nayak, an officer gallant and fearless behaviour. Khan-uz-Zaman was taken prisoner. On the Badshah rewarded Mas’ud Nayak with the title of Mubariz Khan, and the pargana of Phak on the Dal as his jagir or assignment. Khan-uz-Zaman was, of course, executed for his treachery.
Mubariz Khan,however,became rather proud of his power in course of time. The king had therefore real causevsome protext, the king imprisoned him, and appointed Malik Luli Lon in his place. Luli, too, did not enjoy his new office for long. He was detected in an attempt to embezzle forty thousand kharwar of shali or unhusked rice and was dismissed. ‘Ali Koka was then appointed prime minister.
In 967 A.H. Yusuf Mandav, a Shia fanatic, attacked and somewhat seriously wounded Qazi-ul-Quzzat Sayyid Habibullah Khwarizmi, a sunni Khatib of the jamia Masjid, who was saved from being killed by Maulana Mir Kamal-ud-Din, his son-in-law. Soon after this, there arrived in kashmir an embassy from Akbar’s court led by Mirza Muhammad Muqim and Mir Yaqub, both of Shia persuasion. The Badshah welcomed them in person, and had his own tent pitched for their reception at Hurapor. They then proceeded by boat to Srinagar, and were lodged in the house of Husain Magre, a nobleman. Mirza Muqum committed an act of great indiscretion by interfering in the matter of the stoning to death of Yusuf the Shia fanatic. Purely an internal affair, it should have been settled by Husain shah himself. But unfortunately Husain Shah absented himself from the city on this occasion to escape the clamour of the contending Shia’s and Sunni parties whose passions were now roused against each other. Mirza Muqim instigated making over the divines, who had acted as judges in Yusuf’s case, to Fath Khan, a Shia official. Fath khan had them executed, and dragged their dead bodies through the streets. After his return to the city, Husain Shah, in his anxiety to avoid misrepresentation by Mirza Muqim at the court of Akbar, and lest the Emperor should be displeased at Husain Shah’s own hesitation to punish the divines, gave them suitable presents. Husain Shah also agreed to give his own daughter for the emperor’s son Salim to wed. A deputation of Kashmiris, headed by Haji Ganai, waited upon Akbar to report the disgraceful treatment of the dead bodies of the divines, and seek redress at his hands. The deputation ws successful in rousing Akbar against Mirza Muqim and against Husain Shah Chak. On Mirza Muqim’s return, Akbar had him executed for religious bigotry, and sent back Husain Shah’s presents. The emperor also sent back Husain Shah’s daughter. Husain Shah received such a shock at Akbar’s insult that, as a result of it as well as of his son’s death, he did not survive more than a few months. Suka, however, states that Husain Shah died of epilepsy.
Husain Shah seems to have had, in general, very catholic views. He set aside three days in the week to listen to the discourses of Muslim and HIndu religious scholars and friars. The remaining three days he devoted to the inspection of the army, to hunting, music and dealing out justice. Husain Shah also possessed a taste for poetry.
It was the set practice of Husain Shah, after Friday prayers, to order his treasure to put aside a sum which he gave away in charity. Suka says: “The goddess of wealth, though insulted by large expenditures, went with him” The Tabaqat-i-Akbari says, Husain Shah founded a college and lived in the society of pious and learned men in its precincta, and he alloted them the Pargana of Zaina-Por as their Jagir.
Before he died, the nobles at the court began to intrigue about the next successor. Some favoured a choice between Husain Shah’s brother, ‘Ali Khan and Sayyid Mubarak Baihaqi, while others preferred to have the youthful prince Yusuf Khan as their next King. Ali Khan retired to Sopor and returned with an army. Daulat Chak then advised the King to send the royal insignia to ‘Ali Khan to avoid bloodshed. The King followed his advice, abdicated on account of epilepsy in 1570 A.C., and thenceforward remained at Zaina-Por where he passed away in 1572 A.C.
Reference:
Sufi,G.M.D (1996). Kashmir Under The Mughals. Kashir: Being A History Of Kashmir(pp.221-224) Delhi:Capital Publishing House.
