After an exile of a year and a half, Yusuf Shah reestablished himself on the throne. In the beginning, he devoted his attention to the affairs of the state, freed the country from schism, and re-entered into friendly relations with Sayyid Mubarak Khan Baihaqi to whose son he gave one of his daughters in marriage. Malik Haidar Chadura, the historian, entered Yusuf Shah’s service and continued in it for twenty-four years in Kashmir and in Yusuf’s exile in Bihar.
It was Yusuf Shah who used to visit Gulmarg during the hot weather, and changed its name from Gaurimarg (the marg or path or pass of Gauri, wife of Shiva) or popularly Gurmarg or Horse’s Meadow (from Gur; a horse) to Gulmarg, ‘the Meadow of Flowers.’ He used to visit Sonmarg, Ahrabal, and Achabal too. Yusuf had his Zulikha in Habba Khatun to whom he was attached as a prince. Their love romance is one of the most poetic episodes in the romantic literature of Kashmir.
Peace did not reign long. Yusuf Shah’s nobles soon began to show restiveness on account of his indifference to state affairs. Prominent conspirators like Shams Chak, ‘Alam Sher Magre and Sayyid Yusuf were hauled up. Later, Muhammad Bat, the Vazir, son of Husain Chak, were suddenly discovered in their designs against the King, and were imprisoned. But Yusuf Chak, son of Husain Chak, escaped from prison , and joined Haider Chak, a commander of Lohur Chak’s troops, at Lahore, whence they quietly decided to proceed to Ladakh or western Tibet. From that country they attacked Kashmir, but were defeated, captured and punished by having their eyes put out. The King’s son Yaqub Khan also rebelled and joined Haidar Chak. Both were defeated, but Haider Chak fled to Lahore to Raja Man Singh. The Raja already owed Yusuf Shah a grudge for the manner in which the latter had spurned his help. To checkmate Haidar Chak’s designs, Yusuf Shah sent Khwaja Qasim with presents to Raja Man Singh. The Khwaja, on his return, pretended to have achieved success in his political mission, while Raja Man Singh had already assigned the districts of Naushehra and Bhimbar to Haider Chak as jagir.
“On this news, Yusuf Shah Chak resolved to give battle, and sent off many experienced men in order that they might construct a fort near a gorge of the river Kunhar, a tributary of the Jhelum. In every defile they were to establish a strength and to prepare for a war”. The force that was sent had passed Baramulla. To the good fortune of the Mughul army Yusuf Shah, however, suddenly recalled his men, setting store on the difficulty of crossing the passes, the advent of snow and rain, and the invading army belonging to a hot country. Yusuf Shah accordingly revised his plan.
But Yusuf Shah learnt rather late that Akbar’s delegation had arrived near Pakhli or Hazara, and the Mughul troops had traversed heights and hollows, and had come near Buliyasa (old Bolyasaka, perhaps now called Bunyar) on the right bank of the Jhelum aome 50 miles away from Baramulla and six marches to Abbottabad. The expedition of Muhammad Shah Rukh and Raja Bhagavan Das marched from the west and followed the bed of Jhelum and the line of the modern road. But they didnot get beyound the borders of Kashmir. Jahangir refers to this when he says that Yaqub Shah fought with Bhagavan Das’ army at Buliyasa which he calls Bhulbas and which he says is the boundary of Kashmir. The fact is that yusuf behaved with great pusillanimity and deserted his army and country. Yaqub, however fought vigorously; and the Mughal army suffered terribly from the cold, the dearness of provision, the difficult roads, and the rain and snow, and were glad to retreat on any terms.
Meanwhile, Akbar sent Timur Beg to Yusuf Shah. Yusuf Shah, in turn, sent his son Yaqub Khan, who had now composed his differences with his father, with presents to Akbar’s court at Fathpur-Sikri. On receiving the news of the death of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s step brother, then governing at Kabul, the emperor resolved to proceed thither, and desired to interview Yusuf Shah on his way. When Yusuf Shah failed to put in an appearance, Akbar directed Mir Tahir and Salih ‘Aqil Diwana to present Yusuf at court. Yaqub Khan reached Kashmir after forced marches to apprise his father, who, spurred on by Khwaja Qasim, was very angry at the insult Akbar had offered him. Yusuf Shah’s nobles dissuaded him from going to Akbar’s court. Yusuf was not actually materially helped by Akbar in gaining the throne of Kashmir. But, at the same time, it is true Yusuf would not have been successful so easily had it not been Known that Akbar was prepared to aid him. Akbar’s historians henceforth treat yusuf as a vassal and call him Yusuf Khan. Yusuf’s view was- as Sir W. Haig says – that, as he had regained his throne without the aid of foreign troops, he was still an independent sovereign. Akbar on 20th December, 1685, ordered Raja Bhagavan Das, Shah Rukh Mirza and Shah Quli Khan to advance upon Kashmir.
Akbar did not conduct his campaigns himself, and it was a weakness in him as a ruler, points out Lawrence Binyon, that he didnot always choose his lieutenants wisely. The three generals sent on the Kashmir campaign quarrelled. One of them was “Birbal, a musician, a poet, a jester, rather than a solidier or commander”. Akbar could hear the loss of Birbal who was killed in the engagement. “Birbal, his dear Birbal, his merry companion, whose voice, as he talked or sang in the evenings verses of his own composition, was still in his ear: Birbal, for whom he had built so beautiful a house at Fathpur-Sikri : Birbal, the one Hindu who had embraced the emperor’s new religion of the Divine faith.” But according to the Siyar-ul-Muta’akhkhirin, Akbar had drawn lots between Abu’l Fazl and Birbal. The latter’s name came up and consquently he had to go. As success from the military point of view could not be claimed, Raja Bhagavan Das tried to save the situation diplomatically by proposing terms, whereupon Yusuf Shah visited his camp. Taking advantage of Yusuf’s absence, the Kashmir nobles placed Yaqub Khan on the throne, and further attacked the imperial army, inflicting a great loss upon it. Raja Bhagavan Das, was obliged to make terms with Yaqub, the chief of which was the annual payement of tribute by Kashmir to Akbar. The Akbar-nama says that the Kashmiris offered to agree that “the pulpits and coins should make mention of the Shahinshah and that the mint, the saffron, the silk and the game should be imperial. A superintendent or darugha should be appointed for each department and then the army should return…. His Majesty… accepted the agreement”.
The Raja took Yusuf Shah to Akbar’s court. But Akbar refused to ratify the treaty which Raja Bhagavan Das has made, and broke faith with Yusuf by detaining him as a prisoner. Bhagavan Das, sensitive on a point of Honour, committed suicide.
Yusuf Shah Chak ceases, here, as a ruler. He was generous. He was cultured. He was a liberal Shia. But he was weak and fickle. His lack of decision and his indifference to affairs of sate cost him his crown. He should have controlled the fractions and his nobles by tact and firmness. He lacked these and ended his life away from his own land. Yusuf showed bravery in returning the attack of Sher Afgan Khan, whom he killed near Burdawan in Bengal.
Reference:
Sufi,G.M.D (1996). Kashmir Under The Mughals. Kashir: Being A History Of Kashmir(pp.229-233) Delhi:Capital Publishing House.
