Zayn al-Abidin the Great

Ghiyath al-Din Shah Rukh Shahi Khan (Persian: غیاث الدین شاه رخ شاهی خان, romanized: Ghiyāth al-Dīn Shāh Rukh Shāhī Khān; 25 November 1395 – 5 April 1470), commonly known as Zayn al-Abidin the Great,^[c] was the ninth sultan of the Kashmir Sultanate, ruling first from 1418 to 1419 and then from 1420 to 1470. He was famously called Budshah (Great King) by his subjects.^[11][12]

The first 35 years of his reign are described by Jonaraja in the Rajatarangini Dvitiya, while the subsequent years are described by his pupil, Srivara, in the Rajatarangini Tritiya.^[11] The Sultan also composed poetry in Persian under the pen name of Qutb.^[13]

Under Zayn al-Abidin’s five-decade rule, Kashmir flourished with a remarkable economic stability, which spurred significant commercial growth. Diplomatic missions were dispatched to foreign lands, enhancing trade networks and boosting the region's commercial standing. This led to the expansion of bustling central markets in Srinagar and Anantnag. His reign also witnessed a vibrant cultural renaissance, with advancements in education, literature, and poetry. Additionally, Kashmiri architecture evolved, incorporating elements of Indo-Islamic styles, further enriching the region's heritage.

Zayn al-Abidin was succeeded as sultan by his son, Haji Khan, later known as Haider Shah.

After Sultan of Kashmir Sikandar Shah defeated the chief of Ohind, Firuz, in the early part of his reign, Sikandar married his daughter Mira Khatun as a form of sovereignty. Ghiyath al-Din Shah Rukh Shahi Khan was born to them on 25 November 1395 (the eleventh day of Safar, 798 AH) at the royal palace in Srinagar.

On 30 December 1416 (on the day of Eid al-Adha), Shahi Khan assassinated the rebellious Wazir of Sultan Ali Shah, Hamsabhatta, in the Eidgah. Ali Shah, who was glad at his fall, appointed Shahi Khan as his Wazir.

Shahi Khan was given the charge of the sultanate, when his elder brother, Ali Shah, left on a pilgrimage to

Although fundamentally a peaceful man, Zayn al-Abidin was protective of his territory. He raised and led an army to stabilise the fractious areas of

During the last days of his reign, his three sons, Adam Khan, Haji Khan and Bahram Khan rebelled against him but he took energetic measures to crush them. He was succeeded by his son Haji Khan, who took the title of Haidar Khan.[17]

Zayn al-Abidin enforced the system of responsibility of the village communities for local crimes. He regulated the price of the commodities. He stabilized the currency which had been debased during the reign of his predecessors. He was responsible for a large number of public works.^[18] He founded several new cities, built many bridges and dug many irrigation canals. He also prevented the local governors from exacting illegal taxes and gave the peasants much needed tax relief.^[19]

Zayn al-Abidin earned a name for himself for his policy of religious toleration and public welfare activities. He abolished

Construction projects

Zayn al-Abidin undertook numerous construction projects during his reign, although only two or three of his buildings still exist. He founded the new town of Naushahr, which is now part of Srinagar, to serve as his capital. The

Mirza Haidar Dughlat described this palace as having 12 storeys, a dome made out of gold, and halls lined with glass.^[22]

Besides Naushahr, Zayn al-Abidin founded at least three other towns: Zaynapur, Zaynagir, and Zaynakot. Zaynagir boasted an impressive palace of its own, which was surrounded by a picturesque garden. This palace was probably destroyed during the later Shah Mir period. Zaynakot still exists as a village 4 km west of Srinagar. Another project Zayn al-Abidin undertook was the reclaiming of an island in the northeastern part of Wular Lake. The island had existed before, but by his time, it had become submerged. In 1443-4, he had a palace, mosque, and garden built on the reclaimed island, which was dubbed Zaynalank.^[23]

The only buildings commissioned by Zayn al-Abidin that still exist are the tomb of his mother, and the mosque and tomb of Madani.^[22]

Death

At the end of his career, the Sultan suffered from

persecution delusion as he abstained from the food given to him by his ministers, fearing a chance of being poisoned. The Sultan died on his bed on 5 May 1470 and was buried in the Mazar-e-Salatin in Srinagar on 12 May. Kashmir fell into several days of mourning after the demise of the Budshah.^[25]

Legacy

Zayn al-Abidin is acknowledged by scholars as a great ruler of Kashmir. Historian Mohibbul Hasan calls him the greatest of all the sultans of Kashmir, who provided half a century of "peace, prosperity and benevolent rule" to the people of Kashmir.^[26]

Of all the Sulṭāns who sat on the throne of Kashmīr, Zainu'l-Ābidīn was undoubtedly the greatest.

— Mohibbul Hassan, Kashmir Under the Sultans

Notes

1. ^ Modern scholarship differ on the origin of the Shah Mirs. However, most modern historians generally accept that Shah Mir, the founder of the dynasty, was from Swat in Dardistan.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]} Some accounts including those of Tahir, Haidar Malik, Rafiu'd Din Ahmad and Muhammad A'azam trace his descent from the Gibarid rulers of Swāt.^[8][9][10]
2. ^ School of Jurisprudence: Hanafi
3. ^ Persian: زین العابدینِ اعظم,, romanized: Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn-e-Āzam

References

1. ISBN 978-1-032-66670-9
   .
2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Schimmel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
3. ISBN 978-1-000-83655-4
   .
4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Balrafiq was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
5. ISBN 978-90-04-42271-1
   .
6. ISBN 978-0-521-29137-8
   .
7. ISBN 978-1-84331-152-2
   .
8. ISBN 978-81-7391-581-9
9. ISBN 978-81-313-0402-0
   .
10. ISBN 978-81-87879-49-7
    .
11. ^
    ISBN 978-81-8069-155-3
    .
12. ^ Walter Slaje, Three Bhaṭṭas, Two Sulṭāns, and the Kashmirian Atharvaveda. In: The Atharvaveda and its Paippalādaśākhā. Historical and Philological Papers on a Vedic Tradition. Ed. by ARLO GRIFFITHS and ANNETTE SCHMIEDCHEN. [Geisteskultur Indiens. Texte und Studien.11. = Studia Indologica Univer-sitatis Halensis.] Aachen 2007: 329–353.
13. ISBN 978-1-032-66670-9
    .
14. ^ ^{a b} Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans (2005), p. 70
15. ^ Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans (2005), p. 78.
16. ^ Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans (2005), p. 80.
17. ^ Majumdar 1967, p. 383.
18. ^
    ISBN 81-219-0364-5
    , p.277
19. ^ ^{a b} Majumdar 1967, p. 382.
20. ISBN 978-81-207-1015-3
21. ^ Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans (2005), p. 87.
22. ^ ^{a b} Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans (2005), p. 97-8.
23. ^ Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans (2005), p. 98, 105.
24. ^ "Kashmir's 'Great King' Who Turned Schizophrenic During His Last Days". Kashmir Observer. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
25. ISBN 978-1-032-66670-9
    .
26. ^ Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans (2005), p. 71.

Bibliography

• Hasan, Mohibbul (2005) [first published 1959], Kashmir Under the Sultans (Reprinted ed.), Delhi: Aakar Books, p. 78,
  ISBN 978-81-87879-49-7
• Majumdar, A. K. (1967), "Chapter XIII, Part C: Kāshmir", in Majumdar, R. C.; Pusalker, A. D.; Majumdar, A. K. (eds.), The Delhi Sultanate (second ed.), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

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