Succeeds his father on the throne — attacks and slays his uncle, Abdal Khan — is eventually driven from his country by Gowhur Chuk — proceeds to India — obtains the aid of Akbur Padshah — returns to Kashmeer — defeats Gowhur Chuk, and deprives him of sight. — A new insurrection created, which is suppressed. — Ambassadors arrive from Akbur. — The King's two sons return with them to the Dehly court. — Akbur arrives at Lahore, and proposes to visit Kashmeer. — Yoosoof Shah wishes to meet and escort him, but is prevented by his chiefs. — Akbur causes Kashmeer to be invaded. — Peace concluded. — A second invasion. — The Kashmeer prince makes con­siderable resistance. — Final conquest of Kashmeer by Akbur.

ON the death of Ally he was succeeded by his son Yoosoof, while the late King's brother, Abdal Khan, apprehensive of his nephew's designs on his person, withdrew from the capital. Yoosoof wrote to his uncle, entreating him to lay aside all suspi­cion, and even requested him to come to court, promising faithfully to abide by his advice, and even offering to make over to him the government, if he were disposed to assume the charge of public affairs. This communication, which was sent by Syud Moobarik Khan, was not delivered to Abdal Khan, as was intended; and the messenger returned to Serinuggur, assuring the King that his uncle not only refused to come to the capital, but was raising a force secretly to oppose his coronation. On this Yoosoof Shah marched against him, and Abdal Khan, collecting his retainers, resolved to die like a soldier; so that on the occasion of meeting with the government troops both himself and his son were killed. After this event, Yoosoof Shah, returning to the capital, buried his father agreeably to the custom of the Sheeas, and he was proclaimed King in his stead. In the course of two or three months Syud Moobarik Khan, Ally Chuk, and others, crossing the Behut, raised the standard of revolt. Yoosoof Shah, with Mahomed Khan his minister, marched to oppose them; and in an action which ensued Mahomed Khan, with sixty of the King's personal guard, were slain, and himself being defeated, fled to Heerpoor, whither he was pursued by Syud Moobarik Khan. Thence the King was compelled to retreat into the woods, to a place called Hurun-pal Nursak, and eventually to the hills, while Syud Moobarik Khan, returning in triumph to Serinuggur, assumed the reins of government. The first act of his administration was to confine his colleague, Ally Chuk; a measure which so enraged those per­sons who had supported him, that on quitting the court to proceed to their jageers, they resolved to raise Yoosoof again to the throne; but before that could be effected, the Chuks had again dis­agreed, and having separate interests, they endea­voured to establish Gowhur Chuk on the throne. Syud Moobarik Khan, perplexed with the intrigues by which he was surrounded, wished Yoosoof Shah to resume charge of the government; but the latter having fled from Kashmeer during the late commotion, went direct to the court of Dehly, and laid his petition at the feet of Akbur Padshah. Akbur ordered Raja Man Sing and Syud Yoosoof

A. H. 987.
A. D. 1579.

Khan with a force to re-establish him; for which purpose they marched from Futtehpoor in the year 987.

At this period, Gowhur Chuk being at the head of the government of Kashmeer, Yoosoof Shah thought it advisable to send his son, Yakoob, in advance, in order to gain over some of his former adherents; and, at any rate, by his appearance in the country to create a sensation in his favour among the inhabitants.

When Yoosoof Shah arrived at Seealkote his affairs looked so prosperous that he marched on direct to Rajoory, which district he subdued, and then proceeded to Lassa, where he was met by one Yoosoof Khan, a Kashmeery sent to oppose him, but who joined him with his whole army, and en­abled the King to enter his country by the route of Jeehbul. This is the most difficult approach to the valley; notwithstanding which he proceeded direct to the fort of Shewpoor, where he found Gowhur Chuk ready to oppose him, on the opposite bank of the Behut. A severe engagement took place shortly after, when the Kashmeeries were defeated, and Yoosoof Shah entered the city of Serinuggur, where Gowhur Chuk was seized and imprisoned.

Yoosoof Shah, again seated on the throne, re­stored the several districts of Kashmeer, as before, to his own officers, and concluded the revolution by putting out the eyes of his rival Gowhur Chuk.

A. H. 988.
A. D. 1580. In the year 988, Shums Chuk, Ally Chuk, and Mahomed Khan, being sus­pected of treason, were seized, while Hu-beeb Khan, afraid of sharing the same fate, fled to a place called Gaheer; and Yoosoof, the son of Ally Chuk, having escaped from prison with his four brothers, joined Hubeeb Khan at the same place, whence they all proceeded to the court of Thibet. Having procured reinforcements, they di­rected their arms against their own country; but by the time they arrived on the frontier, such dis­sensions arose among them that their troops left them, they were themselves seized, brought to the capital, and their noses and ears were cut off.

A. H. 989.
A. D. 1581. In the year 989, when Akbur Pad­shah returned from Lahore to Agra, that monarch deputed Mirza Tahir and Mahomed Saleh as envoys to Kashmeer. On their arrival at Baramoola, they were met by Yoosoof Shah in person, who, kissing the letter from Akbur Padshah, placed it on his head. After a short time the ambassadors returned to Dehly, accompanied by the Princes Heidur and Yakoob, the King's sons, to the court of Akbur, where having staid some time they returned to Kashmeer.

A. H. 990.
A. D. 1582. In the year 990, Yoosoof marched in the direction of Lar; during which journey, Shums Chuk, escaping from prison, joined Heidur Chuk, who had fled to Kishtwar; but as they were pursued by the Kash-meer army, they fled further, and Yoosoof re­turned to Serinuggur.

A. H. 991.
A. D. 1584. In the year 991, Heidur Chuk having returned to Kishtwar collected a force and marched to invade Kashmeer, but was defeated on the frontier by the King in person.

A. H. 992.
A. D. 1585. In the year 992, the Prince Yakoob, having left Kashmeer, had the honour of again paying his respects to Akbur Padshah; and when that monarch reached Lahore, Yakoob wrote to his father, that Akbur intended to visit Kashmeer; and in the mean time Hukeem Ally Geelany arrived at Lassa, as envoy from his court. Yoosoof Shah met the envoy, put on the honorary robe sent to him, and intended to pro­ceed to court to pay his respects; but Baba Khuleel, Baba Mehdy, and others of the Kash-meer nobles, told Yoosoof Shah that he must not quit the kingdom; and if he insisted upon it, they declared they would proclaim his son Yakoob, lately arrived in Kashmeer, King. The King was thus compelled to forego his intention, and dis­missed the ambassador, who reported the whole of the proceedings to his court. Akbur, who had all along intended to conquer Kashmeer, made the conduct of the nobles on this occasion a plea for doing so; and he in consequence deputed Mirza Shahrokh, Shah Ally, and Raja Bhugwundas, with a large force, for that purpose. When the Indian army arrived at the Hoolias pass they found it oc­cupied by Kashmeer troops; and the Indian gene­rals were glad to make terms, requiring only that the King of Kashmeer should pay an annual tribute to Akbur Padshah. On the return of the Dehly troops, Yoosoof Shah accompanied them to the court of Akbur; but the Emperor, by no means satisfied with the terms, refused to ratify the treaty;

A. H. 995.
A. D. 1586.

and in the year 995 he appointed Maho-med Kasim Khan, who held the rank of Ameer-ool-Behr (Admiral), to march and subdue Kashmeer.

Yakoob, who had now succeeded to the throne, in consequence of his father's detention at the court of Dehly, collected an army and occupied the passes; but the treacherous Kashmeeries, as usual, forsook their sovereign, and joined the fo­reign invaders. Some of the nobles, who were at Serinuggur, also threw off their allegiance, and rebelled. Yakoob, conceiving it advisable to check the insurrection in his own kingdom, before op­posing the foreign enemy, returned from the fron­tier to the capital; and the forces of Akbur entering Kashmeer, proceeded, without opposition, to Seri-nuggur. Officers being now appointed to subdue the several districts, the conquest in a short time was rendered complete. On the successful ap­proach of the Indian army, Yakoob fled to the hills; but collecting a force, he attacked Mahomed Ka-sim Khan, and in one action which took place many Indian chiefs were killed, though the Prince Yakoob was eventually defeated. Not disheartened by this reverse, he again assembled troops, and marched to the gates of Serinuggur, where he was opposed by Mahomed Kasim Khan, whom he defeated, and compelled to seek protection in the citadel of that town, whence Mahomed Ka-sim wrote to his court for assistance. Akbur Padshah having recalled Mahomed Kasim, nomin­ated Syud Yoosoof Khan Mushedy to the govern­ment of Kashmeer; and on his approach the Prince Yakoob withdrew his forces from the citadel, and fled to the hills, whither he was pursued for two years; he was at last seized and sent to Dehly, where Akbur enrolled both Yoosoof Shah Chuk and his son Yakoob among the nobles of his govern­ment. They each received estates in the fertile province of Behar, and from that period the king­dom of Kashmeer has been a province of Dehly; before which, for upwards of one thousand years that principality had been independent, and was never subdued by any of the monarchs of Hin-doostan.