The wonderful* workings of fate were such that when Ya'qūb fell into the slumber of presumption on account of his having seized Shams Chak, he dropped the thread of wisdom from his hands, and became more keen in doing evil. He endeavoured to close the roads. He sent forward Abiyā his brother, Abiyā the son of Abdāl Chak, Naurang K., afar K., Fatḥ K., Ḥusain K., Bahādur K., and Dilāwar K.—low persons to whom he from arrogance had given those honour­able appelations—while he himself remained in the city, making preparations. At this time their views took two forms, and their affairs fell into a bad way. Those whom he had sent forward exerted themselves in closing the defiles, but some were averse to this business and did not take part in it. Ḥaīdar Chak, who nourished the ambition to govern the country, was¹* with the victorious army. His son Ḥusain heard that he was coming, and was waiting for him at Baramgala.* Many of the above mentioned Kashmīrīs had a friendly meeting with Ḥusain, and agreed that if Ḥaidar Chak did not abandon his promises they would join him. He should leave the (imperial) army and come to them, and they would turn back the army by various presents and by cajolery. Kashmīr would get repose. Fatḥ 'Alī, who presumptuously had the title of Naurang K., did not approve of this plan, so they degraded him. The two Abiyās contrived by pretences to abscond. The Nāyiks, who were the guardians of the passes, were sent (by Ḥusain and his party) to make supplications. The notion was to take some of the imperial servants with them, and to honour the pulpits by announcing there the name of the world's lord, and to turn back the officers by the power of presents.

In brief Ya'qūb had come to Hīrapūr* intending to fight, but became bewildered by finding that the Kashmīrīs were disgusted with him. Ḥusain K., his paternal uncle, also left him and joined those Kashmīrīs. He held a meeting of the instruments of his own igno­rance, and sate to consider how matters could be remedied. The resolution come to was that they should release from confinement Shams Chak and Muḥammad Bhat, and that they should conduct affairs according to the counsels of these two men. When he brought out those two strifemongers, they from spite represented that the proper course was that he should for some days live apart from commotion, and should take refuge in Kistwāra.* When he had taken some repose and had come to distinguish friend from foe, he should display activity. With a thousand failures he withdrew to that obscure place. On the way those two turbulent men separated them­selves and took many with them.

At this time, when the Kashmīrīs were on the hill, looking for the coming of Ḥaidar Chak, they were bewildered by receiving a letter from him. It said that he was guarded, and that it would be very difficult for him to get away, and very difficult to induce the officers to turn back. The Kashmīrīs were disgusted at this (letter) and had a gathering at Hīrapūr. They made Ḥusain Chak their leader, and turned their attention to fighting. Meanwhile Shams Chak arrived, and they set aside the new ruler, and joined him. They sent a force to the Pass with the design of fighting, and it was from it that the injury happened to Shaikh Ya'qūb and Jai.

When the imperial officers came to know, near Akrambāl, the truth about their evil intentions, they imprisoned their* visitors, and were more careful in guarding Ḥaidar Chak. They held a coun­cil (jānqī) and deliberated about crossing the Hastī Watar ridge, and entering into the country (of Kashmīr). Some were distressed by the snow and sleet, and spoke foolishly about turning back, and spoke about tarrying. Qāsim K., and some acute men set about ad- ⁵⁰⁶ vancing, and the others were compelled to do the same. At this time Shams Chak sent able men and had recourse to cajolery. He began the same story that had been made use of to Mīrzā Shāhrukh. The reply was that this time, humbug would not succeed. The order was that they should purge Kashmīr of presumptuous and turbulent persons. Let every one who was fortunate join the victorious army, and sit under the shade of clemency. They did not accept the words of wisdom and prepared for battle. Qāsim K. proceeded on the 19th Mihr, 10 October 1586, to engage with a high courage. The enemy too drew up their forces. That turbulent fellow (Shams Chak) was in the centre, afar was on the right wing, Shams Dūlī on the left, Ḥusain Chak in the van (alī'a) and Muḥ Bhat in the rear. When the imperial advance-guard came to the Pass, muskets were fired and stones thrown from the forts (sirkobhā)), and on account of the pres­sure of the enemy, and the narrowness of the ground, they were driven back on the left wing. Qāsim was indignant at this repulse, and personally went to the place. He sent forward Sharīf Sarmadī, Mīr 'Abdur-Razzāq Ma'mūrī, Jalālud-dīn Mas'ūd, Ḥājī Muḥ. Tarshīzī and Mīr Shāh Muḥ. He also took as his companion Khanjarī who had turned back from the left wing. Muḥ. Chak,* one of the brave men of Kashmir, ran from the right wing. A combat­ant named Lākha* engaged him. They gripped one another, and together rolled down. The spectators were amazed and uttered cries of astonishment. In the heat of the fight afar* was struck by a bullet, and the army at once dispersed. Other troops had not come up when the buffet of God's hand smote the faces of the rebellious, and the great force broke up. The drum of success beat high, and the wondrous and daily-increasing fortune of the Shāhinshāh produced another victory. The advance-guard and the left wing pursued, and halted at the bottom of the pass. Qāsim and the others cautiously took post on the top. Yādgār Ḥusain and some other active men were sent on to Srīnagar, the capital. On 24 Mihr (6 October) the pulpits were exalted by the sublime name of the Lord of the Diadem. The ignorant, wild people were pacified by the administration of justice and by increase of love.* When the army was encamped four kos from Srīnagar, Ḥaidar Chak went off to the city without leave. Some uneasiness arose in the camp on account of this, but it soon sub­sided. On the 25th* (Mihr?) Qāsīm entered the delightful resi­dence of Srīnagar, and there were various joys. On that day Ḥaidar Chak joined with a large number of men while the army was still on the march, but Qāsīm prudently prevented him from interfering (taṣarraf) and so erased characters of apprehension from men's hearts.

Nine hundred years before this, in the time of Anat Īlā'īl* the ⁵⁰⁷ ruler of Kashmīr, this conquest had been prophesied. Accordingly, ancient records speak of it. By the jugglery of fortune, wine-sellers had obtained the supremacy, and there was a hot season of flagon-draining and of oppression. Shīv* Dat, a brahman, lived in Srīnagar in the street of Rathpūr. He was singular for his good qualities and he had a consort who had few peers for beauty and chastity. He was continually distressed by* the vogue of the polluted, and was always imploring the Deity for deliverance from that set of tyrants. A knowing and skilful man taught him the science of baitāḷ* sādhana, for the sages of India regard the baitāl as a holy spirit, and sādhana means the rules for causing his appearance. Whenever he comes, he tells the truth about every thing. Whoever shall cause his appearance must practise certain rites for several days, and must recite special charms. On the last day he must, on the dark* 14th of the moon, and in an appropriate hour, stretch out a human corpse, perfect in its limbs, in a place where bodies are cremated, and which is called a masān,* and must make it fast* on all four sides with iron nails. He must then seat himself on the shoulder of the corpse, and light a lamp in a human skull, the wick being made from a shround, and the oil from human fat. He must then breathe charms upon human teeth* and strew the latter like flowers over the fallen body. By the power of God* terrific forms make their appearance, and if the heart of the necromancer does not fail him, the corpse begins to move, and utters awful sounds. Thereafter the spirit assumes a moderate aspect and asks, “Why have you called me, and why is all this pain?” It will then answer the questions put to it, and the inquirer will obtain a remedy in matters that are practicable, and in others he will be taught patience. The oppressed brahman set about collecting the materials, and after much search obtained a body such as was wanted. But some things he had not got, and he was perplexed how to keep what he had got. He could not take the corpse to the city, and he was afraid it would be damaged if kept in the country. He made it up like a bundle (boqcha), and deposited it in the house of a tanner of his acquaintance so that in that odoriferous place his secret would not be revealed. He himself went off to complete his arrangements. At midnight, the spirit, who had become apprised of the facts, cried out to the tanner. The latter was somewhat terrified, but the ghost spoke reassuringly to him and said: “A certain brahman is suffering much; tell him the period of the unjust rulers will be a long one. Let him draw his feet inside the robe of patience and refrain from restlessness. Twenty persons of that set will sit, one after the other, on the throne of power. When the time of those oppressors shall have passed away, the government of this country will come to the caste of the Kāyaths, and after that, men of the Muḥammadan faith will bear rule. The appointed time of each dynasty must pass away, and when the turn of the Chaks* arrives, several of that family will prevail. ⁵⁰⁸ Their sway will pass away at the eighth succession, and one of the mighty in spiritual and temporal matters, and whose thoughts, actions, and speech are devoted to the accomplishment of the Divine Will shall sit and deal justly by this country.” When the brahman came to the tanner's house, he learned what had happened, and withdrew his hand from his undertaking, and sate down in the corner of obscurity. The incidents were recorded to Hindī verse, and old histories and stone-tablets tell of them. Sulṭān Zainul-'Ābidīn— who is also called Baddū Shāh,* and who is world-famous among the rulers of Kashmīr, used continually to say that the government of the country would soon pass to the Chaks, and that afterwards it would be wrested from them.