Kashmir Sultanate

Sultanate of Kashmir
1320–1323 1339–1589
Royal Standard[a][1][2]
Motto: "نرجو أن يتم الحفاظ عليها من الدمار" (Arabic) (lit. May she be preserved from destruction)[3]
Kashmir Sultanate in 1525. (Including the hill states of Gilgit and Jammu, Maqpon Kingdom and Maryul Kingdom as tributary states)
Status	Sultanate
Capital	Srinagar (1320–1323; 1339–1343; 1354–1470; 1472–1529; 1530–1586) Sikandarpur (1470–1472) Naushahra (1529–1530) Chandrakot (1586–1587) Varmul (1587–1588) Suyyapur (1586–1588) no centralised capital (1588–1589)
Largest city	Srinagar
Common languages	Sanskrit (widely used in administration, court and government until the end of 14th century) Persian (widely used in administration, court and government) Kashmiri (native language, given official status later on) Dardic languages Arabic (religious)
Religion	State religion: Sunni Islam (Shafi'i and Hanafi) (1320–1561) Shi'a Islam (Imamiyya) (1561–1589) Minority religions: Hinduism Buddhism
Demonym(s)	Kashmiri
Government	Unitary centralized absolute monarchy
Sultan
• 1320–1323 (first)	Sadr'ud-Din Shah
• 1586–1589 (last)	Yakub Shah Chak
Wazir
• 1320–1323 (first)	Tukka
• 1586–1589 (last)	Nazuk Bhat
Legislature	Durbar
• House	Divan
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Conversion of Rinchan Shah	December 1320
• Lohara Interruption	1323–1339
• Shah Mir–Lohara War	1338–1339
• Kashmir Civil War	December 1419–July 1420
• Babur's expedition	1527–1531
• Kashgar–Kashmir War	January–May 1533
• Second Mughal invasion	22 November 1540–October 1551
• Battle of Vahator	13 August 1541
• Restoration	October 1551
• Third Mughal invasion	20 December 1585–8 August 1589
• Battle of Hastivanj	10 October 1586
• Fall of Srinagar	14 October 1586
Area
1342	222,236 km2 (85,806 sq mi)
1389	250,000 km2 (97,000 sq mi)
Population
• 1578	280,000
Currency	Gold Dinar, Silver Sasnu, Copper Punchshi, Bronze Kasera
Preceded by Succeeded by Lohara dynasty Delhi Sultanate Mughal Kashmir

The Kashmir Sultanate,^[b] historically Latinised as the Sultanate of Cashmere and officially known as the State of Kashmir, was a medieval kingdom established in the early 14th century, primarily in the Kashmir Valley, found in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Sultanate was founded by Rinchan Shah, a Ladakhi noble who converted from Buddhism to Islam. The Sultanate was briefly interrupted by the Loharas until Shah Mir, a councillor of Rinchan, overthrew the Loharas and started his own dynasty. The Shah Mirs ruled from 1339 until they were deposed by the Chak warlords and nobles in 1561. The Chaks continued to rule the Sultanate until the Mughal conquest in 1586 and their surrender in 1589.

The Kashmir Sultanate was a Muslim monarchy comprising Kashmiri, Turco–Persian, Kohistani, Dardic, & Ladakhi elites. A Ladakhi Buddhist, Rinchan Bhoti, converted to Islam and served as the first Sultan. He was followed by two prominent dynasties: The Shah Mirs and the Chaks. A Baihaqi Sayyid, Mubarak Baihaqi, briefly ruled over Sultanate after overthrowing Yousuf Chak in 1579. Due to its diversity, the kingdom lived and worked by the principles of Kashmiriyat, which existed harmoniously within the cultural and religious pluralism of the Sultanate. Although Sanskrit and Persian were preferred as the official, diplomatic, court, and state language, Kashmiri still had a large impact on social and communal work, later being granted official status. The economical centre, as well as the vital mint city of the Sultanate, Srinagar, served as the capital for the majority of its lifespan while the diverse city of Varmul, the highly rich and cultivated land of Suyyapur, the hilly areas of Anantnag, and the surrounding valleys of Neelum were the notable commercial and residential districts. The Sultanate carried out major trading relations, having establishments in Bihar, Tibet, Nepal, Peking, Bhutan, Khurasan, and Turkestan, whereas Punjab and Bengal were considered her greatest trading and industrial partners. Besides the Delhi Sultanate, Kashmir, along with Bengal, Gujarat, and Sindh, were considered strong political and martial allies, even interfering in one another's internal problems.

During the Sultanate era, the Valley was influenced by various orders of Sufism and Mysticism. The Suhrawardiyya, Kubrawiya, Rishi, and Nurbakhshiya orders were formally adopted and regulated by the Sultans during their reign. A form of peaceful culture evolved around the Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims following the leadership and teachings of Lal Ded, Nund Rishi, Habba Khatun, Yaqub Ganai and, Habibullah Ganai. With the beginning of the Muslim epoch, Indo-Islamic architecture was observed alongside Kashmiri Art evolving into an Islamic-Kashmiri style of infrastructure and designing. This style can still be seen in the old mahalas of Srinagar.

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