Chak dynasty
The Chak dynasty was a Kashmiri dynasty of Kambojas origin that ruled over the Kashmir sultanate in medieval Kashmir after the Shah Mir dynasty. The dynasty rose to power in 1561 in Srinagar after the death of the Turco-Mongol military general, Mirza Haidar Dughlat when Ghazi Shah assumed the throne by dethroning Habib Shah, the last Shah Mir Sultan. The dynasty ended in 1589 when Yakub Shah surrendered to Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Origins
Lankar Chak, a direct ancestor of the ruling Chaks, migrated from Hunza Valley to Kashmir with his family during the reign of Suhadeva. The Chak is regarded as a prominent sub-branch of the ancient Persian-origin Kamboja tribe. According to the Mahabharata and several early historical traditions, the Kamboja people established a kingdom around 600 BCE in the region corresponding to present-day Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, with its capital located in what is now Rajouri.Archaeological remains, cultural traces, and structural ruins attributed to this early Kamboja state are still found across various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, reflecting the historical depth and enduring legacy of this ancient polity.The Chaks became highly influential after the invasion of the Mongol commander Zulchu as they started to gain the confidence of the nobles and councillors. They also served the first Sultan of Kashmir, Rinchan as members of his court. After Rinchan's death Udyanadeva was given authority but soon fled the country. Kota Rani assumed the throne and appointed Chaks in many important offices in her cabinet. Kota Rani was later challenged by Shah Mir, a close associate of Rinchan. The Chaks sided with Shah Mir and gave their all for Shah Mir's sake. Shah Mir later succeeded and appointed Lankar Chak as his Mīr Bakhshī, the most important post in the Kashmir army. The Chaks later declined and restricted much of their activities until the times of Zain-ul-Abidin when Pandu Chak, the leader of the Chaks started a rebellion against Zain.Chaks were ferocious and formidable warriors who defeated armies much larger in number than them. They had special instinct in battle competence and excelled in battle strategies especially in guerilla tactics and Utara.
Early years
Pandu Chak
During the early period of Sultan Zain ul Abidin's reign, the leader of Chak, Pandu Chak, started a rebellion against him due to corvée system and the despotic feudalism. The Sultan forced the Chak inhabitants of Kamraj to work without any pay. In response, Pandu with his followers set the palace and the government buildings on fire. He later escaped to Trehgam and then to Drava where he encountered the Sultan. The Sultan convinced the inhabitants of Drava and had Pandu captured.Shams Chak and Hussain Chak
, just after his ascension in 1486, decided to overthrow his newly appointed Wazir, Malik Saif Dar. For this, he needed the support of his ministers including Shams Chak. Shams Chak was a member of Chak family of Kupwara which split off from the leading family of Srinagar and Sopore. Shams Chak along with Sayyid Muhammad, Nusrat Raina, Sarhang Raina and Musa Raina defeated Malik Saif Dar. Malik Saif Dar was killed while Shams was appointed as his Wazir. Shams later married the daughter of Pandu Chak's son Hussain Chak thus uniting the two families. After a two and a half year of peace, relations between Shams Chak and Sayyid Muhammad became tense. A civil conflict erupted in 1493 with the Sultan and Kaji Shah Chak, the son of Hussain Chak, siding with Shams. Shams was defeated and the Sultan was deposed. Muhammad Shah was declared the Sultan for the second time with Sayyid securing the seat of Wazir for himself.Shams Chak didn't stay quiet for long and gathered his forces again. He also advised Fath Shah to ready himself and his troops. In 1505, Shams Chak along with Fath Shah, marched to Sopore and after an extended armed clash defeated Sultan Muhammad. On ascending the throne, Sultan Fath appointed Shams to the post of Wazir but due to Shams' ruthless attitude towards the rest of the ministers, an assassination plot was schemed. In the middle of the night, a group of assassins entered Shams' room and murdered him. It is reported that Shams, even though he had no weapons except a small knife, killed three of the assassins and wounded one. Nevertheless, with the murder of Shams, Kaji Chak took over as the chief of the Chak dynasty while Musa Raina was appointed as the Wazir.
Civil uprisings (1505 – 1517)
Musa Raina died shortly after in a civil conflict and was succeeded by Ibrahim Magre, who, due to his incompetence, fled from the valley. Malik Usman Dangre became the new Wazir but just after two months, a plot was schemed against him by Kaji Chak, Jahangir Padar and Gadai Malik with the support of Sultan Fateh. The group first stomped over Dati Malik in the palace, killing him. They then turned towards Malik Usman and threw him into the prison. Jahangir Padar stood up as the Wazir but Ibrahim Magre, after a month of the recent events, came back from Punjab with a much larger force and defeated Jahangir and Kaji. Kaji, with Jahangir and the rest of the Chaks, fled to Punjab. Ibrahim served only for a year that a league was formed against him and was removed from his office. Malik Usman was again acknowledged as the Wazir.After 5 months of peace, the Chaks under Kaji and the Magres under Ibrahim called for an alliance and decided to overthrow Usman along with Sultan Fateh by enthroning Muhammad Shah in his place. Meanwhile, Usman with the Rainas supported Sultan Fateh. The Chaks and the Magres encamped at Sopore after reaching Poonch and then Baramulla. Malik Usman and the Rainas also encamped at Sopore such that only the River Jhelum separated them. Usman left behind Shankar and Sultan Fateh while he himself decided to attack Muhammad's forces after advancing through the Wular lake. Lohar Magre and Regi Chak intercepted this plan as both the sides met at Khuyahom pargana. Lohar and Regi's forces were soundly defeated but rumours were spread that Usman has been defeated and killed and Muhammad's forces will cross the river and seize Sultan Fateh. Sultan Fateh, hearing this, panicked and escaped through the Toshamaidan Pass. Usman, disheartened, also made his flight but was captured and killed. The Rainas were pardoned as they submitted.
Muhammad Shah became the Sultan for the third time in 1514 and appointed Ibrahim Magre his Wazir but Fateh Shah, just after 9 months in 1515, decided to invade Kashmir again. He gained the support of the Padars especially Jahangir as well as of Regi, Kaji and other Chak nobles. Sultan Muhammad along with Ibrahim showed no resistance and left the Valley for Punjab. Fateh Shah was crowned the Sultan again with Jahangir Padar as his Wazir. Sultan Fateh was only a figure-head as he only received the revenues of the crown land. The valley itself was divided between Jahangir Padar, Shankar Raina and Kaji Chak.
In the autumn of 1515, Muhammad and Ibrahim entered Kashmir again but Ibrahim was killed in Bangil along with his sons, Abdal Magre and Firuz Magre. In 1517, Muhammad again tried to enter Kashmir and gain the support of the nobles with 3000 men who were supplied to him by Sultan Sikandar of Delhi. With all the efforts, Muhammad gained the support of Kaji Chak, Shankar Raina and Nusrat Raina and therefore raised the banner of revolt against Sultan Fateh. Sultan Fateh, defeated, was exiled to Punjab where he died. His body was brought back to the village where he was buried beside the grave of Zain ul Abidin by the orders of Sultan Muhammad.
Rise to power (1517 – 1540)
This time, Kaji Chak was appointed as the Wazir. This was the second time that a Chak was appointed in the central government of the Sultanate.Tribal Conflicts between Chaks and other tribes
Seeing the germinating power of the Chaks with the appointment of Kaji, Rainas under Nusrat and Magres under Lohar made an alliance against the Chaks while Padars under Jahangir joined hands with Kaji. Nusrat decided to deliver a night attack but Kaji was informed on time before the attack. Both the sides met at Zialdakar. Kaji was wounded but Nusrat's fall demoralized the forces hence a victory for the Chaks. Shankar who was in prison all along also died of a natural cause.In early 1520, Kaji sent forces to arrest Jahangir but he soon fled to Dardu, ending their short-lived friendship. Kaji later sent his son Masud, who plundered his house and returned to Srinagar. In the May of 1521, the nobles including Malik Abdal, the son of Ibrahim Magre, Lohar Magre and Idi Raina decided to elevate Fateh Shah's son Sikandar Khan to the throne and captured the fort of Nagam. They were soon joined by Jahangir Padar and Gadai Malik who were in Dardu. To overcome this resistance, Kaji sent his nephew, Daulat Chak, Masud Chak and Taji Chak along with Sayyid Ibrahim Baihaqi. Both the sides received many casualties. Gadai Malik and Masud Chak were killed while Sikandar and Jahangir ran to Punjab. Lohar Magre and Idi Raina were later pardoned by Sultan Muhammad. Soon after this event in 1522, the Rainas and Magres again came into conflict with the Chaks but this time favouring Fateh Shah's another son Habib Khan but Idi Raina defected to the enemy side giving no chance for the Magres to react and were hence defeated and exiled. Habib Khan was also killed on the way. Kaji later called the Magres back and entered into marriage alliances with them.
Mughal Invasions by Kuchak Beg, Mahram Beg, Shaikh Ali Beg and Muhammad Khan
All these victories made Kaji very powerful but Sultan Muhammad was unpleased as he only saw himself a ruler in name. He gathered some of the important nobles including Malik Abdal, Lohar Magre, Malik Ali Chadurah and even Regi Chak and schemed a plot to overthrow Kaji. Kaji, however, sent his cousin Nauroz Chak to resist. Disappointed after seeing the nobles he depended on desert him, Kaji went away to Naushahra in 1527. In the same year, a Mughal army under Kuchak Beg and Shaikh Ali Beg invaded Kashmir to help Sikandar Khan gain the throne. The Kashmiri force led by Kaji's brothers, Hussain Chak and Taji Chak along with Kaji's son Ghazi Chak fought and thoroughly defeated the Mughal soldiers. Kaji who was still in Naushahra seized Sikandar who had called the Mughals. Regretting on his actions, Sultan Muhammad called Kaji back and made him his Wazir again. Sikandar, on the other hand, was blinded and thrown into the prison where he died after few days. A resistance was again seen by the Magres but Kaji and Sayyid Ibrahim routed the rebels. Tensions were also seen between Kaji and Sultan Muhammad and after gaining the trust of the nobles, deposed Muhammad in favour of his son Ibrahim Shah.Just after the enthronement, Malik Ali Chadura, Regi Chak and the Magres decided to send Abdal Magre to request Emperor Babur for military support against Kaji Chak. Babur provided them with troops under his two commanders Shaikh Ali Beg and Muhammad Khan. They then declared Nazuk Shah as the Sultan and marched onto the Kashmir Valley against Kaji and Sultan Ibrahim. Both the sides met at Tapar. Even though the rebels looked weak, they defeated Kaji's forces and entered Srinagar Victoriously. Kaji and Daulat Chak escaped while Sayyid Ibrahim and Ghazi Chak were taken prisoners. Sultan Ibrahim was deposed and Nazuk Shah was made the next Sultan with Abdal Magre as his Wazir. Exactly after a year, the nobles became frustrated with Sultan Nazuk and deposed him in the summer of 1530 in favour of Sultan Muhammad who was in prison all along. Except for the crown land, the kingdom was divided equally between Abdal Magre, Lohar Magre, Regi Chak and Malik Ali Chadura.
The Mughal troops were escorted back by Ali Chadura. Mughal commanders, who returned back, informed Kamran Mirza, the Mughal governor of Punjab, that it was not difficult to invade and conquer Kashmir due to the disunity. In 1531, Kamran, along with his commanders, Mahram Beg and Shaikh Ali Beg, marched onto Kashmir for an invasion. The Mughal forces invaded and conquered almost all important forts and cities including the capital Srinagar itself except for Athwajan. Kaji, who was at the time in the Salt Range, was requested by the Kashmiris to join them in Athwajan against the Mughals. Kaji, at once, set out towards Athwajan. His arrival increased their morale as such that they defeated Mughals first at Athwajan and then in Srinagar. Peace was established as Kaji and Mahram both discussed matters in a boat in River Jhelum. Mughals were given presents and escorted back by Daulat Chak and Jahangir Magre. The Kingdom was again divided among Abdal Magre, who continued as Wazir, Lohar Magre, Kaji Chak, Regi Chak and Malik Ali Chadura while Jagirs were given to Malik Ali Chadura and the Crown Land to Sultan Muhammad.