Yakub Shah Chak
Ya'qūb Shāh Chak was the sixth and the last Chak Sultan of Kashmir Sultanate, who reigned from 1586 to 1589. Yakub succeeded his father Yousuf Shah Chak, under warlike conditions, after Kashmir was invaded by the Mughal forces in late 1585.
The aggressive Yakub firmly established a well-built resistance to foreign invasions. His authority and influence were felt over all of the Northern India, especially in the kingdoms of the Western Himalayas. After the Mughal forces invaded Kashmir, Yakub adopted a different policy than the one he adopted after he ascended to the throne in 1586. He gathered all his local enemies, including his rivals, and asked them to unite for victory against the Mughals. Though he was found crippled and defeated, he is still regarded as a bold and powerful King of Kashmir. After his defeat, Kashmir was captured by the Mughals and made into a district and, later on, an imperial province of the Mughal Empire. Qasim Khan was assigned as the first Mughal Faujdar of Kashmir Sarkar on 15 October 1586.
Early life
Yakub Shah Chak was the eldest son of Yousuf Shah Chak, the fourth and sixth Chak Sultan. He was an Orthodox Shia. Yakub Shah is said to have been short-tempered, harsh, and intolerant towards those who didn't agree with him. His grandfather, Ali Shah Chak married him to Sankar Devi, the daughter of Raja Bahadur Singh of Kishtwar.Relations with Akbar
When Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered Yakub's father, Yousuf Shah, to appear in his court, he sent Yakub to Akbar's court in Fatehpur Sikri with Timur Beg, the Mughal ambassador to Kashmir. Akbar, despite Yousuf's attempt to please him through his best means, was displeased as Yousuf evaded his orders not once but twice. Yakub stayed in touch with his father and informed him of Akbar's plan regarding Kashmir. Although Yakub was in safe hands, as promised by Timur Beg, Yousuf's political stance towards the Mughal could greatly affect Akbar's treatment of Yakub.While Yousuf was still under discussion with his ministers on the Mughal envoys sent by Akbar, Yakub unexpectedly appeared in Srinagar. Having escaped the imperial Mughal camp in Khawaspur, Punjab, he took the Rajauri route to enter Srinagar. Yakub was unhappy after Akbar's hostile attitude towards him, calling him wicked and mad and giving him a meager allowance of only thirty to forty rupees. Yousuf, worried with the fear of Mughal advancement, was furious over Yakub's action and wanted to imprison and punish him but was forcibly stopped by his ministers.
Resistance towards first Mughal Invasion
After the Mughal envoys sent by Akbar failed to cooperate with the Sultanate, Yousuf stayed back. Akbar, enraged, ordered Raja Bhagwant Das, the Governor of Amber and Lahore, to invade Kashmir. Bhagwant Das set out from Attock with 5000 horses accompanied by Mirza Shah Rukh and Shah Quli Mahram. To repulse this Invasion, Yousuf organised his army. The right guard of the army was commanded by Yakub and Abul Ma'ali.The belligerents met at Buliasa Pass. Although the clash went in the favour of Kashmiris, Yousuf held talks with the envoys and after a whole night of discussion was convinced that further resistance would be useless and after cheering up the inhabitants and soldiers in various villages and posts, left his camp with a few horsemen to the Mughal camp on 14 February 1586.
Reign
Abandoned by his father, Yakub ascended the throne on 14 February 1586 with the consent of Kashmiri ministers and nobles and officially adopted the title Isma'īl Shah for himself after Shah Ismail of Iran.Struggle against Mughal forces
As the Mughal forces suffered in heavy snowfall and the scarcity of food and resources, Kashmiri commanders inflicted great loss upon the invaders. Seeing the disintegration of his forces, Bhagwant Das started to make peace talks with Sultan Yakub by sending Mirza Akbar Shahi to him. Both the sides agreed on ending hostilities towards each other. On the other hand, Yousuf agreed on different terms with Bhagwant Das. The terms included that the coins should be struck and the Khutba recited in the name of Emperor Akbar; Yousuf would retain his throne, but the major administrative positions would be held by the Mughals. Other than this, Yousuf's primary duty was to dethrone Yakub and place him in the court of Akbar. This treaty marked the end of the first Mughal invasion as the Mughal forces withdrew from Kashmir. Yousuf was presented to Akbar but was imprisoned on his orders, violating the treaty. This treaty was not approved by Yakub and the nobles. Yakub and his followers had coins struck and Khutba read in Yakub's name.Relationship with his Sunni subjects, rebellion
Yakub was a Shia and held antagonistic views towards Sunnis. He sent Mulla Aini to Qazi Musa, a Sunni Imam, to add the name of Caliph Ali in every public prayer. Qazi Musa advised Yakub to focus more on public and executive matters rather than indulging in the affairs of the Mosque. This angered Yakub and he verbally abused Qazi Musa. After suppressing a revolt prompted by Yakub's sectarian views, Yakub held Qazi Musa's disobedience responsible for the revolt and again started to oppress him over the matter of adding Caliph Ali's name in the public prayers. Qazi Musa again dismissed the Sultan's wish. This time, Sultan Yakub ordered the execution of Qazi Musa which terrorized Sunnis. After repelling the Mughal forces, Yakub neglected the advice of his ministers and counsellors. Despite warnings, he left the routes entering Kashmir undefended and appointed Ali Dar, an incompetent and allegedly alcoholic minister, to the post of Wazir, against the ministers' advice, responsible for handling the affairs of the Sultanate.The Sunni Chak chief, Shams Khan Chak, along with other chiefs including Malik Hasan Chadura, Alam Sher Magre, and the Wazir Ali Dar, progressed to Lahore to seek Emperor Akbar's help regarding Yakub's oppressive policy towards the minority. Along the journey, Malik Hasan suggested that the monsoon season was going to commence, so they should rather attack and occupy Srinagar themselves as Yakub was away on an administrative tour. Yakub, after hearing this news, immediately appointed Muhammad Bhat, a former Wazir during his father's reign, as his Wazir. He reached Srinagar before the rebels and organised his army. Both sides met in Srinagar and, after a fierce clash, concluded with the help of Shaikh Hasan and Baba Khalil. The rebels were given the Kamraz province with the seat in Sopore. Shams Chak and Hasan Chadura wanted to kill Baba Khalil and Shaikh Hasan, who were accompanying them, but were stopped by Malik Hasan, who sent them back to the capital safely. This angered Yakub, who set off with a large army and defeated the rebels in Sopore and imprisoned Shams Chak.
Resistance towards second Mughal invasion
Yakub held Qazi Musa accountable for the recent rebellion and, after he refused to compute Caliph Ali's name in the public prayers, ordered his execution. This communique spread like fire, especially in Sunni majority areas that felt insecure under the Sultan's policies. Yakub retired Muhammad Bhat off his position and imprisoned him, appointing Nazuk Dar, who was incapable and inexperienced in handling the external and internal affairs. These were one of the many reasons for the Mughal annexation of Kashmir.Shaykh Yakub Sarfi, a cousin of Baba Daud Khaki, proceeded to the court of Akbar and requested him to invade and annex Kashmir under a favourable agreement. Akbar, while disregarding the previous treaty between Bhagwant Das and Yousuf Shah, accepted the agreement and sent an army under Mirza Shah Rukh. Still, the latter was decisively defeated by the Kashmiri forces. He was more concerned about his return to India rather than focusing on the annexation of Kashmir. After this humiliating defeat, Akbar relieved him of his command.
This defeat did not deter the Mughals from invading the valley. Akbar appointed Qasim Khan under a new and well-organised army with Mirza Akbar Shahi and Fath Khan as commanders and Yakub Sarfi and Haider Chak, a cousin of Sultan Yakub, as guides. Qasim Khan set out from Lahore on 28 June 1586 and through the defile of Bhimber reached Rajauri. The Kashmiri commanders appointed for the defence of Rajauri route deserted and joined the invaders. Yakub, after learning of these sudden advancements, set out from Srinagar and camped at Hirpora to face the Mughals.
Yakub sent a force under Bahadur Chak and Naurang Chak, but Bahadur Chak deserted to the Mughals in Kapartal Pass and imprisoned Naurang Chak who was later saved. Many soldiers and commanders who were either demoralized seeing the mighty Mughal forces or held grudges against Yakub for his policies left the Kashmiri forces and joined the Mughals. Other Kashmiri commanders, including Yusuf Khan Chak, Aiba Khan Chak, and Sayyid Mubarak, found it impossible to stop the advancing Mughal forces and returned to Hirpora to the Kashmiri camp. Yakub was so disheartened and discouraged after seeing these poor developments that he left Hirpora and retired to Kishtwar, which his father-in-law ruled as a tributary state of Kashmir.
The deserted chiefs, seeing Yakub's departure and defeat, regretted their actions and betrayed the Mughals. Seeing the chaos, Shams Chak and Muhammad Bhat escaped the prison and took charge of the Kashmiri defence in Yakub's absence. While Yakub was under the Raja of Kishtwar's protection, Shams Chak and Husain Chak, another cousin of Sultan Yakub, fought for the throne. Both the Mughals and Kashmiris met at Hastivanj on 10 October 1586 for a last decisive battle. At first, the Kashmiris were leading in the battlefield, but after Muhammad Qasim Nayak, his son Zafar Nayak, and Muhammad Chak, were killed in a sudden attack, the Kashmiri forces, dispersed and crumbled, fled, pursued by the Mughals. With this victory, the Mughals under Yadgar Hussain entered Srinagar on 14 October 1586 and had the khutba read in the name of Emperor Akbar, thus ending the short-lived Chak Sultanate. Qasim Khan entered Srinagar the next day and the conquest of Kashmir officially ended on 15 October 1586.