Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir ruled Kashmir from 1339 to 1342. He established the Shah Mir dynasty around 14th century and was known as Sultan Shamsuddin. The dynasty was named after him. Until then, the majority of Kashmir's historians had been Brahmins. Brahmin chroniclers gave way to Muslim chroniclers. In this article, we will discuss Shamsuddin Shah Mir (1339-1342 CE) of Shah Mir Dynasty which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Shamsuddin Shah Mir - Background

• Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir (r. 1339–1342) was the founder of the Shah Mir dynasty and the ruler of Kashmir.
• Shah Mir is thought to have arrived in Kashmir during Suhadeva's reign (1301–1320), where he rose to prominence.
• Following the deaths of Suhadeva and his brother Udayanadeva, Shah Mir proposed marriage to Kota Rani, who declined and continued to rule for five months until 1339, when she appointed Bhutta Bhikshana as prime minister.
• Following Kota Rani's death, Shah Mir established his own kingship, establishing the Shah Mir dynasty in 1339, which lasted until 1561.

Shamsuddin Shah Mir - Establishment of the Dynasty

• Kashmir was attacked even by Muhammad bin Qasim, the conqueror of Sind, but neither he nor other Arab invaders were able to conquer it.
• Mahmud of Ghazni's attempt to conquer Kashmir also failed.
• Muslim families began to relocate to the Kashmir Valley, where they found work under the Hindu rulers.
• Shah Mir, who arrived with his family from Swat in 1313, was one of the settlers.
• Seven years later, Mongal invaders slaughtered the majority of Kashmir's population, shattering the foundations of Hindu rule.
• After the invaders left the valley, Rinchana of the Ladakh ruling family, who served as commander-in-chief to Suhadeva, the Hindu ruler of Kashmir, seized the throne.
• Rinchana received little cooperation from the local Hindu noblemen because he was a Tibetan Buddhist.
• The rising tide of Mongal conversions to Islam in Iran and Transoxiana appears to have eventually prompted him to become a Muslim, though Shah Mir played a significant role in this decision. Sadruddin was his given name.
• Following his death in 1323, Hindu rule was restored in Kashmir. When his followers defeated a second Mongol invasion, Shah Mir retained his power and popularity.
• He imprisoned the widow of a Hindu raja, Kota Rani and ascended to the throne as Shamsuddin in 1339.
• As a result, the Kashmiri Shah Mir dynasty was established.

Shamsuddin Shah Mir - Revolt against Kota Rani

• In the aftermath of the conflict, Shah Mir rose to prominence for his role in uniting the people.
• Kota Rani, aware of his growing popularity, appointed Bhatta Bhiksana, a powerful man within the kingdom, as her Prime Minister.
• She also decided to relocate her capital to Andarkot, away from Srinagar, where Shah Mir wielded significant power.
• This enraged Shah Mir, who felt ignored despite his great efforts for the kingdom.
• He assassinated Bhiksana and invited Kota Rani to marry him and share power, threatening to wage war on her if she refused. She declined, and the two of them began planning their armies.
• Shah Mir marched his army from Srinagar to Andarkot. Kota Rani dispatched a force to halt his advance, but it was quickly defeated.
• The fort of Andarkot was then besieged. While this was going on, many of Kota Rani's troops deserted and joined Shah Mir, to whom most of the kingdom's important chiefs had already pledged allegiance.
• Kota Rani quickly surrendered and accepted Shah Mir's earlier offer.
• However, given the awkward situation that Kota Rani had accepted, and the possibility of a counter-uprising, which was made more likely by the small slivers of support that Kota Ranis still had, Shah Mir could not take any chances.
• Kota Rani and her two sons were imprisoned and died there.

Shamsuddin Shah Mir - Aftermath of the Revolt

• After defeating Kota Rani, Shar Mir declared himself ruler, adopting the title Sultan Shams-ud-Din.
• Shams-ud-Din worked to establish Islam in Kashmir, and his descendants assisted him. In order to keep the local feudal chiefs in check, he elevated two indigenous families, the Magres and the Chaks, to power.
• He also ushered in a new era for the people of Kashmir, known as the Kashmiri Era. This was the replacement for the previous Laukika Era.
• The Kashmiri Era began with Rinchan's accession and conversion to Islam. This era was used until the Mughal conquest of Kashmir in 1586.
• From 1339 to 1342, he ruled for three years and five months. He is currently buried near Sambal in Andarkot.

Tomb of Sultan Shamsuddin Shah Mir

Conclusion

Shamsuddin Shah was succeeded by his sons Jamshid, Alauddin, Shihabuddin, and Qutb-ud-din after his death in 1349. Between 1342 and 1561, 16 more members of the Shah Mir dynasty ruled Kashmir. One of them, Alauddin (1343-54), relocated his capital from Indrakot to Alauddinpur (Srinagar).