Ali Shah Miri (

Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to: * People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir * Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley * Kashmiri language, their language People with the name * Kashmiri Saikia Baruah ...

: علی شاہ میری) also known as Ali Shah (علی شاہ) was eighth Sultan of Kashmir from 1413 to 1418 and then again from 1419 to 1420. Ali Shah belonged to the

Shah Mir dynasty The Shah Mir dynasty was a dynasty that ruled the region of Kashmir in the Indian subcontinent. The dynasty is named after its founder, Shah Mir. During the rule of the dynasty from 1339 to 1561, Islam forcefully established in Kashmir. Origin ...

and was succeeded by his younger brother Zain-ul-Abidin.

Reign

After Sikandar's death, his eldest son ''Mir'' succeeded him as the Sultan, having adopted the title of Ali Shah. Ali Shah became the seventh sultan of the

, and reigned between 1413 and 1420. His reign was peaceful. Under Ali Shah's regime, Suhabhatta became the Prime Minister. Ali Shah was defeated by Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin at Thanna with the help of

Jasrath Khokhar Mustafa Jasrat Shaikha Khokhar ( pa, ) was the chief of the Khokhars during 1420–1442. He was a Muslim Jat ruler. He was known for founding a Khokhar Empire which consisted of the present day Indian states of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana ...

, a chieftain from Pothohar Plateau. The fate of Ali Shah is uncertain: he may have died in captivity or have been put to death by Khokhar.

Dethronement

Shahi Khan, a son of

Sultan Sikander Sikandar Shah (Sikandar Butshikan – "Sikandar, the Iconoclast") was the sixth sultan of the Shah Miri dynasty of Kashmir from 1389 to 1413. Sources The only contemporaneous source that exists is the Rajatarangini (lit. Flow of Succession o ...

the ruler of Kashmir, was charged with the rule of the kingdom of Kashmir when his elder brother, Ali Shah, left the kingdom on a pilgrimage to

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...

. It was at this time that Ali Shah gave Shahi Khan the title of Zain-ul-Abidin. Although a religious man, Ali Shah was weak-willed and his desire to attain Mecca buckled under descriptions of the arduous journey ahead. He abandoned his pilgrimage when he arrived at the court of his father-in-law, the king of

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...

, and raised an army consisting of soldiers from Jammu and Rajauri in order to regain his throne. The ancient texts vary regarding why it was that Zain-ul-Abidin relinquished his recently acquired status without a fight but there is no disagreement that this is in fact what happened.

Struggle for throne and death

Retiring to Sialkot, Zain-ul-Abidin sought the support of its chief,

Jasrat Khokhar Mustafa Jasrat Shaikha Khokhar ( pa, ) was the chief of the Khokhars during 1420–1442. He was a Muslim Jat ruler. He was known for founding a Khokhar Empire which consisted of the present day Indian states of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana ...

. Ali Shah became angered when this support was forthcoming and he rashly set out with his army to challenge Khokhar. The forces met at Thanna and Khokhar defeated the challenger, who had ignored the advice of his father-in-law to hold back until the Jammu army could join him. Zain-ul-Abidin was then able to return to the capital city of

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...

, where he was welcomed by his subjects. The fate of Ali Shah is uncertain: he may have died in captivity or have been put to death by

Khokhar Khokhar are a Punjabi community native to Pothohar Plateau of Pakistan, and the adjoining areas of India. Khokhars now predominantly follow Islam, though a minority continue to follow Hinduism. Many Khokhars converted to Islam from Hinduism a ...

References

* {{citation , first=Mohibbul , last=Hasan , title=Kashmir Under the Sultans , location=Delhi , publisher=Aakar Books , edition=Reprinted , year=2005 , origyear=first published 1959 , isbn=978-81-87879-49-7 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUlwmXjE9DQC , ref={{sfnref, Hasan, Kashmir Under the Sultans, 2005 Sultans of Kashmir Dethroned monarchs 1420s deaths 15th-century Muslims Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain Shah Mir dynasty