Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin "Budshah" (1420 to 1470)

Zain-ul-Abidin is remembered as the greatest ruler of medieval Kashmir. Kashmiris called him Budshah (the Great King). He ruled for about 50 years.

Religious policy

• He undid the harsh rules of his father Sikandar. He abolished the jizya and banned the killing of cows.
• He brought back the Hindu Pandits who had left, gave them posts and rebuilt many temples.
• He honoured Sufis and Rishis too, and listened to Sanskrit scholars, Persian poets and Buddhist monks.

Public works

Crafts and trade

• He invited artisans from Central Asia (Samarkand and Persia). They taught paper making, book-binding, shawl-weaving, carpet-weaving, silk, papier-mâché, wood-carving, glass and metalwork.
• These crafts made Kashmir famous across Asia. The Kashmir shawl and papier-mâché later became world-famous.

Learning

• Court historian Jonaraja (Dvitiya Rajatarangini) and his pupil Srivara (Jaina Rajatarangini) worked under him.
• Under his orders, books such as the Mahabharata and the Rajatarangini were translated into Persian.
• He is said to have known Kashmiri, Persian, Sanskrit, Arabic and Tibetan, and he wrote verse in Persian.

Conquests

• He is credited with campaigns in Ladakh and Baltistan, and he kept links with distant rulers (Delhi, Bengal, Central Asia).

Zain-ul-Abidin: the full account from the exam notes

• His original name was Shahi Khan (some notes write Shahrukh, known as Shahi Khan to the people). He is famous for his religious policy and his contribution to arts and crafts.
• He recaptured Ladakh and Baltistan. Persian chronicles say he also captured Kashgar.
• His pen name was Qutb. He is called the "Akbar of Kashmir".

Administrative reforms

• He re-appointed Pandits in the administration and worked to remove corruption.

Judicial reforms

• The village-head method was applied; suitable jobs were given to criminals; he codified laws and displayed them in public; and he set up equality before law.

Economic reforms

• Fixed the prices of goods and displayed them publicly.
• Issued many silver and copper coins, abolished arbitrary taxes and repealed the jizya.

Agriculture

• The country was divided into parganas, each with a number of villages. Jarib was the land-measuring unit.
• Revenue was fixed at one-third of the produce. Revenue officials were forbidden to accept gifts from peasants.
• He built many canals, among them the Kakapur canal, Karla, Chakdar, Shahkul, Avantipur, Zainganga, Mar canal, Lal Kul and Shak Kul.

Trade, art and crafts

• He sent people to Samarkand to learn paper making and book binding.
• He invited teachers from other countries to train locals in stone cutting, polishing and bottle (glass) making.
• He imported the art of making pashmina shawls from Tibet, and sent people to Persia to learn carpet making.

Architecture and towns

• He introduced wooden architecture in Kashmir.
• He built a town called Naushahar (Naushera in Srinagar) and made it his capital, and adorned Zain Nagar (Naushahar) with many fine buildings.
• His royal palace Rajdhan was a unique 12-storey building with many rooms, halls and staircases, decorated with carving.
• He founded towns after his name: Zainpur (Shopian), Zainkote (near Srinagar) and Zaingiri (near Sopore). He also founded Hallapura.

Gardens and structures

• Four famous gardens: Bagh-i-Zaingiri, Bagh-i-Zaindab, Bagh-i-Zainpur and Bagh-i-Zainkut. They no longer exist.
• The artificial island Zaina Lank in Wular Lake, with a mosque and garden.
• The wooden bridge over the Jhelum called Zaina Kadal.

Learning and literature

• He was a great linguist, skilled in Persian, Kashmiri, Tibetan and Sanskrit. He wrote a Shikayat on human vanity and the passing nature of the world.
• Jonaraja wrote the second Rajatarangini. The Sanskrit scholar Nothosoma wrote Zain Charita, and Yodhabhatta wrote Zain Prakasha.
• He had the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Rajatarangini translated from Sanskrit into Persian.
• He built many schools, gave scholarships, free meals and boarding for poor students, founded a big library and opened dispensaries.

Music and fine arts

• He enjoyed music. Mulla Udi played the ud, Mulla Zaidi the lute, Mulla Jamil was a vocalist, and Tara and Utsava were famous dancers.