Twilight of the Sultanate c10.s1.3

c10.s1.3

According to Badaonī Jasrat Khokhar was the son⁵ of Shaikha Khokhar, chief of the Khokhar tribe,⁶ and master of the countryside around Sialkot. When Amīr Tīmūr was marching through the Southern Punjab, on his way to Delhi, Jasrat Khokhar was courageous enough to oppose him between Tulamba and Deopalpur, but he was worsted and with great difficulty escaped to his father.⁷ Later on, taking advantage of the confusion created by Tīmūr's invasion, he and his father reoccupied Lahore. When Shaikha was killed by the conqueror's orders on account of his "treachery", Jasrat was carried a prisoner to Samarqand. On the conqueror's death he effected his escape,⁸ returned to his homeland, resumed the leadership of his tribe and entrenched himself in the Khokhar stronghold of Sialkot.⁹ Taking advantage of the weakness of the Delhi Sultanate, he made minor additions to his independent principality whenever an opportunity presented itself. He took an active part in the Civil War in Kashmir which broke out between two royal brothers 'Alī Shāh and Shāhī Khan and gained from it immensely. It so happened that Sultan 'Alī Shāh of Kashmir, successor of Sikandar the Iconoclast, while going to pay a visit to his father-in-law, the Raja of Jammu, had left the administration of his kingdom in the hands of his brother Shāhī Khān. When he returned after some time, Shāhī Khān refused to acknowledge him. Thereupon 'Alī Shāh with the help of the Rajas of Jammu and Rajourī defeated his brother and drove him out of Srinagar. Shāhī Khān sought the help of Jasrat Khokhar, and the two together defeated 'Alī Shāh at Thanna¹⁰ in May-June, 1420 (Jamadiul Avval, 823 H),¹¹ and Shāhī Khān ascended the throne at Srinagar as Sultan Zainul Ābidīn. Jasrat's gain too was considerable. He had seized a large booty in the recent war, besides winning the friendship of the new Kashmir king. Thus strengthened, he began to dream of the throne of Delhi.¹² Zainul Ābidīn in his gratitude actively helped Jasrat in his plans with men and money.¹³ It was about this time that Tughān Raīs, after his defeat at the hands of Khizr Khān's general Zīrak Khān, also joined the standard of Jasrat Khokhar.¹⁴