Zain al-'Abidin, Sultan

(?-1473)

   He succeeded his elder brother, Ali Shah, on the throne of Kashmir in 1423 and ruled for the next 50 years. He was a pious, orthodox, and learned Muslim and is known to have reversed the intolerant religious policy of his father, Sultan Sikandar (1393-1413), who is known to have destroyed tem-ples and persecuted non-Muslims. While encouraging leading men of Islam, Zain al-'Abidin also showed the same kindness to the Hindu religious elite, extending many facilities to them. Hindus who had been earlier evicted from their houses were brought back and pro-vided protection. Hindus and Muslims were encouraged to partici-pate in each others' religious celebrations. Zain al-'Abidin is also known to have patronized the arts and crafts. Under his encourage-ment, the manufacture of firearms as well as the use of paper was in-troduced in Kashmir. He is also known for his measures of public welfare like the digging of irrigation canals and the establishment of a system of price control and market regulations.