sultanate · South Asia

Chak dynasty

1561 CE – 1586 CE · capital Srinagar

The last independent dynasty of Kashmir, Shia rulers who held the valley for a quarter of a century before Akbar's conquest.

Origins

The Chaks were a Kashmiri military clan who rose to power as nobles under the Kashmir Sultanate. In 1561 Ghazi Shah Chak deposed the last Shah Mir sultan and took the throne at Srinagar, founding the first Shia dynasty of Kashmir.

Rule and society

The Chak period was marked by noble feuds and religious tension between Shia and Sunni factions. Yusuf Shah Chak, who reigned twice in the 1570s and 1580s, is remembered with his wife, the poet Habba Khatun, whose Kashmiri songs remain popular. The rulers struggled to resist Mughal pressure while sending envoys to Akbar.

Decline and legacy

Akbar's forces invaded in 1586. Yusuf Shah surrendered and was exiled to Bihar, and his son Yaqub Shah held out briefly. Kashmir became a province of the Mughal Empire, ending its independence.

Lineage

Kashmir Sultanate 1339 CE – 1561 CEChak dynasty

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Chak dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chak-dynasty
MLA
“Chak dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chak-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Chak dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chak-dynasty.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Chak dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chak-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻