The Potteries Examiner : — 1872-11-02 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

FEARFUL FIGHTING IN CASHMERE. A serious disturbance, it is reported, has taken place in Cashmere. The Sunneee and the Slmese have had a terrible fight, and a large portion of Srinuggur has been laid in ruins by burning. Cholera had just disappeared from that city when the struggle broke out, and for three whole days the inhabitants con. tinned to butcher each other and burn tho houses. Ac lording to a correspondent of the Pioneer of Calcutta, "the Mussulmans, who form about nine-tenths of the population of the Cashmere valley, are divided into the two great sects of Sunnees and Sheeas. The Stinnees are firm believers in Omar, and deadly enemies of their :o-religioniate, the Sheeas, to whom they give the opprobrious name of Refl., or heretic. The Sunneen are about nine to one of the Sheeas. Thn Sheese are firm believers in Ali and his house. They believe that he was superior even to Dfahomed himself; they form a mere handful of the population in Cashmere. Their whole numbers throughout the vn.lley are said not to exceed 10,000. The Sheeas in Srinuggur for about 1,000 houses or about 6,000  soils. The Shales men form the most active, industrious, and well:to-do portion of the Mussulmans. I The finest papier-mache workers and shawl-makers I are Sheefte. Perhaps the wealthiest man in Cashmere is Mires Mahommed All, who is a Sheea. There is a deadly hatred existing between those two great I divisions of the Mahometane, which sometimes manifests itself, as on the present occasion, in open warfare and a defianoe of all law. Near the Horse Purbut Hill in Srinuggiu, on which stands the fort commanding I the city, is a musjid belonging to the Sunnees, and ! called after a Mussulman worthy of the name of Mudeen Sahib. Some time ago the Shoe,as bought a small piece of ground opposite to this muajid, where they began to build a rough place of worship ! for themselves. The Sunnees strongly objected to this arrangement, and begged the Sheeas to desist, ! which the latter refused to do, and the place was built. On Sunday, the 15th September, was the ! anniversary of Madsen Sahib's death, and there RSA ; great crowding of the Sunnees to his musjid. The Sunnees being numerous and strong, and enraged at the obtrusive and pertinacious opposition of the Sheeas, as exemplified in their place of worship, set upon it, and soon made it a heap of ruins. The Sheess then mustered themselves in large numbers, and a regular fight ensued on Sunday night, which raged on till Monday morning, when the Sheeas wore completely beaten off the field. Then began the work of plunder, devastation, and murder. The Sunneee entered the defenseless houses of the Sheet's, and having plundered them, set them ! on fire. As the houses of Srinuggur are built chiefly of wood, the work of destruction was of easy aceomplishreent. The houses of the Sheeas in the cit,, were soon smouldering heaps of ruins. The destruction of their homes and property, which was basely carried off by theSunnees, was not the heaviest calamity that betel the Sheeea Their women were dishonoured, and their children butchered before their very eyes. It was not until nine o'clock on Monday morning that any effort was made by the local authorities to put a stop to the tragedy. Throughout the whole of Monday the work of destruction went on, and flames and smoke might have been seen ascending from Zudabal, Haesanabad, Babspoor, Drogajun, Oupagar, Sommer, Pandrettun land other places. The authorities seemed altogether powerless. The flames spread from village to village around Srhauggur. The Shame fled in every direction i some seeking safety on the adjacent mountains, while others remained in the city in secret lurking places. Tuesday saw the Maharajah's sepoye busy at their work of apprehension and plunder. The leading Sunnees were seized and imprinoned, besides hundreds—or thousands it is said—of small fry. Tuesday night came and the tumult was still nnquelled, for the Sheeas mustered themselves together, and retelitated on their enemies by burning several houses in Srinuggur and several villages inhabited by the Sunnees."