After four centuries of Muslim rule, Kashmir fell to the conquering armies of the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh of Punjab after the Battle of Shopian in 1819. As the Kashmiris had suffered under the Afghans, they welcomed the new Sikh rulers. After a famine in 1832, the Sikhs reduced the land tax and offered interest-free loans to farmers, leading to an increase in revenue for the Sikh Empire and global recognition for Kashmiri shawls. The kingdom of Jammu, to the south of the Kashmir valley, was also captured by the Sikhs in 1780 and made a tributary. Ranjit Deo's grandnephew, Gulab Singh, sought service at the court of Ranjit Singh, distinguished himself, and was appointed as the Raja of Jammu in 1820. With the help of his officer, Zorawar Singh, Gulab Singh captured the lands of Ladakh and Baltistan for the Sikhs.
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