▁the ▁pe asant ry ▁became ▁m ired ▁in ▁pover ty ▁and ▁migr ations ▁of ▁K ash mi ri ▁pe as ants ▁to ▁the ▁pla ins ▁of ▁P un j ab ▁reached ▁high ▁proport ions . ▁Several ▁European ▁travel ers ' ▁accounts ▁from ▁the ▁period ▁test ify ▁to ▁and ▁provide ▁evidence ▁for ▁such ▁assert ions . ▁ ▁The ▁S ik hs ▁lost ▁their ▁independence ▁with ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Sub ra on . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁K ash mir ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁Gul ab ▁Singh , ▁a ▁H indu ▁Dog ra ▁Mah ar aj ah ▁under ▁the ▁British ▁su zer ain ty . ▁ ▁Dog ra ▁Reg ime ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 0 0 ▁year ▁Dog ra ▁regime ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁dis aster ▁for ▁the ▁Muslim ▁pe asant ry ▁of ▁K ash mir ▁Valley . ▁Walter ▁Lawrence ▁described ▁the ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁Valley ' s ▁pe asant ry ▁as ▁being ▁' des perate ' ▁and ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁Valley ' s ▁pe asant ry ▁attributed ▁their ▁mis eries ▁to ▁the ▁Mah ar aj ah ' s ▁deput ies ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁themselves . ▁The ▁state ▁officials ▁apparently ▁kept ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁from ▁knowing ▁the ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁pe asant ry ▁in ▁the ▁Valley . ▁ ▁Lawrence ▁in ▁particular ▁critic ized ▁the ▁state ▁officials ▁who ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁K ash mi ri ▁P and it ▁community . ▁Lawrence ▁provided ▁evidence ▁that ▁while ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁K ash mi ri ▁P and it ▁officials ▁may