▁be ▁hard ▁task master s ▁and ▁their ▁rule ▁was ▁generally ▁considered ▁opp ress ive . ▁Sch olar ▁Christopher ▁S ned den ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁S ik hs ▁explo ited ▁K ash mir is ▁regardless ▁of ▁religion . ▁ ▁The ▁S ik hs ▁en act ed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁anti - Mus lim ▁policies , ▁subject ing ▁the ▁Muslim ▁majority ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁Valley ▁to ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁hard ships ▁in ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁their ▁religion . ▁The ▁central ▁mos que , ▁J ama ▁Mas j id , ▁was ▁closed ▁for ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁and ▁Muslim s ▁were ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁issu ing ▁the ▁az an ▁( call ▁to ▁prayer ). ▁If ▁a ▁S ikh ▁murder ed ▁a ▁H indu ▁the ▁compens ation ▁amount ▁allowed ▁was ▁four ▁ru pe es . ▁However , ▁if ▁a ▁S ikh ▁murder ed ▁a ▁Muslim ▁the ▁compens ation ▁amount ▁allowed ▁was ▁only ▁two ▁ru pe es . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁S ikh ▁rule ▁K ash mir ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁attract ▁European ▁visitors , ▁several ▁of ▁whom ▁wrote ▁of ▁the ▁ab ject ▁pover ty ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁pe asant ry ▁and ▁the ▁ex or bit ant ▁tax es ▁under ▁the ▁S ik hs . ▁According ▁to ▁some ▁contemporary ▁accounts , ▁high ▁tax es ▁had ▁dep op ulated ▁large ▁tract s ▁of ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide . ▁K ash mi ri ▁histor ies ▁emphas ize ▁the ▁w retch ed ness ▁of ▁life ▁for ▁common ▁K ash mir is ▁during ▁the ▁S ikh ▁rule . ▁According ▁to ▁them ,