The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
Tāshkend (Tāshkīnt) and goes himself to Merv. Sīūnjak Sl.'s younger son
Bārāq Sl. from Tāshkend, Kūchūm Khān, with (his sons) Abū-sa`īd Sl. and
Pūlad Sl., and Jānī Beg Sl. with his sons, from [Sidenote: Fol. 347b.]
Samarkand and Mīān-kāl, Mahdī Sl.'s and Ḥamza Sl.'s sons from Ḥiṣār,
Kītīn-qarā Sl. from Balkh, all these sulṯāns assemble right swiftly in
Merv. To them their informers (_tīl-chī_) take news that Shāh-zāda,
after saying, "`Ubaid Khān is seated near Herī with few men only," had
been advancing swiftly with his 40,000 men, but that when he heard of
this assembly (_i.e._ in Merv), he made a ditch in the meadow of
Rādagān[2339] and seated himself there.[2340] Here-upon the Aūzbegs,
with entire disregard of their opponents,[2341] left their counsels at
this:—"Let all of us sulṯāns and khāns seat ourselves in Mashhad;[2342]
let a few of us be told off with 20,000 men to go close to the
Qīzīl-bāsh camp[2343] and not let them put head out; let us order
magicians[2344] to work their magic directly Scorpio appears;[2345] by
this stratagem the enemy will be enfeebled, and we shall overcome." So
said, they march from Merv. Shāh-zāda gets out of Mashhad.[2346] He
confronts them near Jām-and-Khirgird.[2347] There defeat befalls the
Aūzbeg side.[2348] A mass of sulṯāns are overcome and slaughtered.
In one letter it (_khūd_) was written, "It is not known for certain
[Sidenote: Fol. 348.] that any sulṯān except Kūchūm Khān has escaped;
not a man who went with the army has come back up to now." The sulṯāns
who were in Ḥiṣār abandoned it. Ibrāhīm _Jānī's_ son Chalma, whose real
name is Ismā`īl, must be in the fort.[2349]
(_x. Letters written by Bābur._)
(_Nov. 27th and 28th_) This same Bīān Shaikh was sent quite quickly back
with letters. for Humāyūn and Kāmrān. These and other writings being
ready by Friday the 14th of the month (_Nov. 27th_) were entrusted to
him, his leave was given, and on Saturday the 15th he got well out of
Āgra.
COPY OF A LETTER TO HUMĀYŪN.[2350]
"The first matter, after saying, 'Salutation' to Humāyūn whom I am
longing to see, is this:—
"Exact particulars of the state of affairs on that side and on this[2351]
have been made known by the letters and dutiful representations brought
on Monday the 10th of the first Rabī` by Beg-gīna and Bīān Shaikh.
(_Turkī_) Thank God! a son is born to thee!
A son to thee, to me a heart-enslaver (_dil-bandī_).
"May the Most High ever allot to thee and to me tidings as joyful! So may
it be, O Lord of the two worlds!"
"Thou sayest thou hast called him Al-amān; God bless and prosper this!
Thou writest it so thyself (_i.e._ Al-amān), but hast over-looked that
common people mostly say _alāmā_ or _aīlāmān_.[2352] [Sidenote: Fol.
348b.] Besides that, this _Al_ is rare in names.[2353] May God bless and
prosper him in name and person; may He grant us to keep Al-amān (peace)
for many years and many decades of years![2354] May He now order our
affairs by His own mercy and favour; not in many decades comes such a
chance as this!"[2355]
"Again:—On Tuesday the 11th of the month (_Nov. 23rd_) came the false
rumour that the Balkhīs had invited and were fetching Qurbān[2356] into
Balkh."
"Again:—Kāmrān and the Kābul begs have orders to join thee; this done,
move on Ḥiṣār, Samarkand, Herī or to whatever side favours fortune.
Mayst thou, by God's grace, crush foes and take lands to the joy of
friends and the down-casting of adversaries! Thank God! now is your time
to risk life and slash swords.[2357] Neglect not the work chance has
brought; slothful life in retirement befits not sovereign rule:—
(_Persian_) He grips the world who hastens;
Empire yokes not with delay;
All else, confronting marriage, stops,
Save only sovereignty.[2358]
"If through God's grace, the Balkh and Ḥiṣār countries be won and held,
put men of thine in Ḥiṣār, Kāmrān's men in Balkh. Should Samarkand also
be won, there make thy seat. Ḥiṣār, [Sidenote: Fol. 349.] God willing, I
shall make a crown-domain. Should Kāmrān regard Balkh as small,
represent the matter to me; please God! I will make its defects good at
once out of those other countries."
"Again:—As thou knowest, the rule has always been that when thou hadst
six parts, Kāmrān had five; this having been constant, make no change."
"Again:—Live well with thy younger brother. Elders must bear the
burden![2359] I have the hope that thou, for thy part, wilt keep on good
terms with him; he, who has grown up an active and excellent youth,
should not fail, for his part, in loyal duty to thee."[2360]
"Again:—Words from thee are somewhat few; no person has [Sidenote: Fol.
349b.] come from thee for two or three years past; the man I sent to
thee (Beg Muḥammad _ta`alluqchī_) came back in something over a year; is
this not so?"
"Again:—As for the "retirement", "retirement", spoken of in thy
letters,—retirement is a fault for sovereignty; as the honoured (Sa`dī)
says:—[2361]
(_Persian_) If thy foot be fettered, choose to be resigned;
If thou ride alone, take thou thine own head.
"No bondage equals that of sovereignty; retirement matches not with
rule."
"Again:—Thou hast written me a letter, as I ordered thee to do; but why
not have read it over? If thou hadst thought of reading it, thou couldst
not have done it, and, unable thyself to read it, wouldst certainly have
made alteration in it. Though by taking trouble it can be read, it is
very puzzling, and who ever saw an enigma in prose?[2362] Thy spelling,
though not bad, is not quite correct; thou writest _iltafāt_ with _ṯā_
(_iltafāṯ_) and _qūlinj_ with _yā_ (_qīlinj_?).[2363] Although thy
letter can be read if every sort of pains be taken, yet it cannot be
quite understood because of that obscure wording of thine. Thy
remissness in letter-writing seems to be due to the thing which makes
thee obscure, that is to say, to elaboration. In future write without
elaboration; use plain, clear words. So will thy trouble and thy
reader's be less."
"Again:—Thou art now to go on a great business;[2364] take counsel with
prudent and experienced begs, and act as they say. If thou seek to
pleasure me, give up sitting alone and avoiding society. Summon thy
younger brother and the begs twice daily to thy presence, not leaving
their coming to choice; be the business what it may, take counsel and
settle every word and act in agreement with those well-wishers."
"Again:—Khwāja Kalān has long had with me the house-friend's intimacy;
have thou as much and even more with him. [Sidenote: Fol. 350.] If, God
willing, the work becomes less in those parts, so that thou wilt not
need Kāmrān, let him leave disciplined men in Balkh and come to my
presence."
"Again:—Seeing that there have been such victories, and such conquests,
since Kābul has been held, I take it to be well-omened; I have made it a
crown-domain; let no one of you covet it."
"Again:—Thou hast done well (_yakhshī qīlīb sīn_); thou hast won the
heart of Sl. Wais;[2365] get him to thy presence; act by his counsel,
for he knows business."
"Until there is a good muster of the army, do not move out."
"Bīān Shaikh is well-apprized of word-of-mouth matters, and will inform
thee of them. These things said, I salute thee and am longing to see
thee."—
The above was written on Thursday the 13th of the first Rabi` (_Nov.
26th_). To the same purport and with my own hand, I wrote also to Kāmrān
and Khwāja Kalān, and sent off the letters (by Bīān Shaikh).
(_Here the record fails from Rabī` 15th to 19th._)
(_y. Plans of campaign._)
(_Dec. 2nd_) On Wednesday the 19th of the month (_Rabī` I._) the mīrzās,
sulṯāns, Turk and Hind amīrs were summoned for counsel, and left the
matter at this:—That this year the army must move in some direction;
that `Askarī should go in advance towards the East, be joined by the
sulṯāns and amīrs from beyond Gang (Ganges), and march in whatever
direction favoured fortune. These particulars having been written down,
Ghīāṣu'd-dīn the [Sidenote: Fol. 350b.] armourer was given rendezvous
for 16 days,[2366] and sent galloping off, on Saturday the 22nd of the
month, to the amīrs of the East headed by Sl. Junaid _Barlās_. His
word-of-mouth message was, that `Askarī was being sent on before the
fighting apparatus, culverin, cart and matchlock, was ready; that it was
the royal order for the sulṯāns and amīrs of the far side of Gang to
muster in `Askarī's presence, and, after consultation with well-wishers
on that side, to move in whatever direction, God willing! might favour
fortune; that if there should be work needing me, please God! I would
get to horse as soon as the person gone with the (16 days) tryst
(_mī`ād_) had returned; that explicit representation should be made as
to whether the Bengali (Nas̤rat Shāh) were friendly and single-minded;
that, if nothing needed my presence in those parts, I should not make
stay, but should move elsewhere at once;[2367] and that after consulting
with well-wishers, they were to take `Askarī with them, and, God
willing! settle matters on that side.
(_Here the record of 5 days is wanting._)
(_z. `Askarī receives the insignia and rank of a royal commander._)
(_Dec. 12th_) On Saturday the 29th of the first Rabī`, `Askarī was made
to put on a jewelled dagger and belt, and a royal dress of honour, was
presented with flag, horse-tail standard, [Sidenote: Fol. 351.] drum, a
set (6-8) of _tīpūchāq_ (horses), 10 elephants, a string of camels, one
of mules, royal plenishing, and royal utensils. Moreover he was ordered
to take his seat at the head of a _Dīwān_. On his mullā and two
guardians were bestowed jackets having buttons[2368]; on his other
servants, three sets of nine coats.
(_aa. Bābur visits one of his officers._)
(_Dec. 13th_) On Sunday the last day of the month (_Rabī` I.
30th_)[2369] I went to Sl. Muḥammad _Bakhshī's_ house. After spreading a
carpet, he brought gifts. His offering in money and goods was more than
2 _laks_.[2370] When food and offering had been set out, we went into
another room where sitting, we ate _ma`jūn_. We came away at the 3rd
watch (midnight?), crossed the water, and went to the private house.
(_bb. The Āgra-Kābul road measured._)
(_Dec. 17th_) On Thursday the 4th of the latter Rabī`, it was settled
that Chīqmāq Beg with Shāhī _ṯamghāchī's_[2371] clerkship, should
measure the road between Āgra and Kābul. At every 9th _kuroh_ (_cir._
18m.), a tower was to be erected 12 _qārīs_ high[2372] and having a
_chār-dara_[2373] on the top; at every 18th _kuroh_ (_cir._ 36m.),[2374]
6 post-horses were to be kept fastened; and arrangement was to be made
for the payment of post-masters and grooms, and for horse-corn. The
order was, "If the place where the horses are fastened up,[2375] be near
a crown-domain, let those there provide for the matters mentioned; if
not, let the cost be charged on the beg in whose _pargana_ the
post-house may be." Chīqmāq Beg got out of Āgra with Shāhī on that same
day.
[Sidenote: Fol. 351b.] (_Author's note on the kuroh._) These
_kurohs_ were established in relation to the _mīl_, in the way
mentioned in the _Mubīn_:—[2376]
(_Turkī_) Four thousand paces (_qadam_) are one _mīl_;
Know that Hind people call this a _kuroh_;
The pace (_qadam_) they say is a _qārī_ and a half (36 in.);
Know that each _qārī_ (24 in.) is six hand-breadths
(_tūtām_)
That each _tūtām_ is four fingers (_aīlīk_),
Each _aīlīk_, six barley-corns. Know this
knowledge.[2377]
The measuring-cord (_ṯanāb_)[2378] was fixed at 40 _qārī_,
each being the one-and-a-half _qārī_ mentioned above, that is