The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
building precisely according to it; if not, let him do so, after making
a gracious and harmonious design, and in such a way that its floor shall
be level with that of the Audience-hall; again:—the Khẉurd-Kābul dam
which is to hold up the But-khāk-water at its exit from the Khẉurd-Kābul
narrows; again:—the repair of the Ghaznī dam[2477]; again:—the
Avenue-garden in which water is short and for which a one-mill stream
must be diverted[2478]; again:—I had water brought from Tūtūm-dara to
rising ground south-west of Khwāja Basta, there made a reservoir and
planted young trees. The place got the name of Belvedere,[2479] because
it faces the ford and gives a first-rate view. The best of young trees
must be planted there, lawns arranged, and borders set with sweet-herbs
and with flowers of beautiful colour and scent; again:—Sayyid Qāsim has
been named to reinforce thee; again:—do not neglect the condition of
matchlockmen and of Ūstād Muḥammad Amīn the armourer[2480];
again:—directly this letter arrives, thou must get my elder sister
(Khān-zāda Begīm) and my wives right out of Kābul, and escort them to
Nīl-āb. However averse they may still be, they most certainly must start
within a week of the arrival of [Sidenote: Fol. 360b.] this letter. For
why? Both because the armies which have gone from Hindūstān to escort
them are suffering hardship in a cramped place (_tār yīrdā_), and also
because they[2481] are ruining the country."
"Again:—I made it clear in a letter written to `Abdu'l-lāh (_`asas_),
that there had been very great confusion in my mind (_dúghdugha_), to
counterbalance being in the oasis (_wādī_) of penitence. This quatrain
was somewhat dissuading (_mānī`_):—[2482]
Through renouncement of wine bewildered am I;
How to work know I not, so distracted am I;
While others repent and make vow to abstain,
I have vowed to abstain, and repentant am I.
"A witticism of Banāī's came back to my mind:—One day when he had been
joking in `Alī-sher Beg's presence, who must have been wearing a jacket
with buttons,[2483] `Alī-sher Beg said, 'Thou makest charming jokes; but
for the buttons, I would give thee the jacket; they are the hindrance
(_māni`_).' Said Banāī, 'What hindrance are buttons? It is button-holes
(_mādagī_) that hinder.'[2484] Let responsibility for this story lie on
the teller! hold me excused for it; for God's sake do not be offended by
it.[2485] Again:—that quatrain was made before last year, and in truth
the longing and craving for a wine-party has been infinite and endless
for two years past, so much so that sometimes the craving for wine
brought me to the verge of tears. Thank God! this year that trouble has
passed from my mind, perhaps by virtue of the [Sidenote: Fol. 361.]
blessing and sustainment of versifying the translation.[2486] Do thou
also renounce wine! If had with equal associates and boon-companions,
wine and company are pleasant things; but with whom canst thou now
associate? with whom drink wine? If thy boon-companions are Sher-i-aḥmad
and Ḥaidar-qulī, it should not be hard for thee to forswear wine. So
much said, I salute thee and long to see thee."[2487]
The above letter was written on Thursday the 1st of the latter Jumāda
(_Feb. 10th_). It affected me greatly to write concerning those
matters, with their mingling of counsel. The letters were entrusted to
Shamsu'd-dīn Muḥammad on Friday night,[2488] he was apprized of
word-of-mouth messages and given leave to go.
(_oo. Complaints from Balkh._)
(_Feb. 11th_) On Friday (_Jumāda II. 2nd_) we did 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) and
dismounted at Jumandnā.[2489] Today a servant of Kītīn-qarā Sl. arrived
whom the Sulṯān had sent to his retainer and envoy Kamālu'd-din
_Qīāq_,[2490] with things written concerning the behaviour of the begs
of the (Balkh) border, their intercourse with himself, and complaints of
theft and raid. Leave to go was given to _Qīāq_, and orders were issued
to the begs of the border to put an end to raiding and thieving, to
behave well and to maintain intercourse with Balkh. These orders were
entrusted to Kītīn-qarā Sl.'s servant and he was dismissed from this
ground.
A letter, accepting excuse for the belated arrival of Ḥasan
_Chalabī_,[2491] was sent to the Shāh today by one Shāh-qulī who had
[Sidenote: Fol. 361b.] come to me from Ḥasan _Chalabī_ and reported the
details of the battle (of Jām).[2492] Shāh-qulī was given his leave on
this same day, the 2nd of the month.
(_pp. Incidents of the eastward march resumed._)
(_Feb. 12th_) On Saturday (_3rd_) we did 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) and
dismounted in the Kakūra and Chachāwalī[2493] _parganas_ of Kālpī.
(_Feb. 13th_) On Sunday the 4th of the month, we did 9 _kurohs_ (18m.)
and dismounted in Dīrapūr[2494] a _pargana_ of Kālpī. Here I shaved my
head,[2495] which I had not done for the past two months, and bathed in
the Sīngar-water (Sengar).
(_Feb. 14th_) On Monday (_5th_) we did 14 _kurohs_ (28m.), and
dismounted in Chaparkada[2496] one of the _parganas_ of Kālpī.
(_Feb. 15th_) At the dawn of Tuesday (_6th_), a Hindūstānī servant of
Qarācha's arrived who had taken a command (_farmān_) from Māhīm to
Qarācha from which it was understood that she was on the road. She had
summoned escort from people in Lāhor, Bhīra and those parts in the
fashion I formerly wrote orders (_parwānas_) with my own hand. Her
command had been written in Kābul on the 7th of the 1st Jumāda (_Jan.
17th_).[2497]
(_Feb. 16th_) On Wednesday (_7th_) we did 7 _kurohs_ (14m.), and
dismounted in the Ādampūr _pargana_.[2498] Today I mounted before dawn,
took the road[2499] alone, reached the Jūn (Jumna), and went on along
its bank. When I came opposite to Ādampūr, I had awnings set up on an
island (_ārāl_) near the camp and seated there, ate _ma`jūn_.
Today we set Ṣādiq to wrestle with Kalāl who had come to [Sidenote: Fol.
362.] Āgra with a challenge.[2500] In Āgra he had asked respite for 20
days on the plea of fatigue from his journey; as now 40-50 days had
passed since the end of his respite, he was obliged to wrestle. Ṣādiq
did very well, throwing him easily. Ṣādiq was given 10,000 _tankas_, a
saddled horse, a head-to-foot, and a jacket with buttons; while Kalāl,
to save him from despair, was given 3000 _tankas_, spite of his fall.
The carts and mortar were ordered landed from the boats, and we spent 3
or 4 days on this same ground while the road was made ready, the ground
levelled and the landing effected.
(_Feb. 21st_) On Monday the 12th of the month (_Jumāda II._), we did 12
_kurohs_ (24 m.) and dismounted at Kūrarah.[2501] Today I travelled by
litter.
(_Feb. 22nd-25th_) After marching 12 _kurohs_ (24 m.) from Kūrarah
(_13th_), we dismounted in Kūrīa[2502] a _pargana_ of Karrah. From Kūrīa
we marched 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) and dismounted (_14th_) in
Fatḥpūr-Aswa.[2503] After 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) done from Fatḥpūr, we
dismounted (_15th_) at Sarāī Munda.[2504]... Today at the Bedtime Prayer
(_Friday 16th_, _after dark_), Sl. Jalālu'd-dīn (_Sharqī_)[2505] came
with his two young sons to wait on me.
(_Feb. 26th_) Next day, Saturday the 17th of the month, we did 8
_kurohs_ (16m.), and dismounted at Dugdugī a Karrah _pargana_ on the
bank of the Gang.[2506]
(_Feb. 27th_) On Sunday (_18th_) came to this ground Muḥammad Sl. M.,
Nī-khūb (or, Bī-khūb) Sl. and Tardīka (or, Tardī _yakka_, [Sidenote:
Fol. 362b.] champion).
(_Feb. 28th_) On Monday (_19th_) `Askarī also waited on me. They all
came from the other side of Gang (Ganges). `Askarī and his various
forces were ordered to march along the other bank of the river keeping
opposite the army on this side, and wherever our camp might be, to
dismount just opposite it.
(_qq. News of the Afghāns._)
While we were in these parts news came again and again that Sl. Maḥmūd
(_Lūdī_) had collected 10,000 Afghāns; that he had detached Shaikh
Bāyazīd and Bīban with a mass of men towards Sarwār [Gorakhpūr];
that he himself with Fatḥ Khān _Sarwānī_ was on his way along the
river for Chunār; that Sher Khān _Sūr_ whom I had favoured last year
with the gift of several _parganas_ and had left in charge of this
neighbourhood,[2507] had joined these Afghāns who thereupon had made him
and a few other amīrs cross the water; that Sl. Jalālu'd-dīn's man in
Benares had not been able to hold that place, had fled, and got away;
what he was understood to have said being, that he had left soldiers
(_sipahīlār_) in Benares-fort and gone along the river to fight Sl.
Maḥmūd.[2508]
(_rr. Incidents of the march resumed._)
(_March 1st_) Marching from Dugdugī (_Tuesday, Jumāda II. 20th_) the
army did 6 _kurohs_ (12m.) and dismounted at Kusār,[2509] 3 or 4
_kurohs_ from Karrah. I went by boat. We stayed here 3 or 4 [Sidenote:
Fol. 363.] days because of hospitality offered by Sl. Jalālu'd-dīn.
(_March 4th_) On Friday (_23rd_), I dismounted at Sl. Jalālu'd-dīn's
house inside Karrah-fort where, host-like, he served me a portion of
cooked meat and other viands.[2510] After the meal, he and his sons were
dressed in unlined coats (_yaktāī jāmah_) and short tunics
(_nīmcha_).[2511] At his request his elder son was given the style Sl.
Maḥmūd.[2512] On leaving Karrah, I rode about one _kuroh_ (2m.) and
dismounted on the bank of Gang.
Here letters were written and leave was given to Shahrak Beg who had
come from Māhīm to our first camp on Gang (_i.e._ Dugdugī). As Khwāja
Yaḥyā's grandson Khwāja Kalān had been asking for the records I was
writing,[2513] I sent him by Shahrak a copy I had had made.
(_March 5th_) On Saturday move was made at dawn (_24th_), I going by
boat direct, and after 4 _kurohs_ done (8m.), halt was made at
Koh.[2514] Our ground, being so near, was reached quite early. After
awhile, we seated ourselves inside[2515] a boat where we ate _ma`jūn_.
We invited the honoured Khwāja `Abdu'sh-shahīd[2516] who was said to be
in Nūr Beg's quarters (_awī_), invited also Mullā Maḥmūd (_Farābī_?),
bringing him from Mullā `Alī Khān's. After staying for some time on that
spot, we crossed the river, and on the other side, set wrestlers to
wrestle. In opposition to the rule of gripping the strongest first,
Dost-i-yāsīn-khair [Sidenote: Fol. 363b.] was told not to grapple with
Champion Ṣādiq, but with others; he did so very well with eight.
(_ss. News of the Afghān enemy._)
At the Afternoon Prayer, Sl. Muḥammad the Pay-master came by boat from
the other side of the river, bringing news that the army of Sl.
Iskandar's son Maḥmūd Khān whom rebels style Sl. Maḥmūd,[2517] had
broken up. The same news was brought in by a spy who had gone out at the
Mid-day Prayer from where we were; and a dutiful letter, agreeing with
what the spy had reported, came from Tāj Khān _Sārang-khānī_ between the
Afternoon and Evening Prayers. Sl. Muḥammad gave the following
particulars:—that the rebels on reaching Chunār seemed to have laid
siege to it and to have done a little fighting, but had risen in
disorderly fashion when they heard of our approach; that Afghāns who had
crossed the river for Benares, had turned back in like disorder; that
two of their boats had sunk in crossing and a body of their men been
drowned.
(_tt. Incidents of the eastward march resumed._)
(_March 6th_) After marching at Sunday's dawn (_25th_) and doing 6
_kurohs_ (12m.), Sīr-auliya,[2518] a _pargana_ of Pīāg*[2519] was
reached. I went direct by boat.
Aīsan-tīmūr Sl. and Tūkhta-būghā Sl. had dismounted half-way, and were
waiting to see me.[2520] I, for my part, invited them into the boat.
Tūkhta-būghā Sl. must have wrought magic, for a bitter wind rose and
rain began to fall. It became quite windy(?)[2521] on which account I
ate _ma`jūn_, although I had done so on the previous day. Having come to
the encamping-ground....[2522]