The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
privation, had cut themselves off with me and with me suffered change of
fortune. To speak to them also of such a scheme would be no pleasure.
The Khwāja, having laid my plan before Shāh Begīm and The Khān,
understood them to consent to it but, later, it occurred to them that I
might be asking leave a second time,[615] because of not receiving
kindness. That touching their reputation, they delayed a little to give
the leave.
(_b. The Younger Khān comes to Tāshkīnt._)
At this crisis a man came from the Younger Khān to say that he was
actually on his way. This brought my scheme to naught. When a second
man announced his near approach, we all went out to give him honourable
meeting, Shāh Begīm and his younger sisters, Sulṯān-nigār Khānīm and
Daulat-sulṯān Khānīm, and I and Sl. Muḥ. Khānika and Khān Mīrzā (Wais).
Between Tāshkīnt and Sairām is a village called Yagha (var. Yaghma),
with some smaller ones, where are the tombs of Father Abraham and Father
Isaac. So far we went out. Knowing nothing exact about his coming,[616]
I rode out for an [Sidenote: Fol. 102b.] excursion, with an easy mind.
All at once, he descended on me, face to face. I went forward; when I
stopped, he stopped. He was a good deal perturbed; perhaps he was
thinking of dismounting in some fixed spot and there seated, of
receiving me ceremoniously. There was no time for this; when we were
near each other, I dismounted. He had not time even to dismount;[617] I
bent the knee, went forward and saw him. Hurriedly and with agitation,
he told Sl. Sa`īd Khān and Bābā Khān Sl. to dismount, bend the knee with
(_bīla_) me and make my acquaintance.[618] Just these two of his sons
had come with him; they may have been 13 or 14 years old. When I had
seen them, we all mounted and went to Shāh Begīm's presence. After he
had seen her and his sisters, and had renewed acquaintance, they all sat
down and for half the night told one another particulars of their past
and gone affairs.
Next day, my Younger Khān dādā bestowed on me arms of his own and one of
his own special horses saddled, and a Mughūl head-to-foot dress,—a
Mughūl cap,[619] a long coat of Chinese satin, with broidering of
stitchery,[620] and Chinese armour; in the old fashion, they had hung,
on the left side, a haversack (_chantāī_) and an outer bag,[621] and
three or four things such as women usually hang on their collars,
perfume-holders and various receptacles;[622] in the same way, three or
four things hung on the right side also.
[Sidenote: Fol. 103.] From there we went to Tāshkīnt. My Elder Khān dādā
also had come out for the meeting, some 3 or 4 _yīghāch_ (12 to 15 m.)
along the road. He had had an awning set up in a chosen spot and was
seated there. The Younger Khān went up directly in front of him; on
getting near, fetched a circle, from right to left, round him; then
dismounted before him. After advancing to the place of interview
(_kūrūshūr yīr_), he nine times bent the knee; that done, went close and
saw (his brother). The Elder Khān, in his turn, had risen when the
Younger Khān drew near. They looked long at one another (_kūrūshtīlār_)
and long stood in close embrace (_qūchūshūb_). The Younger Khān again
bent the knee nine times when retiring, many times also on offering his
gift; after that, he went and sat down.
All his men had adorned themselves in Mughūl fashion. There they were in
Mughūl caps (_būrk_); long coats of Chinese satin, broidered with
stitchery, Mughūl quivers and saddles of green shagreen-leather, and
Mughūl horses adorned in a unique fashion. He had brought rather few
men, over 1000 and under 2000 may-be. He was a man of singular manners,
a mighty master of the sword, and brave. Amongst arms he preferred to
trust to the sword. He used to say that of arms there are, the
_shash-par_[623] (six-flanged mace), the _piyāzī_ (rugged mace), the
_kīstin_,[624] the _tabar-zīn_ (saddle-hatchet) and the _bāltū_
(battle-axe), all, if they strike, work only with what of them first
touches, but the sword, if it touch, works from point to hilt. He never
parted with his keen-edged sword; it was either at his waist or to his
hand. He was a little rustic and rough-of-speech, [Sidenote: Fol. 103b.]
through having grown up in an out-of-the-way place.
When, adorned in the way described, I went with him to The Khān, Khwāja
Abū'l-makāram asked, 'Who is this honoured sulṯān?' and till I spoke,
did not recognize me.
(_c. The Khāns march into Farghāna against Taṃbal._)
Soon after returning to Tāshkīnt, The Khān led out an army for Andikān
(Andijān) direct against Sl. Aḥmad _Taṃbal_.[625] He took the road over
the Kīndīrlīk-pass and from Blacksmiths'-dale (Āhangarān-julgasī) sent
the Younger Khān and me on in advance. After the pass had been crossed,
we all met again near Zarqān (var. Zabarqān) of Karnān.
One day, near Karnān, they numbered their men[626] and reckoned them up
to be 30,000. From ahead news began to come that Taṃbal also was
collecting a force and going to Akhsī. After having consulted together,
The Khāns decided to join some of their men to me, in order that I might
cross the Khujand-water, and, marching by way of Aūsh and Aūzkīnt, turn
Taṃbal's rear. Having so settled, they joined to me Ayūb _Begchīk_ with
his _tūmān_, Jān-ḥasan Bārīn (var. Nārīn) with his Bārīns, Muḥ. _Ḥiṣārī
Dūghlāt_, Sl. Ḥusain _Dūghlāt_ and Sl. Aḥmad Mīrzā _Dūghlāt_, not in
command of the Dūghlāt _tūmān_,—and Qaṃbar-`alī Beg (the Skinner). The
commandant (_darogha_) of their force was Sārīgh-bāsh (Yellow-head)
Mīrza _Itārchī_.[627]
Leaving The Khāns in Karnān, we crossed the river on rafts near Sakan,
traversed the Khūqān sub-district (_aūrchīn_), crushed [Sidenote: Fol.
104.] Qabā and by way of the Alāī sub-districts[628] descended suddenly
on Aūsh. We reached it at dawn, unexpected; those in it could but
surrender. Naturally the country-folk were wishing much for us, but they
had not been able to find their means, both through dread of Taṃbal and
through our remoteness. After we entered Aūsh, the hordes and the
highland and lowland tribes of southern and eastern Andijān came in to
us. The Aūzkīnt people also, willing to serve us, sent me a man and came
in.
(_Author's note on Aūzkīnt._) Aūzkīnt formerly must have been
a capital of Farghāna;[629] it has an excellent fort and is
situated on the boundary (of Farghāna).
The Marghīnānīs also came in after two or three days, having beaten and
chased their commandant (_darogha_). Except Andijān, every fort south of
the Khujand-water had now come in to us. Spite of the return in those
days of so many forts, and spite of risings and revolt against him,
Taṃbal did not yet come to his senses but sat down with an army of horse
and foot, fortified with ditch and branch, to face The Khāns, between
Karnān and Akhsī. Several times over there was a little fighting and
pell-mell but without decided success to either side.
In the Andijān country (_wilāyat_), most of the tribes and [Sidenote:
Fol. 104b.] hordes and the forts and all the districts had come in to
me; naturally the Andijānīs also were wishing for me. They however could
not find their means.
(_d. Bābur's attempt to enter Andijān frustrated by a mistake._)
It occurred to me that if we went one night close to the town and sent a
man in to discuss with the Khwāja[630] and notables, they might perhaps
let us in somewhere. With this idea we rode out from Aūsh. By midnight
we were opposite Forty-daughters (Chihil-dukhterān) 2 miles (one
_kuroh_) from Andijān. From that place we sent Qaṃbar-`alī Beg forward,
with some other begs, who were to discuss matters with the Khwāja after
by some means or other getting a man into the fort. While waiting for
their return, we sat on our horses, some of us patiently humped up, some
wrapt away in dream, when suddenly, at about the third watch, there rose
a war-cry[631] and a sound of drums. Sleepy and startled, ignorant
whether the foe was many or few, my men, without looking to one another,
took each his own road and turned for flight. There was no time for me
to get at them; I went straight for the enemy. Only Mīr Shāh _Qūchīn_
and Bābā Sher-zād (Tiger-whelp) and Nāṣir's Dost sprang forward; we four
excepted, every man set his face for flight. I had gone a little way
forward, when the enemy rode rapidly up, flung out his war-cry and
poured arrows on us. One man, on a horse with a starred forehead,[632]
came close to me; I shot at it; it rolled over and died. They made a
little as if to retire. The three [Sidenote: Fol. 105.] with me said,
'In this darkness it is not certain whether they are many or few; all
our men have gone off; what harm could we four do them? Fighting must be
when we have overtaken our run-aways and rallied them.' Off we hurried,
got up with our men and beat and horse-whipped some of them, but, do
what we would, they would not make a stand. Back the four of us went to
shoot arrows at the foe. They drew a little back but when, after a
discharge or two, they saw we were not more than three or four, they
busied themselves in chasing and unhorsing my men. I went three or four
times to try to rally my men but all in vain! They were not to be
brought to order. Back I went with my three and kept the foe in check
with our arrows. They pursued us two or three _kuroh_ (4-6 m.), as far
as the rising ground opposite Kharābūk and Pashāmūn. There we met Muḥ.
`Alī _Mubashir_. Said I, 'They are only few; let us stop and put our
horses at them.' So we did. When we got up to them, they stood
still.[633]
Our scattered braves gathered in from this side and that, but several
very serviceable men, scattering in this attack, went right away to
Aūsh.
The explanation of the affair seemed to be that some of Ayūb _Begchīk's_
Mughūls had slipped away from Aūsh to raid near Andijān and, hearing the
noise of our troop, came somewhat stealthily towards us; then there
seems to have been confusion about the pass-word. The pass-words settled
on for use during this movement of ours were Tāshkīnt and Sairām. If
Tāshkīnt were said, Sairām would be answered; if Sairām, Tāshkīnt. In
this muddled affair, Khwāja Muḥ. `Ali seems to have been somewhat in
advance of our party and to have got bewildered,—he was a Sārt
person,[635]—when the Mughūls came up saying, 'Tāshkīnt, Tāshkīnt,' for
he gave them 'Tāshkīnt, Tāshkīnt,' as the counter-sign. Through this
they took him for an enemy, raised their war-cry, beat their
saddle-drums and poured arrows on us. It was through this we gave way,
and through this false alarm were scattered! We went back to Aūsh.
[Sidenote: Fol. 105b.] (_Author's note on pass-words._)
Pass-words are of two kinds;—in each tribe there is one for
use in the tribe, such as _Darwāna_ or _Tūqqāī_ or
_Lūlū_;[634] and there is one for the use of the whole army.
For a battle, two words are settled on as pass-words so that
of two men meeting in the fight, one may give the one, the
other give back the second, in order to distinguish friends
from foes, own men from strangers.
(_e. Bābur again attempts Andijān._)
Through the return to me of the forts and the highland and lowland
clans, Taṃbal and his adherents lost heart and footing. His army and
people in the next five or six days began to desert him and to flee to
retired places and the open country.[636] Of his household some came and
said, 'His affairs are nearly ruined; he will break up in three or four
days, utterly ruined.' On hearing this, we rode for Andijān.
Sl. Muḥ. _Galpuk_[637] was in Andijān,—the younger of Taṃbal's cadet
brothers. We took the Mulberry-road and at the Mid-day Prayer came to
the Khākān (canal), south of the town. A [Sidenote: Fol. 106.]
foraging-party was arranged; I followed it along Khākān to the skirt of