The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
This same day Shāh Ḥasan returned from Khūsh-āb whither he had been sent
as envoy to demand the countries which from of old had depended on the
Turk; he had settled peaceably with them and had in his hands a part of
the money assessed on them.
The heats were near at hand. To reinforce Hindū Beg (in Bhīra) were
appointed Shāh Muḥammad Keeper of the Seal and his younger brother Dost
Beg Keeper of the Seal, together with several suitable braves; an
accepted (_yārāsha_) stipend [Sidenote: Fol. 229b.] was fixed and
settled in accordance with each man's position. Khūsh-āb was bestowed,
with a standard, on Langar Khān, the prime cause and mover of this
expedition; we settled also that he was to help Hindū Beg. We appointed
also to help Hindū Beg, the Turk and local soldiery of Bhīra, increasing
the allowances and pay of both. Amongst them was the afore-named
Minūchihr Khān whose name has been mentioned; there was also
Naẕar-i-`alī _Turk_, one of Minūchihr Khān's relations; there were also
Sangar Khān _Janjūha_ and Malik Hast _Janjūha_.
(_pp. Return for Kābul._)
(_March 13th_) Having settled the country in every way making for hope
of peace, we marched for Kābul from Bhīra on Sunday the 11th of the
first Rabī`. We dismounted in Kaldah-kahār. That day too it rained
amazingly; people with rain-cloaks[1425] were in the same case as those
who had none! The rear of the camp kept coming in till the Bed-time
Prayer.
(_q. Action taken against Hātī Kakar._)
(_March 14th_) People acquainted with the honour and glory (_āb u tāb_)
of this land and government, especially the Janjūhas, old foes of these
Kakars, represented, "Hātī is the bad man round-about; he it is robs on
the roads; he it is brings men to ruin; he ought either to be driven out
from these parts, or to be severely punished." Agreeing with this, we
left Khwāja Mīr-i-mīrān and Nāṣir's Mīrīm next day with the camp,
parting from them at big breakfast,[1426] and moved on Hātī _Kakar_. As
has been said, he had killed Tātār a few days earlier, and having taken
possession of Parhāla, was in it now. Dismounting at the Other
[Sidenote: Fol. 230.] Prayer, we gave the horses corn; at the Bed-time
Prayer we rode on again, our guide being a Gujūr servant of Malik Hast,
named Sar-u-pā. We rode the night through and dismounted at dawn, when
Beg Muḥammad _Mughūl_ was sent back to the camp, and we remounted when
it was growing light. At breakfast-time (9 a.m.) we put our mail on and
moved forward faster. The blackness of Parhāla shewed itself from 2
miles off; the gallop was then allowed (_chāpqūn qūīūldī_); the right
went east of Parhāla, Qūj Beg, who was also of the right, following as
its reserve; the men of the left and centre went straight for the fort,
Dost Beg being their rear-reserve.
Parhāla stands amongst ravines. It has two roads; one, by which we came,
leads to it from the south-east, goes along the top of ravines and on
either hand has hollows worn out by the torrents. A mile from Parhāla
this road, in four or five places before it reaches the Gate, becomes a
one-man road with a ravine falling from its either side; there for more
than an arrow's flight men must ride in single file. The other road
comes from the north-west; it gets up to Parhāla by the trough of a
valley and it also is a one-man road. There is no other road on any
side. Parhāla though without breast-work or battlement, has no
assailable place, its sides shooting perpendicularly [Sidenote: Fol.
230b.] down for 7, 8, 10 yards.
When the van of our left, having passed the narrow place, went in a body
to the Gate, Hātī, with whom were 30 to 40 men in armour, their horses
in mail, and a mass of foot-soldiers, forced his assailants to retire.
Dost Beg led his reserve forward, made a strong attack, dismounted a
number of Hātī's men, and beat him. All the country-round, Hātī was
celebrated for his daring, but try as he did, he could effect nothing;
he took to flight; he could not make a stand in those narrow places; he
could not make the fort fast when he got back into it. His assailants
went in just behind him and ran on through the ravine and narrows of the
north-west side of the fort, but he rode light and made his flight good.
Here again, Dost Beg did very well and recompense was added to
renown.[1427]
Meantime I had gone into the fort and dismounted at Tātār _Kakar's_
dwelling. Several men had joined in the attack for whom to stay with me
had been arranged; amongst them were Amīn-i-muḥammad Tarkhān _Argkūn_
and Qarācha.[1428] For this fault they were sent to meet the camp,
without _sar-u-pā_, into the wilds and open country with Sar-u-pā[1429]
for their guide, the Gujūr mentioned already.
(_March 16th_) Next day we went out by the north-west ravine and
dismounted in a sown field. A few serviceable braves under Wālī the
treasurer were sent out to meet the camp.[1430]
(_March 17th_) Marching on Thursday the 15th, we dismounted at Andarāba
on the Sūhān, a fort said to have depended from [Sidenote: Fol. 231.] of
old on ancestors of Malik Hast. Hātī _Kakar_ had killed Malik Hast's
father and destroyed the fort; there it now lay in ruins.
At the Bed-time Prayer of this same day, those left at Kalda-kahār with
the camp rejoined us.
(_r. Submissions to Bābur._)
It must have been after Hātī overcame Tātār that he started his kinsman
Parbat to me with tribute and an accoutred horse. Parbat did not light
upon us but, meeting in with the camp we had left behind, came on in the
company of the train. With it came also Langar Khān up from Bhīra on
matters of business. His affairs were put right and he, together with
several local people, was allowed to leave.
(_March 18th_) Marching on and crossing the Sūhān-water, we dismounted
on the rising-ground. Here Hātī's kinsman (Parbat) was robed in an
honorary dress (_khil`at_), given letters of encouragement for Hātī, and
despatched with a servant of Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang_. Nīl-āb and the
Qārlūq (Himalayan?) Hazāra had been given to Humāyūn (_aet._ 12); some
of his servants under Bābā Dost and Halāhil came now for their
darogha-ship.[1431]
(_March 19th_) Marching early next morning, we dismounted after riding 2
miles, went to view the camp from a height and ordered that the
camp-camels should be counted; it came out at 570. [Sidenote: Fol.
231b.]
We had heard of the qualities of the saṃbhal plant[1432]; we saw it on
this ground; along this hill-skirt it grows sparsely, a plant here, a
plant there; it grows abundantly and to a large size further along the
skirt-hills of Hindūstān. It will be described when an account is given
of the animals and plants of Hindūstān.[1433]
(_March 20th_) Marching from that camp at beat of drum (_i.e._ one hour
before day), we dismounted at breakfast-time (9 a.m.) below the
Sangdakī-pass, at mid-day marched on, crossed the pass, crossed the
torrent, and dismounted on the rising-ground.
(_March 21st_) Marching thence at midnight, we made an excursion to the
ford[1434] we had crossed when on our way to Bhīra. A great raft of
grain had stuck in the mud of that same ford and, do what its owners
would, could not be made to move. The corn was seized and shared out to
those with us. Timely indeed was that corn!
Near noon we were a little below the meeting of the waters of Kābul and
Sind, rather above old Nīl-āb; we dismounted there between two
waters.[1435] From Nīl-āb six boats were brought, and were apportioned
to the right, left and centre, who busied themselves energetically in
crossing the river (Indus). We got there on a Monday; they kept on
crossing the water through the night preceding Tuesday (_March 22nd_),
through Tuesday and up to Wednesday (_March 23rd_) and on Thursday
(_24th_) also a few crossed.
Hātl's kinsman Parbat, he who from Andarāba was sent to [Sidenote: Fol.
232.] Hātī with a servant of Muḥ. `Alī _Jang-jang_, came to the bank of
the river with Hātī's offering of an accoutred horse. Nīlābīs also came,
brought an accoutred horse and did obeisance.
(_s. Various postings._)
Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang_ had wished to stay in Bhīra but Bhīra being
bestowed on Hindū Beg, he was given the countries between it and the
Sind-river, such as the Qārlūq Hazāra, Hātī, Ghiyāṣ-wāl and Kīb
(Kitib):—
Where one is who submits like a _ra`iyat_, so treat him;
But him who submits not, strike, strip, crush and force to obey.
He also received a special head-wear in black velvet, a special Qīlmāq
corselet, and a standard. When Hātī's kinsman was given leave to go he
took for Hātī a sword and head-to-foot (_bāsh-ayāq_) with a royal letter
of encouragement.
(_March 24th_) On Thursday at sunrise we marched from the river's bank.
That day confection was eaten. While under its influence[1436] wonderful
fields of flowers were enjoyed. In some places sheets of yellow flowers
bloomed in plots; in others sheets of red (_arghwānī_) flowers in plots,
in some red and yellow bloomed together. We sat on a mound near the camp
to enjoy the sight. There were flowers on all sides of the mound, yellow
[Sidenote: Fol. 232b.] here, red there, as if arranged regularly to form
a sextuple. On two sides there were fewer flowers but as far as the eye
reached, flowers were in bloom. In spring near Parashāwar the fields of
flowers are very beautiful indeed.
(_March 25th_) We marched from that ground at dawn. At one place on the
road a tiger came out and roared. On hearing it, the horses,
willy-nilly, flung off in terror, carrying their riders in all
directions, and dashing into ravines and hollows. The tiger went again
into the jungle. To bring it out, we ordered a buffalo brought and put
on the edge of the jungle. The tiger again came out roaring. Arrows were
shot at it from all sides[1437]; I shot with the rest. Khalwī (var.
Khalwā) a foot-soldier, pricked it with a spear; it bit the spear and
broke off the spearhead. After tasting of those arrows, it went into the
bushes (_būta_) and stayed there. Bābā the waiting-man [_yasāwal_] went
with drawn sword close up to it; it sprang; he chopped at its head; `Alī
_Sīstānī_[1438] chopped at its loins; it plunged into the river and was
killed right in the water. It was got out and ordered to be skinned.
(_March 26th_) Marching on next day, we reached Bīgrām and went to see
Gūr-khattrī. This is a smallish abode, after the fashion of a hermitage
(_ṣauma`at_), rather confined and dark. After entering at the door and
going down a few steps, one must lie full length to get beyond. There is
no getting in without a lamp. All round near the building there is let
lie an enormous quantity of hair of the head and beard which men have
shaved off there. There are a great many retreats (_ḥujra_) near
Gūr-khattrī [Sidenote: Fol. 233.] like those of a rest-house or a
college. In the year we came into Kābul (910 AH.) and over-ran Kohāt,
Bannū and the plain, we made an excursion to Bīgrām, saw its great tree
and were consumed with regret at not seeing Gūr-khattrī, but it does not
seem a place to regret not-seeing.[1439]
On this same day an excellent hawk of mine went astray out of Shaikhīm
the head-falconer's charge; it had taken many cranes and storks and had
moulted (_tūlāb_) two or three times. So many things did it take that it
made a fowler of a person so little keen as I!
At this place were bestowed 100 mis̤qāls of silver, clothing (_tūnlūq_),
three bullocks and one buffalo, out of the offerings of Hindūstān, on
each of six persons, the chiefs of the Dilazāk Afghāns under Malik Bū
Khān and Malik Mūsa; to others, in their degree, were given money,
pieces of cloth, a bullock and a buffalo.
(_March 27th_) When we dismounted at `Alī-masjid, a Dilazāk Afghān of
the Yaq`ūb-khail, named Ma`rūf, brought an offering of 10 sheep, two