The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
fowls which, except that they are mostly of one colour, are exactly like
house-fowls.
As no reliable news was had of Ghāzī Khān, we arranged for Tardīka to go
with Bīrīm Deo _Malinhās_ and capture him wherever he might be found.
In the hills of this dale stand thoroughly strong forts; one on the
north-east, named Kūtila, has sides 70 to 80 yards (_qārī_) of straight
fall, the side where the great gate is being perhaps 7 or 8 yards.[1642]
The width of the place where the draw-bridge is made, may be 10 to 12
yards. Across this they have made a bridge of two tall trees[1643] by
which horses and herds are taken over. This was one of the local forts
Ghāzī Khān had strengthened; his man will have been in it now. Our
raiders (_chāpqūnchī_) assaulted it and had almost taken it when night
came on. The garrison abandoned this difficult place and went off. Near
this dale is also the stronghold of Ginguta; it is girt round by
precipices as Kūtila is, but is not so strong as Kūtila. As has been
mentioned `Ālam Khān went into it.[1644] [Sidenote: Fol. 261.]
(_n. Bābur advances against Ibrāhīm._)
After despatching the light troop against Ghāzī Khān, I put my foot in
the stirrup of resolution, set my hand on the rein of trust in God, and
moved forward against Sulṯān Ibrāhīm, son of Sulṯān Sikandar, son of
Buhlūl _Lūdī Afghān_, in possession of whose throne at that time were
the Dihlī capital and the dominions of Hindūstān, whose standing-army
was called a _lak_ (100,000), whose elephants and whose begs' elephants
were about 1,000.
At the end of our first stage, I bestowed Dībālpūr on Bāqī
_shaghāwal_[1645] and sent him to help Balkh[1646]; sent also gifts,
taken in the success of Milwat, for (my) younger children and various
train in Kābul.
When we had made one or two marches down the (Jaswān) _dūn_, Shāh `Imād
_Shīrāzī_ arrived from Araish Khān and Mullā Muḥammad _Maẕhab_,[1647]
bringing letters that conveyed their good wishes for the complete
success of our campaign and indicated their effort and endeavour towards
this. In response, we sent, by a foot-man, royal letters expressing our
favour. We then marched on.
(_o. `Ālam Khān takes refuge with Bābur._)
The light troop we had sent out from Milwat (Malot), took Hurūr, Kahlūr
and all the hill-forts of the neighbourhood—places to which because of
their strength, no-one seemed to have gone for a long time—and came back
to me after plundering a little. Came also `Ālam Khān, on foot, ruined,
stripped bare. We sent some of the begs to give him honourable meeting,
sent horses too, and he waited (_malāẓamat qīldī_) in that [Sidenote:
Fol. 261b.] neighbourhood.[1648]
Raiders of ours went into the hills and valleys round-about, but after a
few nights' absence, came back without anything to count. Shāh Mīr
Ḥusain, Jān Beg and a few of the braves asked leave and went off for a
raid.
(_p. Incidents of the march for Pānī-pat._)
While we were in the (Jaswān) _dūn_, dutiful letters had come more than
once from Ismā`īl _Jilwānī_ and Biban; we replied to them from this
place by royal letters such as their hearts desired. After we got out of
the dale to Rūpar, it rained very much and became so cold that a mass of
starved and naked Hindūstānīs died.
When we had left Rūpar and were dismounted at Karal,[1649] opposite
Sihrind, a Hindūstānī coming said, "I am Sl. Ibrāhīm's envoy," and
though he had no letter or credentials, asked for an envoy from us. We
responded at once by sending one or two Sawādī night-guards
(_tunqiṯār_).[1650] These humble persons Ibrāhīm put in prison; they
made their escape and came back to us on the very day we beat him.
After having halted one night on the way, we dismounted on the bank of
the torrent[1651] of Banūr and Sanūr. Great rivers apart, one running
water there is in Hindūstān, is this[1652]; they call it the water of
Kakar (Ghaggar). Chitr also is on its bank. We rode up it for an
excursion. The rising-place (_zih_) of the water of this torrent (_rūd_)
is 3 or 4 _kurohs_ (6-8 m.) above Chitr. Going up the (Kakar) torrent,
we came to where a 4 or 5 millstream issues from a broad (side-)valley
(_dara_), up which there [Sidenote: Fol. 262.] are very pleasant places,
healthy and convenient. I ordered a Chār-bāgh to be made at the mouth of
the broad valley of this (tributary) water, which falls into the
(Kakar-) torrent after flowing for one or two _kurohs_ through level
ground. From its infall to the springs of the Kakar the distance may be
3 to 4 _kurohs_ (6-8 m.). When it comes down in flood during the rains
and joins the Kakar, they go together to Sāmāna and Sanām.[1653]
In this camp we heard that Sl. Ibrāhīm had been on our side of
Dihlī and had moved on from that station, also that Ḥamīd Khān
_khāṣa-khail_,[1654] the military-collector (_shiqdār_) of Ḥiṣār-fīrūza,
had left that place with its army and with the army of its
neighbourhood, and had advanced 10 or 15 _kurohs_ (20-30 m.). Kitta Beg
was sent for news to Ibrāhīm's camp, and Mumin Ātaka to the Ḥiṣār-fīrūza
camp.
(_q. Humāyūn moves against Ḥamīd Khān._)
(_Feb. 25th_) Marching from Aṃbāla, we dismounted by the side of a lake.
There Mumin Ātāka and Kitta Beg rejoined us, both on the same day,
Sunday the 13th of the first Jumāda.
We appointed Humāyūn to act against Ḥamīd Khān, and joined the whole of
the right (wing) to him, that is to say, Khwāja Kalān, Sl. Muḥammad
_Dūldāī_, Treasurer Walī, and also some of the begs whose posts were in
Hindūstān, namely, Khusrau, Hindū Beg,`Abdu'l-'azīz and Muḥammad `Alī
_Jang-jang_, with also, from the household and braves of the centre,
Shāh Manṣūr _Barlās_, Kitta Beg and Muḥibb-i `alī. [Sidenote: Fol.
262b.]
Biban waited on me in this camp. These Afghāns remain very rustic and
tactless! This person asked to sit although Dilāwar Khān, his superior
in following and in rank, did not sit, and although the sons of `Ālam
Khān, who are of royal birth, did not sit. Little ear was lent to his
unreason!
(_Feb. 26th_) At dawn on Monday the 14th Humāyūn moved out against Ḥamīd
Khān. After advancing for some distance, he sent between 100 and 150
braves scouting ahead, who went close up to the enemy and at once got to
grips. But when after a few encounters, the dark mass of Humāyūn's
troops shewed in the rear, the enemy ran right away. Humāyūn's men
unhorsed from 100 to 200, struck the heads off one half and brought the
other half in, together with 7 or 8 elephants.
(_March 2nd_) On Friday the 18th of the month, Beg Mīrak _Mughūl_
brought news of Humāyūn's victory to the camp. He (Humāyūn?) was there
and then given a special head-to-foot and a special horse from the royal
stable, besides promise of guerdon (_juldū_).
(_March 5th_) On Monday the 25th of the month, Humāyūn arrived to wait
on me, bringing with him as many as 100 prisoners and 7 or 8 elephants.
Ustād `Alī-qulī and the [Sidenote: Fol. 263.] matchlockmen were ordered
to shoot all the prisoners, by way of example. This had been Humāyūn's
first affair, his first experience of battle; it was an excellent omen!
Our men who had gone in pursuit of the fugitives, took Ḥiṣār-fīrūza at
once on arrival, plundered it, and returned to us. It was given in
guerdon to Humāyūn, with all its dependencies and appurtenances, with it
also a _kror_ of money.
We marched from that camp to Shāhābād. After we had despatched a
news-gatherer (_tīl-tūtār kīshī_) to Sl. Ibrāhīm's camp, we stayed a few
days on that ground. Raḥmat the foot-man was sent with the letters of
victory to Kābul.
(_r. News of Ibrāhīm._)
(_March 13th_) On Monday the 28th of the first Jumāda,[1655] we being in
that same camp, the Sun entered the Sign of the Ram. News had come
again and again from Ibrāhīm's camp, "He is coming, marching two miles"
or "four miles", "stopping in each camp two days," or "three days". We
for our part advanced from Shāhābād and after halting on two nights,
reached the bank of the Jūn-river (Jumna) and encamped opposite Sarsāwa.
From that ground Khwāja Kalān's servant Ḥaidar-qulī was sent to get news
(_tīl tūtā_).
Having crossed the Jūn-river at a ford, I visited Sarsāwa. That day also
we ate _ma`jūn_. Sarsāwa[1656] has a source (_chashma_) from which a
smallish stream issues, not a bad place! Tardī Beg _khāksār_ praising
it, I said, "Let it be thine!" so just [Sidenote: Fol. 263b.] because he
praised it, Sarsāwa was given to him!
I had a platform fixed in a boat and used to go for excursions on the
river, sometimes too made the marches down it. Two marches along its
bank had been made when, of those sent to gather news, Ḥaidar-qulī
brought word that Ibrāhīm had sent Daud Khān (_Lūdī_) and Ḥātīm Khān
(_Lūdī_) across the river into the Mīān-dū-āb (Tween-waters) with 5 or
6000 men, and that these lay encamped some 6 or 7 miles from his own.
(_s. A successful encounter._)
(_April 1st_) On Sunday the 18th of the second Jumāda, we sent, to ride
light against this force, Chīn-tīmūr Sulṯān,[1657] Mahdī Khwāja,
Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā, `Ādil Sulṯān, and the whole of the left, namely, Sl.
Junaid, Shāh Mīr Ḥusain, Qūtlūq-qadam, and with them also sent
`Abdu'l-lāh and Kitta Beg (of the centre). They crossed from our side of
the water at the Mid-day Prayer, and between the Afternoon and the
Evening Prayers bestirred themselves from the other bank. Biban having
crossed the water on pretext of this movement, ran away.
(_April 2nd_) At day-break they came upon the enemy;[1658] he made as if
coming out in a sort of array, but our men closed with his at once,
overcame them, hustled them off, pursued and unhorsed them till they
were opposite Ibrāhīm's own camp. Ḥātim Khān was one of those unhorsed,
who was Daud Khān (_Lūdī_)'s elder brother and one of his commanders.
Our men brought him in when they waited on me. They brought also
[Sidenote: Fol. 264.] 60-70 prisoners and 6 or 7 elephants. Most of the
prisoners, by way of warning, were made to reach their death-doom.
(_t. Preparations for battle._)
While we were marching on in array of right, left and centre, the army
was numbered;[1659] it did not count up to what had been estimated.
At our next camp it was ordered that every man in the army should
collect carts, each one according to his circumstances. Seven hundred
carts (_arāba_) were brought[1660] in. The order given to Ustād
`Alī-qulī was that these carts should be joined together in
Ottoman[1661] fashion, but using ropes of raw hide instead of chains,
and that between every two carts 5 or 6 mantelets should be fixed,
behind which the matchlockmen were to stand to fire. To allow of
collecting all appliances, we delayed 5 or 6 days in that camp. When
everything was ready, all the begs with such braves as had had
experience in military affairs were summoned to a General Council where
opinion found decision at this:—Pānī-pat[1662] is there with its crowded
houses and suburbs. It would be on one side of us; our other sides must
be protected by carts and mantelets behind which our foot and
matchlockmen would stand. With so much settled we marched forward,
halted one night on the way, and reached Pānī-pat on Thursday the last
day (29th) of the second Jumāda (April 12th).
(_u. The opposed forces._)
On our right was the town of Pānī-pat with its suburbs; in front of us
were the carts and mantelets we had prepared; on our left and elsewhere
were ditch and branch. At distances of [Sidenote: Fol. 264b.] an arrow's
flight[1663] sally-places were left for from 100 to 200 horsemen.
Some in the army were very anxious and full of fear. Nothing recommends
anxiety and fear. For why? Because what God has fixed in eternity cannot
be changed. But though this is so, it was no reproach to be afraid and
anxious. For why? Because those thus anxious and afraid were there with