The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
Bikramājīt's children and family were in Āgra at the time of Ibrāhīm's
defeat. When Humāyūn reached Āgra, they must have been planning to flee,
but his postings of men (to watch the roads) prevented this and guard
was kept over them. Humāyūn himself did not let them go (_bārghālī
qūīmās_). They made him a voluntary offering of a mass of jewels and
valuables amongst which was the famous diamond which `Alāu'u'd-dīn must
have brought.[1694] Its reputation is that every appraiser has estimated
its value at two and a half days' food for the whole world. Apparently
it weighs 8 _mis̤qāls_.[1695] Humāyūn offered it to me when I arrived at
Āgra; I just gave it him back.
(_aa. Ibrāhīm's mother and entourage._)
Amongst men of mark who were in the fort, there were Malik Dād _Karānī_,
Millī _Sūrdūk_ and Fīrūz Khān _Mīwātī_. They, being convicted of false
dealing, were ordered out for capital punishment. Several persons
interceded for Malik Dād _Karānī_ and four or five days passed in
comings and goings before the matter was arranged. We then shewed to
them (all?) kindness and favour in agreement with the petition made for
them, and we restored them all their goods.[1696] A _pargana_ worth 7
_laks_[1697] was bestowed on Ibrāhīm's mother; _parganas_ were given
also to these begs of his.[1698] She was sent out of the fort with her
old servants and given encamping-ground (_yūrt_) two miles below
[Sidenote: Fol. 269.] Āgra.
(_May 10th_) I entered Āgra at the Afternoon Prayer of Thursday (Rajab
28th) and dismounted at the mansion (_manzil_) of Sl. Ibrāhīm.
EXPEDITIONS OF TRAMONTANE MUḤAMMADANS INTO HIND.
(_a. Bābur's five attempts on Hindūstān._)
From the date 910 at which the country of Kābul was conquered, down to
now (932 AH.) (my) desire for Hindūstān had been constant, but owing
sometimes to the feeble counsels of begs, sometimes to the
non-accompaniment of elder and younger brethren,[1699] a move on
Hindūstān had not been practicable and its territories had remained
unsubdued. At length no such obstacles were left; no beg, great or small
(_beg begāt_) of lower birth,[1700] could speak an opposing word. In 925
AH. (1519 AD.) we led an army out and, after taking Bajaur by storm in
2-3 _garī_ (44-66 minutes), and making a general massacre of its people,
went on into Bhīra. Bhīra we neither over-ran nor plundered; we imposed
a ransom on its people, taking from them in money and goods to the value
of 4 _laks_ of _shāhrukhīs_ and having shared this out to the army and
auxiliaries, returned to Kābul. From then till now we laboriously held
tight[1701] to Hindūstān, five times leading an army into it.[1702] The
fifth time, God the Most High, by his own mercy and favour, made such a
foe as Sl. Ibrāhīm the vanquished and loser, such a realm as Hindūstān
our conquest and possession.
(_b. Three invaders from Tramontana._)
From the time of the revered Prophet down till now[1703] three men from
that side[1704] have conquered and ruled Hindūstān. Sl. Maḥmūd
_Ghāzī_[1705] was the first, who and whose descendants sat long on the
seat of government in Hindūstān. Sl. Shihābu'd-dīn [Sidenote: Fol.
269b.] of Ghūr was the second,[1706] whose slaves and dependants royally
shepherded[1707] this realm for many years. I am the third.
But my task was not like the task of those other rulers. For why?
Because Sl. Maḥmūd, when he conquered Hindūstān, had the throne of
Khurāsān subject to his rule, vassal and obedient to him were the
sulṯāns of Khwārizm and the Marches (_Dāru'l-marz_), and under his hand
was the ruler of Samarkand. Though his army may not have numbered 2
_laks_, what question is there that it[1708] was one. Then again, rājas
were his opponents; all Hindūstān was not under one supreme head
(_pādshāh_), but each rāja ruled independently in his own country. Sl.
Shihābu'd-dīn again,—though he himself had no rule in Khurāsān, his
elder brother Ghiyās̱u'd-dīn had it. The _T̤abaqāt-i-nāṣirī_[1709]
brings it forward that he once led into Hindūstān an army of 120,000
men and horse in mail.[1710] His opponents also were rāīs and rājas; one
man did not hold all Hindūstān.
That time we came to Bhīra, we had at most some 1500 to 2000 men. We had
made no previous move on Hindūstān with an army equal to that which came
the fifth time, when we beat Sl. Ibrāhīm and conquered the realm of
Hindūstān, the total written down for which, taking one retainer with
another, and [Sidenote: Fol. 270.] with traders and servants, was
12,000. Dependent on me were the countries of Badakhshān, Qūndūz, Kābul
and Qandahār, but no reckonable profit came from them, rather it was
necessary to reinforce them fully because several lie close to an enemy.
Then again, all Māwarā'u'n-nahr was in the power of the Aūzbeg khāns and
sulṯāns, an ancient foe whose armies counted up to 100,000. Moreover
Hindūstān, from Bhīra to Bihār, was in the power of the Afghāns and in
it Sl. Ibrāhīm was supreme. In proportion to his territory his army
ought to have been 5 _laks_, but at that time the Eastern amīrs were in
hostility to him. His army was estimated at 100,000 and people said his
elephants and those of his amīrs were 1000.
Under such conditions, in this strength, and having in my rear 100,000
old enemies such as are the Aūzbegs, we put trust in God and faced the
ruler of such a dense army and of domains so wide. As our trust was in
Him, the most high God did not make our labour and hardships vain, but
defeated that powerful foe and conquered that broad realm. Not as due to
strength and effort of our own do we look upon this good fortune, but as
had solely through God's pleasure and kindness. We know that this
happiness was not the fruit of our own ambition and resolve, but that it
was purely from His mercy and favour.
DESCRIPTION OF HINDŪSTĀN.
(_a. Hindūstān._)
The country of Hindūstān is extensive, full of men, and full [Sidenote:
Fol. 270b.] of produce. On the east, south, and even on the west, it
ends at its great enclosing ocean (_muḥiṯ daryā-sī-gha_). On the north
it has mountains which connect with those of Hindū-kush, Kāfiristān and
Kashmīr. North-west of it lie Kābul, Ghaznī and Qandahār. Dihlī is held
(_aīrīmīsh_) to be the capital of the whole of Hindūstān. From the death
of Shihābu'd-dīn _Ghūrī_ (d. 602 AH.-1206 AD.) to the latter part of the
reign of Sl. Fīrūz Shāh (_Tūghlūq Turk_ d. 790 AH.-1388 AD.), the
greater part of Hindūstān must have been under the rule of the sulṯāns
of Dihlī.
(_b. Rulers contemporary with Bābur's conquest._)
At the date of my conquest of Hindūstān it was governed by five Musalmān
rulers (_pādshāh_)[1711] and two Pagans (_kāfir_). These were the
respected and independent rulers, but there were also, in the hills and
jungles, many rāīs and rājas, held in little esteem (_kīchīk karīm_).
First, there were the Afghāns who had possession of Dihlī, the capital,
and held the country from Bhīra to Bihār. Jūnpūr, before their time, had
been in possession of Sl. Ḥusain _Sharqī_ (Eastern)[1712] whose dynasty
Hindūstānīs call Pūrabī (Eastern). His ancestors will have been
cup-bearers in the presence of Sl. Fīrūz Shāh and those (Tūghlūq)
sulṯāns; they became supreme in Jūnpūr after his death.[1713] At that
time Dihlī was in the hands of Sl. `Alāu'u'd-dīn (`Ālam Khān) of the
Sayyid dynasty to whose ancestor Tīmūr Beg had given it when, after
having captured it, he went away.[1714] Sl. Buhlūl _Lūdī_ and his son
(Sikandar) got possession of the capital Jūnpūr and the capital Dihlī,
and brought both under one government (881 AH.-1476 AD.).
Secondly, there was Sl. Muḥammad Muz̤affer in Gujrāt; he departed from
the world a few days before the defeat of Sl. Ibrāhīm. He was skilled in
the Law, a ruler (_pādshāh_) seeking [Sidenote: Fol. 271.] after
knowledge, and a constant copyist of the Holy Book. His dynasty people
call Tānk.[1715] His ancestors also will have been wine-servers to Sl.
Fīrūz Shāh and those (Tūghlūq) sulṯāns; they became possessed of Gujrāt
after his death.
Thirdly, there were the Bāhmanīs of the Dakkan (Deccan, _i.e._ South),
but at the present time no independent authority is left them; their
great begs have laid hands on the whole country, and must be asked for
whatever is needed.[1716]
Fourthly, there was Sl. Maḥmūd in the country of Malwā, which people
call also Mandāū.[1717] His dynasty they call Khilīj (_Turk_). Rānā
Sangā had defeated Sl. Maḥmūd and taken possession of most of his
country. This dynasty also has become feeble. Sl. Maḥmūd's ancestors
also must have been cherished by Sl. Fīrūz Shāh; they became possessed
of the Malwā country after his death.[1718]
Fifthly, there was Naṣrat Shāh[1719] in the country of Bengal. His
father (Ḥusain Shāh), a sayyid styled `Alāu'u'd-dīn, had ruled in Bengal
and Naṣrat Shāh attained to rule by inheritance. A surprising custom in
Bengal is that hereditary succession is rare. The royal office is
permanent and there are permanent offices of amīrs, wazīrs and
manṣab-dārs (officials). It is the office that Bengalis regard with
respect. Attached to each office is a body of obedient, subordinate
retainers and servants. If the royal heart demand that a person should
be dismissed [Sidenote: Fol. 271b.] and another be appointed to sit in
his place, the whole body of subordinates attached to that office become
the (new) office-holder's. There is indeed this peculiarity of the royal
office itself that any person who kills the ruler (_pādshāh_) and seats
himself on the throne, becomes ruler himself; amīrs, wazīrs, soldiers
and peasants submit to him at once, obey him, and recognize him for the
rightful ruler his predecessor in office had been.[1720] Bengalis say,
"We are faithful to the throne; we loyally obey whoever occupies it."
As for instance, before the reign of Naṣrat Shāh's father `Alāu'u'd-dīn,
an Abyssinian (_Ḥabshī_, named Muz̤affar Shāh) had killed his sovereign
(Maḥmūd Shāh _Ilyās_), mounted the throne and ruled for some time.
`Alāu'u'd-dīn killed that Abyssinian, seated himself on the throne and
became ruler. When he died, his son (Naṣrat) became ruler by
inheritance. Another Bengali custom is to regard it as a disgraceful
fault in a new ruler if he expend and consume the treasure of his
predecessors. On coming to rule he must gather treasure of his own. To
amass treasure Bengalis regard as a glorious distinction. Another custom
in Bengal is that from ancient times _parganas_ have been assigned to
meet the charges of the treasury, stables, and all royal expenditure and
to defray these charges no impost is laid on other lands.
These five, mentioned above, were the great Musalmān rulers, honoured in
Hindūstān, many-legioned, and broad-landed. Of the Pagans the greater
both in territory and army, is the Rāja of Bījānagar.[1721] [Sidenote:
Fol. 272.]
The second is Rānā Sangā who in these latter days had grown great by his
own valour and sword. His original country was Chitūr; in the downfall
from power of the Mandāū sulṯāns, he became possessed of many of their
dependencies such as Rantanbūr, Sārangpūr, Bhīlsān and Chandīrī.
Chandīrī I stormed in 934 AH. (1528 A.D.)[1722] and, by God's pleasure,
took it in a few hours; in it was Rānā Sangā's great and trusted man
Midnī Rāo; we made general massacre of the Pagans in it and, as will be
narrated, converted what for many years had been a mansion of hostility,
into a mansion of Islām.
There are very many rāīs and rājas on all sides and quarters of
Hindūstān, some obedient to Islām, some, because of their remoteness or
because their places are fastnesses, not subject to Musalmān rule.
(_c. Of Hindūstān._)
Hindūstān is of the first climate, the second climate, and the third
climate; of the fourth climate it has none. It is a wonderful country.