The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
Sl. Ibrāhīm had appointed several amīrs under Muṣṯafa _Farmūlī_ and
Fīrūz Khān _Sārang-khānī_, to act against the rebel amīrs of the East
(_Pūrab_). Muṣṯafa had fought them and thoroughly drubbed them, giving
them more than one good beating. He dying before Ibrāhīm's defeat, his
younger brother Shaikh Bāyazīd—Ibrāhīm being occupied with a momentous
matter[1936]—had led and watched over his elder brother's men. He now
came to serve me, together with Fīrūz Khān, Maḥmūd Khān _Nuḥānī_ and
Qāẓī Jīā. I shewed them greater kindness and favour than was their
claim; giving to Fīrūz Khān 1 _krūr_, 46 _laks_ and 5000 _tankas_ from
Jūnpūr, to Shaikh Bāyazīd 1 _krūr_, 48 _laks_ and 50,000 _tankas_ from
Aūd (Oude), to Maḥmūd Khān 90 _laks_ and 35,000 _tankas_ from Ghāzīpūr,
and to Qāẓī Jīā 20 _laks_.[1937]
(_h. Gifts made to various officers._)
It was a few days after the `Īd of Shawwāl[1938] that a large party was
held in the pillared-porch of the domed building standing in the middle
of Sl. Ibrāhīm's private apartments. At this party there were bestowed
on Humāyūn a _chār-qab_,[1939] a sword-belt,[1940] a _tīpūchāq_ horse
with saddle mounted in gold; on Chīn-tīmūr Sulṯān, Mahdī Khwāja and
Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā _chār-qabs_, sword-belts and dagger-belts; and to the
begs and [Sidenote: Fol. 297.] braves, to each according to his rank,
were given sword-belts, dagger-belts, and dresses of honour, in all to
the number specified below:—
2 items (_rā's_) of _tīpūchāq_ horses with saddles.
16 items (_qabẓa_) of poinards, set with jewels, etc.
8 items (_qabẓa_) of purpet over-garments.
2 items (_tob_) of jewelled sword-belts.
—— items (_qabẓa_) of broad daggers (_jamd'kar_) set with jewels.
25 items of jewelled hangers (_khanjar_).
—— items of gold-hilted Hindī knives (_kārd_).
51 pieces of purpet.
On the day of this party it rained amazingly, rain falling thirteen
times. As outside places had been assigned to a good many people, they
were drowned out (_gharaq_).
(_i. Of various forts and postings._)
Samāna (in Patīāla) had been given to Muḥammadī Kūkūldāsh and it had
been arranged for him to make swift descent on Saṃbal (Saṃbhal), but
Saṃbal was now bestowed on Humāyūn, in addition to his guerdon of
Ḥiṣār-fīrūza, and in his service was Hindū Beg. To suit this, therefore,
Hindū Beg was sent to make the incursion in Muḥammadī's place, and with
him Kitta Beg, Bābā _Qashqa's_ (brother) Malik Qāsim and his elder and
younger brethren, Mullā Apāq and Shaikh Gūran (G'hūran) with the
quiver-wearers from Between-two-waters (_Mīān-dū-āb_). [Sidenote: Fol.
297b.] Three or four times a person had come from Qāsim _Saṃbalī_,
saying, "The renegade Bīban is besieging Saṃbal and has brought it to
extremity; come quickly." Bīban, with the array and the preparation
(_hayāt_) with which he had deserted us,[1941] had gone skirting the
hills and gathering up Afghān and Hindūstānī deserters, until, finding
Saṃbal at this juncture ill-garrisoned, he laid siege to it. Hindū Beg
and Kitta Beg and the rest of those appointed to make the incursion, got
to the Ahār-passage[1942] and from there sent ahead Bābā _Qashqa's_
Malik Qāsim with his elder and younger brethren, while they themselves
were getting over the water. Malik Qāsim crossed, advanced swiftly with
from 100 to 150 men—his own and his brethren's—and reached Saṃbal by the
Mid-day Prayer. Bīban for his part came out of his camp in array. Malik
Qāsim and his troop moved rapidly forward, got the fort in their rear,
and came to grips. Bīban could make no stand; he fled. Malik Qāsim cut
off the heads of part of his force, took many horses, a few elephants
and a mass of booty. Next day when the other begs arrived, Qāsim
_Saṃbalī_ came out and saw them, but not liking to surrender the fort,
made them false pretences. One day Shaikh Gūran (G'hūran) and Hindū Beg
having talked the matter over with them, got Qāsim _Saṃbalī_ out to the
presence of the begs, and took men of ours into the fort. They brought
Qāsim's wife and dependents safely out, and sent Qāsim (to Court).[1943]
Qalandar the foot-man was sent to Niẕām Khān in Bīāna with royal letters
of promise and threat; with these was sent [Sidenote: Fol. 298.] also
the following little off-hand (Persian) verse:—[1944]
Strive not with the Turk, o Mīr of Bīāna!
His skill and his courage are obvious.
If thou come not soon, nor give ear to counsel,—
What need to detail (_bayān_) what is obvious?
Bīāna being one of the famous forts of Hindūstān, the senseless
mannikin, relying on its strength, demanded what not even its strength
could enforce. Not giving him a good answer, we ordered siege apparatus
to be looked to.
Bābā Qulī Beg was sent with royal letters of promise and threat to
Muḥammad _Zaitūn_ (in Dūlpūr); Muḥammad _Zaitūn_ also made false
excuses.
While we were still in Kābul, Rānā Sangā had sent an envoy to testify to
his good wishes and to propose this plan: "If the honoured Pādshāh will
come to near Dihlī from that side, I from this will move on Āgra." But I
beat Ibrāhīm, I took Dihlī and Āgra, and up to now that Pagan has given
no sign soever of moving. After a while he went and laid siege to
Kandār[1945] a fort in which was Makan's son, Ḥasan by name. This
Ḥasan-of-Makan had sent a person to me several times, but had not shewn
himself. We had not been able to detach [Sidenote: Fol. 298b.]
reinforcement for him because, as the forts round-about—Atāwa (Etāwa),
Dūlpūr, and Bīāna—had not yet surrendered, and the Eastern Afghāns were
seated with their army in obstinate rebellion two or three marches on
the Āgra side of Qanūj, my mind was not quite free from the whirl and
strain of things close at hand. Makan's Ḥasan therefore, becoming
helpless, had surrendered Kandār two or three months ago.
Ḥusain Khān (_Nuḥānī_) became afraid in Rāprī, and he abandoning it, it
was given to Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang_.
To Quṯb Khān in Etāwa royal letters of promise and threat had been sent
several times, but as he neither came and saw me, nor abandoned Etāwa
and got away, it was given to Mahdī Khwāja and he was sent against it
with a strong reinforcement of begs and household troops under the
command of Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā, Sl. Muḥammad _Dūldāī_, Muḥammad `Alī
_Jang-jang_ and `Abdu'l-`azīz the Master of the Horse. Qanūj was given
to Sl. Muḥammad _Dūldāī_; he was also (as mentioned) appointed against
Etāwa; so too were Fīrūz Khān, Maḥmūd Khān, Shaikh Bāyazīd and Qāẓī Jīā,
highly favoured commanders to whom Eastern _parganas_ had been given.
[Sidenote: Fol. 299.] Muḥammad _Zaitūn_, who was seated in Dūlpūr,
deceived us and did not come. We gave Dūlpūr to Sl. Junaid _Barlās_ and
reinforced him by appointing `Ādil Sulṯān, Muḥammadī Kūkūldāsh, Shāh
Manṣūr _Barlās_, Qūtlūq-qadam, Treasurer Walī, Jān Beg, `Abdu'l-lāh,
Pīr-qulī, and Shāh Ḥasan _Yāragī_ (or _Bāragī_), who were to attack
Dūlpūr, take it, make it over to Sl. Junaid _Barlās_ and advance on
Bīāna.
(_j. Plan of operations adopted._)
These armies appointed, we summoned the Turk amīrs[1946] and the
Hindūstān amīrs, and tossed the following matters in amongst them:—The
various rebel amīrs of the East, that is to say, those under Nāṣir Khān
_Nuḥānī_ and Ma`rūf _Farmūlī_, have crossed Gang (Ganges) with 40 to
50,000 men, taken Qanūj, and now lie some three miles on our side of the
river. The Pagan Rānā Sangā has captured Kandār and is in a hostile and
mischievous attitude. The end of the Rains is near. It seems expedient
to move either against the rebels or the Pagan, since the task of the
forts near-by is easy; when the great foes are got rid of, what road
will remain open for the rest? Rānā Sangā is thought not to be the equal
of the rebels.
To this all replied unanimously, "Rānā Sangā is the most distant, and it
is not known that he will come nearer; the enemy who is closest at hand
must first be got rid of. We are for riding against the rebels." Humāyūn
then represented, [Sidenote: Fol. 299b.] "What need is there for the
Pādshāh to ride out? This service I will do." This came as a pleasure to
every-one; the Turk and Hind amīrs gladly accepted his views; he was
appointed for the East. A Kābulī of Aḥmad-i-qāsim's was sent galloping
off to tell the armies that had been despatched against Dūlpūr to join
Humāyūn at Chandwār;[1947] also those sent against Etāwa under Mahdī
Khwāja and Muḥammad Sl. M. were ordered to join him.
(_August 21st_) Humāyūn set out on Thursday the 13th of Ẕū'l-qa´da,
dismounted at a little village called Jilīsīr (Jalesar) some 3 _kurohs_
from Āgra, there stayed one night, then moved forward march by march.
(_k. Khwāja Kalān's departure._)
(_August 28th_) On Thursday the 20th of this same month, Khwāja Kalān
started for Kābul.
(_l. Of gardens and pleasaunces._)
One of the great defects of Hindūstān being its lack of
running-waters,[1948] it kept coming to my mind that waters should be
made to flow by means of wheels erected wherever I might settle down,
also that grounds should be laid out in an orderly and symmetrical way.
With this object in view, we crossed the Jūn-water to look at
garden-grounds a few days after entering Āgra. Those grounds were so bad
and unattractive that we traversed them with a hundred disgusts and
repulsions. So ugly and displeasing were they, that the idea of making a
[Sidenote: Fol. 300.] Chār-bāgh in them passed from my mind, but needs
must! as there was no other land near Āgra, that same ground was taken
in hand a few days later.
The beginning was made with the large well from which water comes for
the Hot-bath, and also with the piece of ground where the
tamarind-trees and the octagonal tank now are. After that came the large
tank with its enclosure; after that the tank and _tālār_[1949] in front
of the outer(?) residence[1950]; after that the private-house
(_khilwat-khāna_) with its garden and various dwellings; after that the
Hot-bath. Then in that charmless and disorderly Hind, plots of
garden[1951] were seen laid out with order and symmetry, with suitable
borders and parterres in every corner, and in every border rose and
narcissus in perfect arrangement.
(_m. Construction of a chambered-well._)
Three things oppressed us in Hindūstān, its heat, its violent winds, its
dust. Against all three the Bath is a protection, for in it, what is
known of dust and wind? and in the heats it is so chilly that one is
almost cold. The bath-room in which the heated tank is, is altogether of
stone, the whole, except for the _īzāra_ (dado?) of white stone, being,
pavement and roofing, of red Bīāna stone.
Khalīfa also and Shaikh Zain, Yūnas-i-`alī and whoever got [Sidenote:
Fol. 300b.] land on that other bank of the river laid out regular and
orderly gardens with tanks, made running-waters also by setting up
wheels like those in Dīpālpūr and Lāhor. The people of Hind who had
never seen grounds planned so symmetrically and thus laid out, called
the side of the Jūn where (our) residences were, Kābul.
In an empty space inside the fort, which was between Ibrāhīm's residence
and the ramparts, I ordered a large chambered-well (_wāīn_) to be made,
measuring 10 by 10,[1952] a large well with a flight of steps, which in
Hindūstān is called a _wāīn_.[1953] This well was begun before the
Chār-bāgh[1954]; they were busy digging it in the true Rains (_`aīn
bīshkāl_, Sāwan and Bhadon); it fell in several times and buried the
hired workmen; it was finished after the Holy Battle with Rānā Sangā, as
is stated in the inscription on the stone that bears the chronogram of
its completion. It is a complete _wāīn_, having a three-storeyed house
in it. The lowest storey consists of three rooms, each of which opens on
the descending steps, at intervals of three steps from one another. When