The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
equals. When Bāqī _shaghāwal_ went [to Balkh][2000] I promised him a
_ser_ of gold for the head of each of the ill-conditioned old couple;
one _ser_ of gold was now given to Mīr Hamah for Bābā Shaikh's head,
over and above the favours referred to above.[2001]
(_k. Action of part of the Bīāna reinforcement._)
Qismatī who had ridden light for Bīāna, brought back several heads he
had cut off; when he and Būjka had gone with a few braves to get news,
they had beaten two of the Pagan's scouting-parties and had made 70 to
80 prisoners. Qismatī brought news that Ḥasan Khān _Mīwātī_ really had
joined Rānā Sangā.
(_l. Trial-test of the large mortar of f. 302._)
(_Feb. 10th_) On Sunday the 8th of the month (Jumāda I.), I went to see
Ustād `Alī-qulī discharge stones from that large mortar of his in
casting which the stone-chamber was without defect and which he had
completed afterwards by casting the powder-compartment. It was
discharged at the Afternoon Prayer; the throw of the stone was 1600
paces. A gift was made to the Master of a sword-belt, robe of honour,
and _tīpūchāq_ (horse).
(_m. Bābur leaves Āgra against Rānā Sangā._)
(_Feb. 11th_) On Monday the 9th of the first Jumāda, we got out of the
suburbs of Āgra, on our journey (_safar_) for the Holy War, and
dismounted in the open country, where we remained three or four days to
collect our army and be its rallying-point.[2002] As little confidence
was placed in Hindūstānī people, the Hindūstān amīrs were inscribed for
expeditions to this or to that side:—`Ālam Khān (_Tahangarī_) was sent
hastily to Gūālīār to [Sidenote: Fol. 309b.] reinforce Raḥīm-dād; Makan,
Qāsim Beg _Sanbalī_ (_Saṃbhalī_), Ḥamīd with his elder and younger
brethren and Muḥammad _Zaitūn_ were inscribed to go swiftly to Sanbal.
(_n. Defeat of the advance-force._)
Into this same camp came the news that owing to Rānā Sangā's swift
advance with all his army,[2003] our scouts were able neither to get
into the fort (Bīāna) themselves nor to send news into it. The Bīāna
garrison made a rather incautious sally too far out; the enemy fell on
them in some force and put them to rout.[2004] There Sangur Khān
_Janjūha_ became a martyr. Kitta Beg had galloped into the pell-mell
without his cuirass; he got one pagan afoot (_yāyāglātīb_) and was
overcoming him, when the pagan snatched a sword from one of Kitta Beg's
own servants and slashed the Beg across the shoulder. Kitta Beg suffered
great pain; he could not come into the Holy-battle with Rānā Sangā, was
long in recovering and always remained blemished.
Whether because they were themselves afraid, or whether to frighten
others is not known but Qismatī, Shāh Manṣūr _Barlās_ and all from Bīāna
praised and lauded the fierceness and valour of the pagan army.
Qāsim Master-of-the-horse was sent from the starting-ground (_safar
qīlghān yūrt_) with his spadesmen, to dig many wells where the army was
next to dismount in the Madhākūr _pargana_.
(_Feb. 16th_) Marching out of Āgra on Saturday the 14th of the first
Jumāda, dismount was made where the wells had been [Sidenote: Fol. 310.]
dug. We marched on next day. It crossed my mind that the well-watered
ground for a large camp was at Sīkrī.[2005] It being possible that the
Pagan was encamped there and in possession of the water, we arrayed
precisely, in right, left and centre. As Qismatī and Darwīsh-i-muḥammad
_Sārbān_ in their comings and goings had seen and got to know all sides
of Bīāna, they were sent ahead to look for camping-ground on the bank of
the Sīkrī-lake (_kūl_). When we reached the (Madhākūr) camp, persons
were sent galloping off to tell Mahdī Khwāja and the Bīāna garrison to
join me without delay. Humāyūn's servant Beg Mīrak _Mughūl_ was sent out
with a few braves to get news of the Pagan. They started that night, and
next morning brought word that he was heard of as having arrived and
dismounted at a place one _kuroh_ (2 miles) on our side (_aīlkārāk_) of
Basāwar.[2006] On this same day Mahdī Khwāja and Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā
rejoined us with the troops that had ridden light to Bīāna.
(_o. Discomfiture of a reconnoitring party._)
The begs were appointed in turns for scouting-duty. When it was
`Abdu'l-`azīz's turn, he went out of Sīkrī, looking neither before nor
behind, right out along the road to Kanwā which is 5 _kuroh_ (10 m.)
away. The Rānā must have been marching forward; he heard of our men's
moving out in their reinless (_jalāū-sīz_) way, and made 4 or 5,000 of
his own fall suddenly on them. With `Abdu'l-`azīz and Mullā Apāq may
have been 1000 to 1500 men; they took no stock of their opponents but
just [Sidenote: Fol. 310b.] got to grips; they were hurried off at once,
many of them being made prisoner.
On news of this, we despatched Khalīfa's Muḥibb-i-`alī with Khalīfa's
retainers. Mullā Ḥusain and some others _aūbrūqsūbrūq_[2007]* were sent
to support them,[2008] and Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang_ also. Presumably it
was before the arrival of this first, Muḥibb-i-`alī's, reinforcement
that the Pagan had hurried off `Abdu'l-`azīz and his men, taken his
standard, martyred Mullā Ni`mat, Mullā Dāūd and the younger brother
of Mullā Apāq, with several more. Directly the reinforcement
arrived the pagans overcame T̤āhir-tibrī, the maternal uncle of
Khalīfa's Muḥibb-i-`alī, who had not got up with the hurrying
reinforcement[?].[2009] Meantime Muḥibb-i-`alī even had been thrown
down, but Bāltū getting in from the rear, brought him out. The enemy
pursued for over a _kuroh_ (2 m.), stopped however at the sight of the
black mass of Muḥ. `Alī _Jang-jang's_ troops.
Foot upon foot news came that the foe had come near and nearer. We put
on our armour and our horses' mail, took our arms and, ordering the
carts to be dragged after us, rode out at the gallop. We advanced one
_kuroh_. The foe must have turned aside.
(_p. Bābur fortifies his camp._)
For the sake of water, we dismounted with a large lake (_kūl_) on one
side of us. Our front was defended by carts chained together*, the space
between each two, across which the chains stretched, being 7 or 8 _qārī_
(_circa_ yards). Musṯafa _Rūmī_ had [Sidenote: Fol. 311.] had the carts
made in the Rūmī way, excellent carts, very strong and suitable.[2010]
As Ustād `Alī-qulī was jealous of him, Musṯafa was posted to the right,
in front of Humāyūn. Where the carts did not reach to, Khurāsānī and
Hindūstānī spadesmen and miners were made to dig a ditch.
Owing to the Pagan's rapid advance, to the fighting-work in Bīāna and to
the praise and laud of the pagans made by Shāh Manṣūr, Qismatī and the
rest from Bīāna, people in the army shewed sign of want of heart. On the
top of all this came the defeat of `Abdu'l-`azīz. In order to hearten
our men, and give a look of strength to the army, the camp was defended
and shut in where there were no carts, by stretching ropes of raw hide
on wooden tripods, set 7 or 8 _qārī_ apart. Time had drawn out to 20 or
25 days before these appliances and materials were fully ready.[2011]
(_q. A reinforcement from Kābul._)
Just at this time there arrived from Kābul Qāsim-i-ḥusain Sl. (_Aūzbeg
Shaibān_) who is the son of a daughter of Sl. Ḥusain M. (_Bāī-qarā_),
and with him Aḥmad-i-yūsuf (_Aūghlāqchī_), Qawwām-i-aūrdū Shāh and also
several single friends of mine, counting up in all to 500 men. Muḥammad
Sharīf, the astrologer of ill-augury, came with them too, so did Bābā
Dost the water-bearer (_sūchī_) who, having gone to Kābul for wine, had
there [Sidenote: Fol. 311b.] loaded three strings of camels with
acceptable Ghaznī wines.
At a time such as this, when, as has been mentioned, the army was
anxious and afraid by reason of past occurrences and vicissitudes, wild
words and opinions, this Muḥammad Sharīf, the ill-augurer, though he had
not a helpful word to say to me, kept insisting to all he met, "Mars is
in the west in these days;[2012] who comes into the fight from this
(east) side will be defeated." Timid people who questioned the
ill-augurer, became the more shattered in heart. We gave no ear to his
wild words, made no change in our operations, but got ready in earnest
for the fight.
(_Feb. 24th_) On Sunday the 22nd (of Jumāda 1.) Shaikh Jamāl was sent to
collect all available quiver-wearers from between the two waters (Ganges
and Jumna) and from Dihlī, so that with this force he might over-run and
plunder the Mīwāt villages, leaving nothing undone which could awaken
the enemy's anxiety for that side. Mullā Tark-i-`alī, then on his way
from Kābul, was ordered to join Shaikh Jamāl and to neglect nothing of
ruin and plunder in Mīwāt; orders to the same purport were given also to
Maghfūr the Dīwān. They went; they over-ran and raided a few villages in
lonely corners (_būjqāq_); they took some prisoners; but their passage
through did not arouse much anxiety!
(_r. Bābur renounces wine._)
On Monday the 23rd of the first Jumāda (Feb. 25th), when [Sidenote: Fol.
312.] I went out riding, I reflected, as I rode, that the wish to cease
from sin had been always in my mind, and that my forbidden acts had set
lasting stain upon my heart. Said I, "Oh! my soul!"
(_Persian_) "How long wilt thou draw savour from sin?
Repentance is not without savour, taste it!"[2013]
(_Turkī_) Through years how many has sin defiled thee?
How much of peace has transgression given thee?
How much hast thou been thy passions' slave?
How much of thy life flung away?
With the Ghāzī's resolve since now thou hast marched,
Thou hast looked thine own death in the face!
Who resolves to hold stubbornly fast to the death,
Thou knowest what change he attains,
That far he removes him from all things forbidden,
That from all his offences he cleanses himself.
With my own gain before me, I vowed to obey,
In this my transgression,[2014] the drinking
of wine.[2015]
The flagons and cups of silver and gold, the vessels
of feasting,
I had them all brought;
I had them all broken up[2016] then and there.
Thus eased I my heart by renouncement of wine.
The fragments of the gold and silver vessels were shared out to
deserving persons and to darwīshes. The first to agree in renouncing
wine was `Asas;[2017] he had already agreed also about leaving his beard
untrimmed.[2018] That night and next day some [Sidenote: Fol. 312b.] 300
begs and persons of the household, soldiers and not soldiers, renounced
wine. What wine we had with us was poured on the ground; what Bābā Dost
had brought was ordered salted to make vinegar. At the place where the
wine was poured upon the ground, a well was ordered to be dug, built up
with stone and having an almshouse beside it. It was already finished in
Muḥarram 935 (AH.-Sep. 1528 AD.) at the time I went to Sīkrī from Dūlpūr
on my way back from visiting Gūālīār.
(_s. Remission of a due._)
I had vowed already that, if I gained the victory over Sangā the pagan,
I would remit the _tamghā_[2019] to all Musalmāns. Of this vow
Darwīsh-i-muḥammad _Sārbān_ and Shaikh Zain reminded me at the time I
renounced wine. Said I, "You do well to remind me."
*_The tamghā_ was remitted to all Musalmāns of the dominions I
held.[2020] I sent for the clerks (_munshīlār_), and ordered them to
write for their news-letters (_akhbar_) the _farmān_ concerning the two
important acts that had been done. Shaikh Zain wrote the _farmān_ with
his own elegance (_inshāsī bīla_) and his fine letter (_inshā_) was sent
to all my dominions. It is as follows:—[2021]
FARMĀN ANNOUNCING BĀBUR'S RENUNCIATION OF WINE.[2022]