On hearing the sound of my kettle-drum, and seeing my
approach, their resolution failed, and they took to flight.
God prospered us. Having put the enemy to flight, I
advanced in the direction of Kandahār, and took up my
quarters at the Chār-bāgh of Farrukhzād, of which not a
vestige now remains. Shah Beg and Mukīm not being able
to regain the fort of Kandahār in their flight, the former
went off for Shāl and Mastāng,*
and the latter for Zamīn-dāwer,
without leaving anybody in the castle able to hold it
out. The brothers of Ahmed Ali Terkhān, Kuli Beg Arghūn,*
and a number of others, with whose attachment and regard
Kandahār
surrenders.
to me I was well acquainted, were in the fort. A verbal
communication taking place, they asked the life of their
brothers, and out of favourable consideration towards them,
I granted their request. They opened the Mashūr-gate of
the fort. From a dread of the excesses which might be
committed by our troops, the others were not opened. Shīrīm
Beg and Yārek Beg were appointed to guard the gate that
was thrown open. I myself entered with a few of my personal
attendants, and ordered one or two marauders whom
I met to be put to death by the atkū and tikeh.*
I first
went to Mukīm’s treasury; it was in the walled town.
Abdal Razāk Mirza had reached it before me and alighted.
I gave Abdal Razāk Mirza a present from the valuables in
the treasury, placed Dost Nāsir Beg and Kūl Bāyezīd
Bekāwul in charge of it, and appointed Muhammed Bakhshi
as paymaster.*
Proceeding thence, I went to the citadel,
where I placed Khwājeh Muhammed Ali and Shah Mahmūd
in charge of Shah Beg’s treasury. I appointed Taghāi Shah
to be paymaster.*
I sent Mīram Nāsir and Maksūd Sūchi to
the house of Mīr Jān, who was Zūlnūn Beg’s Dīwān (or
chief minister of revenue); Nāsir Mirza had the squeezing
of him. Sheikh Abūsaīd Terkhān was given to Mirza Khan
to be laid under contribution. . . .*
was given to Abdal
Razāk Mirza to try what he could extort from him. Such
a quantity of silver was never seen before in these countries;
indeed no one was known ever to have seen so much money.
That night we stayed in the citadel. Sambal, a slave of
Shah Beg’s, was taken and brought in. Although at that
time he was only in the private confidence of Shah Beg, and
did not hold any conspicuous rank, I gave him in custody to
one of my people, who not guarding him properly, Sambal
effected his escape. Next morning I went to the Garden
Kandahār
given to
Nāsir
Mirza.
of Farrukhzād, where the army lay. I gave the kingdom of
Kandahār to Nāsir Mirza. After the treasure was secured,
when they had loaded it on the beasts of burden, and were
carrying it from the treasury that was within the citadel,
Nāsir Mirza took away a string of (seven) mules*
laden with
silver; I did not ask them back again, but made him
a present of them.
Marching thence, we halted in the auleng (or meadow) of Kūsh-khāneh.* I sent forward the army, while I myself took a circuit,* and arrived rather late at the camp. It was no longer the same camp, and I did not know it again. There were Tipchāk horses, strings of long-haired male and female camels, and mules laden with silk-cloth and fine linen; long-haired female camels bearing portmanteaus, tents, and awnings of velvet and purpet; in every house, chests, containing hundreds of mans* of the property and effects of the two brothers, were carefully arranged and packed as in a treasury. In every storehouse were trunks upon trunks, and bales upon bales of cloth, and other effects, heaped on each other; cloak-bags on cloak-bags, and pots upon pots, filled with silver money. In every man’s dwelling and tent there was a superfluity of spoil. There were likewise many sheep; but they were little valued. To Kāsim Beg I gave up the garrison that was in Kalāt, who were servants of Mukīm, and commanded by Kūch Arghūn and Tāj-ed-dīn Mahmūd, together with all their property and effects. Kāsim Beg, who was a man of judgement and foresight, strongly urged me not to prolong my stay in the territory of Kandahār, and it was his urgency that made me commence my march back. Kandahār, as has been said, I bestowed on Nāsir Mirza; and, on his taking leave of me, I set out for Kābul. While we stayed in the Kandahār territory, we had not time to divide the treasure. On reaching Karabāgh, we found leisure to make the division. It being difficult to count the money, we used scales to weigh and divide it. The Begs, officers, servants, and household carried off on their animals whole kharwārs* and bags of silver money, with which they loaded them as with forage*; and we reached Kābul with much wealth and plunder, and great reputation.
BāburOn my arrival at this period, I married Maasūmeh Sultan Begum, the daughter of Sultan Ahmed Mirza, whom I had invited from Khorasān.
SheibāniSix or seven days afterwards, I learned by Nāsir Mirza’s servants, that Sheibāni Khan had arrived, and was blockading Kandahār. It has already been mentioned, that Mukīm had fled towards Zamīn-dāwer. he went thence, and waited on Sheibāni Khan. Shah Beg had also sent persons one after another, to invite him to their assistance; and Sheibāni Khan had in consequence advanced from Heri by the hill-country, in hopes of taking me by surprise in Kandahār, and had posted on the whole way by foreed marches for that purpose. It was a foresight of the possibility of this very occurrence, that had induced Kāsim Beg, who was a man of judgement, to urge with so much earnestness my departure from Kandahār:
| (Persian)— | What the young man sees in a mirror, |
| The sage can discern in a baked brick. |
On his arrival he besieged Nāsir Mirza in Kandahār.
Bābur is When this intelligence reached me, I sent for my Begs,
and held a council. It was observed, that foreign bands
and old enemies, as were the Uzbeks and Sheibāni Khan,
had occupied the countries so long under the dominion of
the family of Taimūr Beg; that of the Tūrks and Chaghatāi,
who were still left on various sides, and in different quarters,*
some from attachment, and others from dread, had joined
the Uzbeks; that I was left alone in Kābul; that the enemy
was very powerful, and I very weak; that I had neither the
means of making peace, nor ability to maintain the war with
them; that, in these difficult circumstances, it was necessary
for us to think of some place in which we might be secure,
Hesitates
which way
to march.
and, as matters stood, the more remote from so powerful an
enemy the better; that it was advisable to make an attempt
either on the side of Badakhshān, or of Hindustān, one of
which two places must be pitched upon as the object of our
expedition. Kāsim Beg and Shīrīm Beg, with their adherents,
were for our proceeding against Badakhshān. At that time,
the chief persons who still held up their heads in Badakhshān
in any force were Mubārek Shah, Zobeir, Jehāngīr Turkomān,
and Muhammed Korchi, who had driven Nāsir Mirza
out of that country, had never been reduced to submission
by the Uzbeks, and were likewise in some force.*
I and a
number of my chief Amirs and firmest adherents, on the
other hand, having preferred the plan of attacking Hindustān,
I set out in that direction, and advanced by way of Lamghān.
After the conquest of Kandahār, I had bestowed Kalāt, and
the country of Tarnek,*
on Abdal Razāk Mirza, who had
accordingly been left in Kalāt. When the Uzbeks came and
besieged Kandahār, Abdal Razāk Mirza,*
not finding himself
in a situation to maintain Kalāt, abandoned it, and rejoined
me. He arrived just when I was setting out from Kābul,
and I left him in that place.*