The following instance of his justice is worthy of being recorded in history: —
When he was Prince of Furghana, the owner of a valuable caravan * of Khutta, who was crossing the mountains of Indijan, was killed by lightning. Babur ordered all the goods to be collected, and sent messengers to Khutta to proclaim the accident, and bring the owner's heirs to his court. Upon their arrival, at the end of two years, he entertained them hospitably, and returned them the whole of their property, not only refusing to accept a present, but even to be reimbursed for the expences incurred in securing it.
Notwithstanding his warlike pursuits, Babur was much addicted to wine and women, and the usual pleasures of courts. On occasions when he was inclined to make merry, he used to fill a reservoir in a garden, in the neighbourhood of Kabul, with wine, upon which was inscribed a verse to this purpose: —
“Give me but wine, and blooming maids,
“All other joys I freely spurn:
“Enjoy them, Babur, while you may —
“For youth once past will ne'er return.”
Whenever he marched, he always caused the road to be measured after him, a custom which prevails among the emperors of Hindoostan to this day; and the statute he made, concerning the measurement of distances, has hitherto remained in force. He fixed one hundred tunabs for one kroh, each tunab being forty guz, each guz being nine moosht or hands. * The guz Sikundry, or yard of Sikundur, which prevailed when he reached India, was superseded by that of the Babury guz, which continued in use till the beginning of the reign of Jehangeer Padshah. Since the empire of India is now governed by the descendants of this illustrious Prince, it seems proper to refer to the genealogy of his race. Be it known then that Chungiz Khan, the son of Byooka Bahadur, the son of Purtan, had four sons, who all became kings, and the fathers of nations, in the time of Chungiz. These princes adopted the institutes of Chungiz, which in the Toorky language are denominated Toozuk. The names of Chungiz's sons were Oktay, Choghtay, Joojy, and Tooly. Though Oktay was not the eldest son, yet he was appointed his successor, and ruled over the extensive empire of Northern Asia, in the city of Kurra Koorum, or Kuloran, the original capital of his father's dominions. Oktay died, from excess of wine, in the year 639.
Choghtay Khan, who, according to my own
belief, was the second son of Chungiz Khan, possessed
the kingdoms of Mavur-ool-Nehr, Toorkis-
Joojy Khan, one of the younger sons of Chun-
Tooly Khan, the youngest, was the favourite son of Chungiz Khan. He contrived to maintain friendly relations with his elder brothers, and was eventually slain in battle during the invasion made into the kingdom of Khutta, in the year 628. One of his sons, Keela Khan, who became ruler of Khutta, laid the foundation of the city of Khan Baligh, and brought a large canal from the sea of Olives * (Duria Zeitoon), whose ports belong to India, into Khan Baligh, a distance of 40 days' journey. The other son of Tooly Khan is Hulakoo Khan, who made himself master of Persia. Having related thus much of the descendants of Chungiz Khan, I shall proceed to state the pedigree of Teimoor Korkan, as descended from Kurrachar Nooyan.
Ameer Teimoor, the son of Ameer Tooraghay, the son of Birkul, the son of Ameer Alingiz Bahadur, the son of Anchul Nooyan, the son of Kurrachar Nooyan, the son of Somchuk, the son of Eroee Birlass, the son of Kajooly Bahadur, the son of Toomnay Khan, the son of Baisanghar Khan, the son of Keetoo Khan, the son of Kasin, the son of Bookay, the son of Boozunjur, the son of Alankoo, a descendant from a daughter of Beiram Joorjeea, who is descended from a daughter of Yeldooz Khan, of the tribe of Birlas. The pedigree of Chungiz Khan is also deducible from Boozunjur. Ameer Teimoor had four sons:
1st, Jehangeer Mirza, who died during his father's lifetime, in Samarkand.
2d, Sharokh Mirza, ruler of Hirat.
3d, Oomr Sheikh Mirza, ruler of Indijan.
4th, Meeran Shah Mirza, ruler of Persia, and successor to the kingdom of Hoolakoo Khan.
Accordingly those four princes, having obtained the government of four kingdoms, reigned for many years therein. Of these, the descendants of the fourth empire obtained by Meeran Shah still exercise sovereign sway, and the heir of that house sends governors to the following countries: viz. Hindoostan, Kabul, Ghizny, Kandahar, Ghoor, and Bamyan.