(2b of the Persian text.)

There had been an order* issued, ‘Write down whatever you know of the doings of Firdaus-makānī and Jannat-āshyānī .’*

At the time when his Majesty Firdaus-makānī passed from this perishable world to the everlasting home, I, this lowly one, was eight* years old, so it may well be that I do not remember much. However, in obedience to the royal command, I set down whatever there is that I have heard and remember.

First of all, by way of invoking a blessing (on my work), and in pious commemoration, a chapter (juzū) is written about my royal father's deeds, although these are told in his memoirs.*

From his Majesty Ṣāḥib-qirānī* down to my royal father there was not one of the bygone princes who laboured as he did. He became king in his twelfth* year, and the khuba* was read in his name on June 10th, 1494,* in Andijān, the capital of Farghāna. (3a)

For eleven full years his wars and struggles against the Chaghatāi and Tīmūrid and Uzbeg princes* in Māwarā'u­n-nahr (Transoxiana) were such that the tongue of the pen is too feeble and weak to recount them.

The toils and perils which in the ruling of kingdoms befell our prince, have been measured out to few, and of few have been recorded the manliness, courage and en­durance which he showed in battle-fields and dangers. Twice he took Samarqand by force of the sword. The first time my royal father was twelve years old, the second nineteen, the third time he was nearly twenty-two.* For six months he was besieged* (in Samarqand), and neither Sulān Ḥusain Mīrzā Bāyqrā, his paternal uncle,* who

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AMĪR TĪMŪR (ṢĀḤIB-QIRĀN).
[To face p. 84.

(ruled) in Khurāsān, nor Sulān Maḥmūd Khān, his maternal uncle,* who ruled in Kāshghar, sent him help. When none came from any quarter, he grew desperate.*

At this difficult time, Shāhī Beg Khān* sent to say: ‘If you would marry your sister Khānzāda Begam* to me, (3b) there might be peace and a lasting alliance between us.’ At length it had to be done; he gave the begam to the khān, and came out himself (from Samarqand).* With 200 followers on foot, wearing long frocks on their shoulders and peasants' brogues on their feet, and carrying clubs in their hands,—in this plight, unarmed, and relying on God, he went towards the lands of Badakhshān (Badakhshānāt) and Kābul.*

Khusrau Shāh's* people and army were in Kunduz and the Badakhshānāt. He came and paid his respects to his Majesty,* my father, who, being as he was manly and kind and generous, did not in any way touch the question of retaliation, although Khusrau Shāh had committed such crimes as the martyrdom of Bayasanghar Mīrzā and the blinding of Sulān Mas'ūd Mīrzā, both of whom were sons of my royal father's paternal uncle. In addition to this, when in the early days of the forays,* his Majesty chanced to cross his country, he was watched and rudely driven out. Now he was pleased to command that Khusrau Shāh should take whatever his heart desired of his (own) jewels and golden vessels, and so he got leave to go to Khurāsān in kindness and safety, and took with him five or six strings of camels and five or six of baggage mules.* (4a)

His Majesty now set out for Kābul, which was occupied by Muḥammad Muqīm, a son of Ẕū'l-nūn Arghūn, and grandfather of Nāhīd Begam.* He had captured it after Ulugh Beg Mīrzā's* death from Mīrzā 'Abdu-r-razzāq, son of his Majesty's paternal uncle (Ulugh Beg).

His Majesty reached Kābul in safety. Muḥammad Muqīm kept command for a few days, and then by pact and agreement made over charge to the royal servants, and went off with goods and chattels to his father in Qandahār. This was in the last ten days of Rabī II., 910H.* Being now master of Kābul, his Majesty went to Bangash, took it at a blow, and returned to Kābul.

Her Highness, the khānam,* his Majesty's mother, had fever for six days, and then departed from this fleeting world to the eternal home. They laid her in the New Year's Garden. His Majesty paid 1,000 coined misqāl to his kinsmen, the owners of the garden, and laid her there.

At this time urgent letters arrived from Sulān Ḥusain Mīrzā, saying: (4b) ‘I am planning a war against the Uzbegs. It would be excellent if you came too.’ My royal father sought counsel of God. At length he set out to join the mīrzā. On the way news came that the mīrzā was dead. His Majesty's amīrs represented that, this being so, it was advisable to return to Kābul, but he replied: ‘As we have come so far, we will carry our condolences to the princes.’ In the end he went on towards Khurāsān.*

When the princes* heard of the royal visit, they one and all set out to give him honourable meeting, except Badī'u-z-zamān Mīrzā, who did not go because Barandūq Beg and Ẕū'l-nūn Beg—amīrs of Sulān Ḥusain Mīrzā—said, in effect, that as his Majesty was fifteen years younger than Badī'u-z-zamān Mīrzā, it was right that he should be the first to bow, and that they should then embrace one another. Qāsim Beg* rejoined: ‘Younger he is by years, but by the tūra,* he has precedence because he has more than once taken Samarqand by force of the sword.’ (5a) At length they agreed that his Majesty should bow on coming in, and that Badī'u-z-zamān should then advance to show him honour, and they should embrace. The mīrzā was not attending when his Majesty came in at the door; Qāsim Beg clutched my royal father's girdle and pulled it, and said to Barandūq Beg and Ẕū'l-nūn Beg: ‘The agreement was that the mīrzā should come forward and that then they should embrace one another.’ The prince then advanced in great agitation and they embraced.

As long as his Majesty was in Khurāsān, each one of the princes showed him hospitality, and feasts were arranged, and excursions to all the gardens and places of interest. They set forth to him the inconvenience of winter, and said: ‘Wait till it is over, and we will fight the Uzbegs.’ But they could not in any way settle about the war. Eighty years* long had Sulān Ḥusain Mīrzā kept Khurāsān safe and sound, but the mīrzās could not fill their father's place for six months. When his Majesty saw that they were careless* about his expenses and revenue, he went to Kābul on the pretext of seeing the places he had assigned to himself. (5b) Much snow had fallen that year. They took the wrong road. His Majesty and Qāsim Beg chose one* because of its shortness, but the amīrs had given other advice, and when this was not taken, they all left him without a thought for him. He and Qāsim Beg and his sons made a road in two or three days by removing the snow, and the people of the army followed. So they reached Ghūrband. Some Hazāra rebels having met his Majesty here, there was fighting; and cattle and sheep and goods without number belonging to the Hazāra fell into the hands of his people. Then they started for Kābul with their enormous booty.