The second time that I came, Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza was not so respectful as he had been the first time. I there­fore sent for Muhammed Berendūk Beg, and Zūlnūn Beg, and told them to let the Mirza know, that, though but young, yet I was of high extraction—that I had twice by force gained my paternal kingdom, Samarkand, and seated myself on its throne—and that when a prince had done what I had, in the service of our family, by opposing the foreign invader from whom all these wars and troubles arose, to show me any want of respect was certainly not quite commendable. After this message was delivered to him, as he was sensible of his error, he altered his conduct, and showed me every mark of regard and estimation, with great good will.

Entertain-
ments of
the Mirzas.

On another occasion, when I went to Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza’s after noon-tide prayers, there was a drinking party. At that time I drank no wine. The entertainment was wonderfully elegant. On their trays there was every sort of delicacy. There were kabābs of fowl, and of goose, and indeed dishes of every kind. Badiā-ez-zemān’s enter­tainments were highly celebrated; and certainly this party was free, easy, and unconstrained. During the time I remained on the banks of the Murghāb, I twice or thrice was present at the Mirza’s drinking parties; when it was known that I drank no wine, they did not trouble me by pressing. I likewise once went to an entertainment of Muzaffer Mirza’s. Hassan Ali Jalāir, and Mīr Bader, who were in his service, were of the party. When the wine began to take effect, Mīr Bader began to dance, and he danced excessively well. The dance was one of his own invention.

The Mirzas had wasted three or four months in marching from Heri, in uniting their troops, and assembling their strength, before they reached the Murghāb. Sultan Kulenjāk, meanwhile, being reduced to great distress, surrendered the fort of Balkh to the Uzbeks, who, having Balkh sur-
renders.
heard of the coalition against them, after taking Balkh, returned towards Samarkand. The Mirzas, although very Character
of the
Mirzas.
accomplished at the social board, or in the arrangements for a party of pleasure, and although they had a pleasing talent for conversation and society, yet possessed no knowledge whatever of the conduct of a campaign, or of warlike operations, and were perfect strangers to the arrangements for a battle, and the dangers and spirit of a soldier’s life. While we remained on the Murghāb, news came that Hak Nazīr Chāpa, with four or five hundred men, had advanced, and was plundering the territory of Chichiktū.* All the Mirzas met, but with all their exertions they could not contrive to detach a light party to cut up the plunderers. The road between Murghāb and Chichiktū is ten farsangs. I asked permission to manage the matter; but being afraid of their own reputation, they would not suffer me to move. When Sheibāni Khan retreated, the year was at the close. It was therefore agreed that the Mirzas should each winter in some suitable place, and, before the beginning of the warm season, assemble again They urge
Bābur to
winter in
Khorasān.
in order to meet the enemy. They strongly urged me also to winter in the territory of Khorasān. But as Kābul and Ghazni were places much exposed to external violence and internal confusion, and as bodies of Turks, Moghuls, Aimāks, Wandering Tribes,* Afghans, Hazāras, Īls, and Ulūses, were scattered over their territory in different directions; and as the nearest road between Khorasān and Kābul, which is that by the hills, is a month’s journey, even if it should not happen to be rendered impassable by snow, or any other obstacle, while the low road is forty or fifty days’ march; and as, besides all this, my newly-acquired dominions were still far from being in a settled state, it did not seem very prudent or advisable for me to winter so far off, for the purpose of serving or obliging anybody. I therefore excused myself to the Mirzas. On this they renewed their solicitations still more earnestly than before. At last, Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza and Abul Muhsin Mirza, with Muzaffer Mirza, came on horseback to my quarters, and urgently besought me to stay out the winter with them. I could not say No, in the face of the Mirzas, and consented to remain. One reason that in­fluenced me was, that so many kings had come to urge my stay; a second, that, in the whole habitable world, there was not such another city as Heri; and during the reign of Sultan Hussain Mirza, its beauty and elegance had been increased tenfold, nay, twentyfold, by his patronage and munificence; so that I had a very strong desire to visit it. I was therefore prevailed upon to stay. Abul Muhsin Mirza went to his government of Merv. Ibn Hussain Mirza also set out for Tūn and Kāen; while Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza and Muzaffer Mirza returned to Heri. Two or three days after, I set out for the same city Bābur
visits
Herāt.
Visits his
aunts.
by way of Chihil-dukhterān and Tāsh-Rabāt.* The whole of the Begums, Payandeh Sultan Begum, my father’s sister, Khadījeh Begum, Apāk Begum, and the other daughters of Sultan Abūsaīd Mirza, my paternal aunts, were at this time met in the college of Sultan Hussain Mirza. When I went to see them, they were all in the Mirza’s mausoleum. I first saluted Payandeh Sultan Begum,* and embraced her; I next saluted and embraced Apāk Begum; I then went and saluted Khadījeh Begum, and embraced her. I sat some time, while the readers were reading the Koran,* and then rose and went to the Southern College, where Khadījeh Begum dwelt. They spread a repast for me. After the repast, I went to Payandeh Sultan Begum’s house, where I spent the night. They at first pitched upon the New Garden for my residence, and accordingly I next morning went and took up my quarters in it, and stayed there one night; after which, as I did not like the place, they gave me Ali Sher Beg’s house, where I stayed till I left Heri. Every two or three days I went to the Bāgh-e-jehān-ārā,* in order to perform the kornish* to Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza

A few days after, I had an invitation from Muzaffer Mirza, who lived in the White Garden. Khadījeh Begum, after the dinner was removed, carried Muzaffer Mirza and myself to a palace which Bābur Mirza had built, called Tarebkhāna.* Parties of
pleasure.
In the Tarebkhāna there was a drinking party. The Tarebkhāna stands in the midst of a garden. It is a small building of two stories, but a very delightful little edifice. They have bestowed most pains on the upper story. In the four corners of it are four apartments; and between them, and enclosed by them, is one great hall. Within the four apartments are four shahneshīns, or royal balconies.* Every part of this hall is covered with paintings. Though Bābur Mirza* built this palace, the paintings were executed by orders of Sultan Abūsaīd Mirza, and represent his battles and wars. In the north end of the northern balcony, two carpets* were placed facing each other. On one of them Muzaffer Mirza and I sat, on the other sat Sultan Masaūd Mirza and Jehāngīr Mirza. As we were guests at Muzaffer Mirza’s house, Muzaffer Mirza placed me above himself, and having filled up a glass of welcome, the cupbearers in waiting began to supply all who were of the party with pure wine, which they quaffed as if it had been the water of life. The party waxed warm, and the Bābur’s
wish to
drink wine.
spirit mounted up to their heads. They took a fancy to make me drink too, and bring me into the same circle with themselves. Although, till that time, I had never been guilty of drinking wine,* and from never having fallen into the practice, was ignorant of the sensations it pro­duced, yet I had a strong lurking inclination to wander in this desert,** and my heart was much disposed to pass the stream. In my boyhood I had no wish for it, and did not know its pleasures or pains. When my father at any time asked me to drink wine, I excused myself, and abstained. After my father’s death, by the guardian care of Khwājeh Kazi, I remained pure and undefiled. I ab­stained even from forbidden foods; how then was I likely to indulge in wine? Afterwards when, from the force of youthful imagination and constitutional impulse, I got a desire for wine, I had nobody about my person to invite me to gratify my wishes; nay, there was not one who even suspected my secret longing for it. Though I had the appetite, therefore, it was difficult for me, unsolicited as I was, to indulge such unlawful desires.* It now came into my head, that as they urged me so much, and as, besides, I had come into a refined city like Heri, in which every means of heightening pleasure and gaiety was possessed in perfection; in which all the incentives and apparatus of enjoyment were combined with an invitation to indulgence, if I did not seize the present moment, I never could expect such another. I therefore resolved to drink wine. But it struck me, that as Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza was the eldest brother, and as I had declined re­ceiving it from his hand, and in his house, he might now take offence.* I therefore mentioned this difficulty which had occurred to me. My excuse was approved of, and I was not pressed any more, at this party, to drink. It was settled, however, that the next time we met at Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza’s, I should drink when pressed by the two Mirzas. At this party, among the musicians, was Hāfiz Hāji; Jalāl-ed-dīn Mahmūd, the flute-player, was also there, and the younger brother of Ghulām Shādi, Shādi Bacheh, who played on the harp.* Hāfiz Hāji sung well. The people of Heri sing in a low, delicate, and equable style.* There was a singer of Jehāngīr Mirza’s present, by name Mīr Jān, a native of Samarkand, who always sang in a loud, harsh voice, and out of tune. Jehāngīr Mirza, who was far gone, proposed that he should sing. He sang accordingly, but in a dreadfully loud, rough, disagreeable tone. The people of Khorasān value them­selves on their politeness; many, however, turned away their ears, others knit their brows,* but, out of respect to the Mirza, nobody ventured to stop him. After the time of evening prayers, we went from the Tarebkhāna to the new Winter-palace, which Muzaffer Mirza had built. By the time we reached it, Yūsef Ali Gokultāsh, being extremely drunk, rose and danced. He was a musical man, and danced well. After reaching this palace, the party got very merry and friendly. Muzaffer Mirza gave me a sword and belt, a corslet,* and a whitish Tipchāk horse. In this palace Jānak sang a Tūrki song. Muzaffer Mirza had two slaves, called Kittermāh and Kūchekmāh. During the party, and while the company was hot with wine, they performed some indecent, scurvy tricks. The party was kept up late, and did not separate till an untimely hour. I remained that night in the palace where I was.

Badīa-ez-
zemān’s en-
tertain-
ment.