And this wise ruler (‘Umar Shaikh the Second) also took extreme precautions that no hostile army should be able to cross this territory which was the boundary of Mongolia. And though Yūnus* (Jonas) Khān tried, he could not get possession of it and not the slightest injury happened to its tranquillity. That fortunate and lofty-starred Prince was one who weighed his words and was eloquent; he had a great liking for poets and could recite poetry. He had a poetical temperament but was not solicitous of writing verses and spent most of his time in reading books, historical and poetical. The Shāhnāma was often recited before him and he was an excellent companion; of open brow and good disposition and fond of quoting good poetry. A lofty genius warmed his soul and the beauty of fortune was manifest on his brow. He had no equal among his contemporaries for administrative ability, care of his subjects and dispensing of justice. His courage and generosity were on an equal footing and his genius was companioned by his energy. He adorned the throne of sovereignty.*
For example, once a caravan from China (Khiā) had come to the hill-country east of Andijān. There was a heavy snow-storm and the caravan was overwhelmed so that only two persons escaped. When this just man heard of the catastrophe, in spite of his necessities at the time, he did not touch any of the goods but appointed trustworthy persons and attached the property until the heirs were collected from their native country to receive the goods, the rights of each being ascertained.*
This king was always of a dervish mind and inclined to the society of religious persons and asked for wisdom at the doors of the hearts of the God-knowing. Especially the holy Nāṣiru-d-dīn* Khwāja ‘Abīdu-l-lāh, known by the name of Khwāja Aḥrār.
In succession to his father, he ruled in Andijān, the capital of Farghāna and also Tāshkand, Shāhrukhīya and Sīrām were in his possession. He several times led an army against Samarqand and he several times brought to his help Yūnus Khān who possessed the dominions of Caghatāī Khān and was Khān of the Mughals and was nearly related to him. Whenever he brought him, he assigned some province to him and then as occasion served, Yūnus Khān would go back to Mughalistān. On the last occasion ‘Umar Mīrzā gave him Tāshkand and up to 908 (1502-3) this and Shāhrukhīya were in the possession of the Caghatāī rulers. At this last date the Khānship of the Mughal tribes belonged to Maḥmūd Khān, eldest son of Yūnus Khān. This Maḥmūd Khān and Sulān Aḥmad Mīrzā brother of ‘Umar Shaikh ruler of Samarqand, having concluded an alliance, marched their forces against the Mīrzā (‘Umar Shaikh). Sulān Aḥmad Mīrzā proceeded from the south of the Khajand river and Sulān Maḥmūd Khān from the north of it. Just at this crisis an extraordinary thing happened to the Mīrzā. The brief account of it is as follows.
Akhsīkat which is known as Akhsī, is one of the seven towns of Farghāna. Mīrzā ‘Umar Shaikh had made it his capital. The town was on a precipitous ravine and all the buildings were on its edge.* As fate would have it, on Monday 4th Ramaẓān, 899 (9th June, 1494), he was sitting near his pigeon house which was one of these buildings, watching the motions of his birds, when an attendant reported that the precipice was breaking away. The Mīrzā at once got up and had put one foot into its slipper but had not had time to put in the other, when the whole precipice gave way and the terrace fell down. The Mīrzā's outward form fell to the bottom but in reality, he ascended to the zenith. He was then 39 years old, having been born in 860, at Samarqand. (This last fact has been mentioned already.)
Be it known that Farghāna belongs to the fifth climate and is on the borders of the civilized world. East of it is Kāshghar and west, Samarqand; south, the mountains on the borders of Badakhshān. To the north, although formerly there were cities such as Almālīgh, Almātū, Yāngī, known as Utrār, but at present no traces or ruins even of them remain. In the west where are Samarqand and Khajand, there are no mountains. Except in this direction, there is no entry for foreigners. The river Sīhūn, known as the Āb-i-khajand, coming from the north-east flows west. It then runs on the north of Khajand and south of Finākat which is known as Shāhrukhīya. Then inclining to the north, it flows towards Turkistān and meeting no other river in its course, it disappears beyond Turkistān in the sands. In this country there are seven towns, (qaṣba) five to the south of the Sīhūn and two to the north. The southern towns are Andijān, Ūsh, Marghīnān,* Asfara (var. Isfaraj) and Khajand. The northern are Akhsī and Kāsān.
This unique pearl of sovereignty had three sons and five daughters, the eldest son being his Majesty Firdūs-makānī Ẓahīru-d-dīn Muḥammad Bābar Pādshāh. Jahāngīr Mīrzā was the next and younger by two years and was the son of Fāima Sulān who belonged to the Tōmān officers (i.e., chiefs of 10,000 men) of the Mughals. The third was Nāṣir Mīrzā younger than Jahāngīr by two years. His chaste mother was from Andijān and was a concubine named Ummed. The eldest daughter was Khānzāda Bēgum, full sister of his Majesty Gītī-sitānī Firdūs-makānī and older than he by five years. When Shāh Isma‘īl Ṣafawī defeated the Uzbēgs (Shaibānī) at Merv, that chaste one was in Merv and Shāh Isma‘īl sent her with all respect to his Majesty Gītī-sitānī Firdūs-makānī at Qunduz.*
After a lapse of ten years, an interview took place between them, and his Majesty Gītī-sitānī Firdūs-makānī says, “When they came I and Maḥmūdī Kōkultāsh (foster-brother) went to meet them but the Bēgum and her attendants did not recognize us, although we made ourselves known. After a while they recognized us.”*
The next daughter was Mihr Bānū Bēgum, full sister of Nāṣir Mīrzā and eight years younger than Firdūs-makānī. The next was Yādgār Sulān Bēgum. Her mother was a concubine named Āghā Sulān. The next was Raẓīya Sulān Bēgum. Her mother was Makhdūma Sulān Bēgum known as the Qarā-gūz (Black-eyed) Bēgum. Then two daughters were born after ‘Umar Shaikh's death. There was also a daughter born of Anūsh Āghā, daughter of Khwāja Ḥusain who died young.*