At that time Muḥammad Muqīm, son of Ẕū-n-nūn Arghūn had taken Kābul from ‘Abdu-razzāq Mīrzā, son of Ulugh Beg Mīrzā, son of Sulān Abū Sa‘īd Mīrzā, who was his Majesty's cousin. On hearing the noise of the coming of the victorious standards, he fortified himself, but after some days he sought for peace and obtained permission to go to his brother Shāh Bēg in Qandahār with his property. Kābul fell into the hands of his Majesty's servants in the end of Rabī‘u-l-awwal 910 (beginning of October 1504). After that his Majesty proceeded in 911 to capture Qandahār, and Qilāt (Khelat) which is a dependency of Qandahār was conquered. After that, for reasons of state policy, he abandoned the taking of Qandahār and went south and having attacked the Afghān tribes of Sawāsang and Alātāgh,* returned to Kābul.

In the beginning* of this year there was a great earthquake in Kābul and its environs. The ramparts of the fort and many buildings in the citadel and city fell down. All the houses in the village of Pemghan* fell down and there were three-and-thirty shocks in one day and for a month the earth shook two or three times day and night. Many persons lost their lives, and between Pemghān and Baktub a piece of ground a stone's throw* in breadth separated itself and descended the length of a bowshot and springs burst out from the breach. From Istirghac* to Maidān,* a distance of six farsangs, (cir. 24 m.) the ground was so contorted that part of it rose as high as an elephant. In the beginning of the earthquake, clouds of dust rose from the tops of the mountains. In the same year there was a great carthquake in India.*

One of the occurrences of this time was that Shaibak (Shaibānī) Khān collected an army and proceeded towards Khurāsān. Sulān Ḥusain Mīrzā assembled all his sons and marched to oppose him. He also sent Sayyid Afẓal, the son of Mīr Sulān ‘Alī Khwāb-bīn (vision-seer) to urge on the advance of his Majesty Firdūs-makānī. Accordingly he proceeded towards Khurāsān in Muḥarram 912 (end of May 1506). On the way he received at Kāhmard* the news of Sulān Ḥusain's death. His Majesty Firdūs-makānī, thinking it still more necessary* to advance, went on towards Khurāsān contrary to the calculations of politicians. Before his army reached Khurāsān, short-sighted* and inexperienced men had placed jointly on the throne the Mīrzā's sons, Badī‘u-z-zamān and Muaffar Ḥusain Mīrzās.

On Monday, 8th Jumāda-l-ākhar his Majesty met the Mīrzās at the Murghāb and at their request came on to Herāt. But as he did not perceive in them signs of guidance and dominion, he set out on his return to Kābul on 8th Sha‘bān (24th Dec., 1506). While in the Hazāra Hills, news arrived that Muḥammad Ḥusain Mīrzā Daghlāt* and Sulān Sanjar Barlās had drawn over to their side all the Mughals left in Kābul and had raised up Khān Mīrzā* and were besieging Kābul. They also spread among the commonalty a report that the sons of Sulān Ḥusain Mīrzā were meditating* treachery against his Majesty Firdūs-makānī. Mullā Bābāī* Bashāgharī, Amīr* Muḥibb ‘Alī Khalīfa, Amīr Muḥammad Qāsim Kōhbar* Aḥmad Yūsuf and Aḥmad Qāsim to whom the protection of Kābul had been entrusted, were looking after the defence of the fort. As* soon as he heard this news, he made over the baggage to Jahāngīr Mīrzā who was somewhat ill,* and accompanied by a few men crossed the passes of the Hindū Kōh which were full of snow, under great difficulty, and descended one morning early upon Kābul. The rebels all crept into concealment at the news of his Majesty's approach. He first went to his step-grandmother (mother's step-mother) Shāh* Bēgum, who had been the cause of the putting forward of Khān Mīrzā, and addressed her after kneeling down before her. Knowing well what her state of mind was, he spoke to her with modesty and magnanimity, and with soothing words observed to her, “If a mother have special affection for one child, why should another child be aggrieved?, there is no limit to her authority.” Then he said, “I have been up long and have come a long way,” and laying his head on her lap, he went to sleep. Thus in order to reassure the Bēgum who was very uneasy, he behaved in a very kind manner* to her. Ere he had fully fallen asleep, his aunt, Mihr* Nigār Khānum, came in and his Majesty hastily arose and saluted her (īshān-rā daryāftand). They arrested Muḥammad Ḥusain Mīrzā and brought him in. His Majesty being a mine of kindness, gave him his life and gave him permission to go to Khurāsān. After that the Khānum (Mihr Nigār) brought in Khān Mīrzā and said, “O life of your mother! I have brought your guilty cousin (birādar), what is your pleasure?” His Majesty took him in his arms and spoke kindly to him. After that he left it to his option to go or stay. The Khān Mīrzā was so ashamed that he could not make up his mind to remain. He took leave and went to Qandahār.* This happened in the same year.

Next year he (Bābar) proceeded to Qandahār* and fought a great battle with Shāh Bēg, son of Ẕū-n-nūn Arghūn and Muḥammad Muqīm his younger brother. The Khān did good service here. His Majesty presented Qandahār to Nāṣir Mīrzā, the younger brother* of Jahāngīr Mīrzā and returned to Kābul. He permitted Shāh Bēgum and Khān Mīrzā to proceed to Badakhshān. After many adventures Khān Mīrzā put Zabīr Raghī* to death and became confirmed in the dominion of Badakhshān. He always retained his loyalty (to Bābar).

In 916 (early in December 1510) an express* brought the news that Shaibānī Khān was killed and that it was proper for Bābar to move in that direction. Accordingly in Shawwāl, he proceeded* there and fought great battles with the Uzbēgs. He was ever victorious and took Samarqand for the third time, in 917 (Oct. 1511). He ruled there for eight months but in Ṣafar 918 (April 1512) he had a great battle at Kūl Malik with ‘Ubaidu-l-lāh Khān. Though he had won the victory, suddenly by the jugglery of the heavens, he sustained a defeat and proceeded to Ḥiṣār.

On another occasion,* he along with Najm Bēg, had a great battle below Fort Ghajdiwān with the Uzbēgs. Najm Bēg was killed and his Majesty went towards Kābul.* Moreover by secret inspiration, he was led to lay aside marching to Transoxiana and to press forward to the conquest of Hindustān. Four times did he turn towards this enterprise and as often did he, from stress of circumstances, retrace his steps. The first* time was in Sha‘bān 910 (Jan. 1505) when he went by Bādām Cashma* (Almond Spring) and Jagdalīk, passed through the Khaibar and halted at Jam (Jamrūd). In the Wāqi‘āt-i-bābari, a Turkī book written by his Majesty himself, it is stated that when in six marches, he went from Kābul to Ādīnapūr,* he had never before seen the Garmsīr* (warm regions) nor the country of Hindustān. “Immediately on reaching them, I beheld a new world. The grass was different, the trees different, the wild animals of a different sort, the birds of a different plumage, the manners and customs of the people (<Arabic script>* ail ū ālūs) of a different kind. I was struck with astonishment, and indeed there was room for wonder.”* Nāṣir Mīrzā came to this stage from Ghaznīn to pay his respects. He (Bābar) halted at Jamrūd and consulted about crossing the river Indus known as the Nīlāb. Owing to the avarice of Bāqī* Caghanā'īānī the crossing of the Indus was postponed and he proceeded against Kohāt. After taking Kohāt, they attacked Bangash and Naghz.* Then they went to the country of the ‘Isā Khail and halted in the environs of Tarbīla* which is a village on the Indus and in the country of Multān. Then he made several marches down the river. From thence he came to the borders of Dūki* and after some days to Ghaznīn. In the month Ẕīḥajja (May 1505) he returned to Kābul.