In the mean time, Sooltan Mahmood Doldy, one
of Babur's officers, having deserted to Samarkand,
informed the enemy of the correspondence with
Khwaja Kootb-ood-Deen Yehya, which completely
disconcerted Babur's measures, and he was compelled
to relinquish his enterprise. Meanwhile
the troops of Ally Dost Toghay, disgusted with
their chief, crowded to the King's camp with complaints
against that chief, and he finding his importance
shaken, abandoned the service of Babur, and,
with his son, went over to Sooltan Ahmud Tum-
At this period, news arrived that Sheebany Khan had taken Bokhara, and was on full march to attack Samarkand, which Sooltan Ally Mirza, at the instance of his mother, surrendered without opposition. Babur accordingly fell back on Kish, and from thence to Khoozar, where Mahomed Moorad Turkhan, and the officers who had invited him to attack Samarkand, left him, and joined Khoosrow Shah. Babur, after this defection, was obliged to retreat by the route of Sirtak to Eelak, over rocks, stones, and rugged paths, by which his army suffered exceedingly, having lost most of his camels and horses on the march. This circumstance dispirited his troops to such a degree, that they all deserted him before he reached Eelak, excepting two hundred and forty men.
In this state of affairs, Babur called together his officers, and consulted them as to his future operations. It was resolved, that as Sheebany Khan had only lately got possession of Samarkand, and the inhabitants had not yet probably become reconciled to the Oozbuks, that he should make an attempt to take the place; and that as it was part of the hereditary dominions of Babur, it seemed likely, although the people might not actually aid him, they would not be very active in opposing him; and it was thought that the possession of the city would retrieve his affairs. Babur accordingly marched, and reached Yoonoos Khan in the dusk of the evening; but understanding the garrison was on the alert, he refrained from making the attempt at that time. After having got clear of the city, he says, in his Memoirs, he looked back, and repented of his precipitate flight; and being wearied with the fatigue of the day, he laid himself down in a grove to sleep, as did the greatest part of his retinue. He states that in about an hour after, he awoke from a dream, in which he imagined he saw Abdoolla, a Dervish of great repute, coming towards his house; that Babur, inviting him to sit down, caused his steward to spread a table-cloth before him, on which the holy man, apparently offended, rose to go away. Babur begged of him to stay; but the Dervish, holding him by the arm, raised him up towards the sky. Babur, awaking, called his attendants, and related his dream, which was considered a fortunate omen, and he determined to persevere in his attempt on Samarkand.*
Babur's small party, mounting their horses, accordingly returned, and reached the bridge of Moghat about midnight; from whence he detached eighty men before him, to a low part of the wall near the Lover's Cave, which was scaled by the help of a hook-rope; and, coming round to the Feroza gate, his party fell upon the guard commanded by Kasid† * Turkhan, and either killed or dispersed the whole. The gate being opened, admitted Babur with two hundred and forty men. Babur's party proclaimed his name as they passed through the street, and gave an opportunity to all his friends within the place to join him; while his enemies, not knowing his strength, ran confusedly from place to place looking for their leaders. The alarm soon reached the house of Khwaja Kootb-ood-Deen Yehya, where Khan Wufa Mirza, governor of the city, and several Oozbuk chiefs had taken up their quarters. On hearing the noise, they all joined Sheebany Khan, who, with 7000 men, occupied the fort of Khwaja Deedar. Sheebany Khan selected a party of 150 men (commanding the rest to wait for orders), and proceeded to the iron gate; but finding that Babur had gained some thousand partisans, who rent the sky with acclamations, and being unable either by words or example to make the Oozbuks stand their ground, he passed through the opposite gate, and fled towards Bokhara, while Samarkand quietly submitted to Babur's authority.
It was on this occasion, that Mowlana Sunayee, the poet, and Khwaja Abool Burkat of Samarkand, were first introduced to Babur, and subsequently accompanied his court. The following is a translation from the Commentaries of Babur, written by himself in Toorky, giving an account of the taking of Samarkand: —“Sooltan Hoossein Mirza took the fort of Hirat in a manner similar to that of my own successful attack on Samarkand; but there was a great difference in the circumstances under which we acted. In the first place, Sooltan Hoossein Mirza was an old and experienced soldier; while, on the contrary, his enemy, Yadgar Mahomed Mirza, was a youth of seventeen, without experience either in war or politics. In the second place, he was invited to take possession of Hirat by Ameer Ally Meer Akhoor, one of the most powerful of the enemy's officers. In the third place, his enemy, Yadgar Mahomed Mirza, was at the time he entered the town in a state of intoxication in one of his gardens, and the soldiery were off their guard. Thus situated, he easily succeeded in securing his person, and was immediately joined by the party of Ameer Ally Mirza, who had planned the whole enterprise.
“My situation at the capture of Samarkand was very different. I was then only nineteen, and had seen but little service; my enemy, Sheebany Khan, was an old and experienced chieftain, who had many friends, was constantly on the alert within, and was prepared to combat either in attack or intrigue, so that no one had an opportunity of inviting me, or making arrangements to favour my plans; and although I had many well-wishers in the place, yet, such was Sheebany Khan's vigilance and precaution, that they were prevented from communicating with me. Besides which, his general, Khan Wufa Mirza, in command of 600 Oozbuks, (the most choice men of his army, and the faithful personal guard of Sheebany Khan) had the patrole of the night; notwithstanding all which disadvantages, I took the city, put the King to flight, and routed his army; and although my first effort failed, I did not despair, but succeeded in a second attempt, a very few hours afterwards. I do not intend by this account to extol my own actions; but in writing a history of my military career, it is proper I should state things as they really occurred.”
Let it not be concealed from my readers, that
this exploit of Babur very much resembles that of
his ancestor, Ameer Teimoor Korkan, who with
two hundred and forty-three men attacked and
carried the fort of Koorshy by assault; but Babur
seems not to have alluded to this circumstance,
from the apprehension of being thought presumptuous
in comparing his actions with those of that
great captain. At that time there was no governor
nor ruler in Koorshy. The two chieftains, Meer
Hoossein and Meer Moosa, were encamped outside
of the fort, while Mahomed Beg, a child, the
son of Meer Moosa, was left in the fort. Sa-
But to return to our history: Samarkand being occupied by Babur, Sheebany Khan retired to Bokhara; and Mahomed Moorad Turkhan took this opportunity of wresting the forts of Koorshy and Khoozar * from the Oozbuks, while Abool Hoossein Mirza, from Mura and Kish, came and took Kurra-Kole.† * Babur sent ambassadors to Sooltan Hoossein Mirza and other neighbouring princes, his relations, to request their aid in expelling Sheebany Khan out of Mavur-ool-Nehr; but they either paid no regard to his representations, or rendered such insufficient assistance as to be of little use. Sheebany Khan by this means recovered strength during the winter, and took Karakole and other districts.
Shuval,
A. H. 906.
March,
A. D. 1499.
In the month of Shuval, 906, Babur
collected his whole force, together with
the reinforcements which had joined
him, and marched out of Samarkand to
attack Sheebany Khan, whom he engaged in the
neighbourhood of Karwan. On this occasion
Babur evinced the qualities both of a general and
a brave soldier; but being deserted by the troops of
Sooltan Mahmood Khan, by Jehangeer Mirza, and
by other princes who had been sent to his aid, as
well as by his own troops, and left with only fifteen
men, he found it in vain to contend any longer. He
accordingly made good his retreat to Samarkand;
having lost several officers of distinction, such as
Ibrahim Turkhan, Ibrahim Sar, Abool Kasim
Koh, Hydur Kasim, Ameer Kasim Kocheen,
Fidayee Roomy, and Khuleel, the brother of Ah-