It was bed-time prayers when we reached Yake-auleng, and halted. The people of Yake-auleng,* who had heard of us as we descended, carried us to their warm houses, brought out fat sheep for us, a superfluity of hay and grain for our horses, with abundance of wood and dried dung to kindle us fires. To pass from the cold and snow into such a village and its warm houses, on escaping from want and suffering, to find such plenty of good bread and fat sheep as we did, is an enjoyment that can be conceived only by such as have suffered similar hardships, or endured such heavy distress.* We stayed one day at Yake-auleng to refresh and recruit the spirits and strength of our men*; after which we marched on two farsangs, and halted. Next morning was the Īd* of the Ramzān. We passed through Bāmiān, descended by the kotal, or hill-pass of Plunders
the
Hazāras. Shibertu, and halted before reaching Jangelīk. The Turko­mān Hazāras had taken up their winter-quarters in the line of my march, with their families and property, and had not the smallest intimation of my approach. Next morning, on our march, we came among their huts, close by* their sheep-folds, two or three of which we plundered; whereupon the whole of the Hazāras, taking the alarm, abandoned their huts and property, and fled away to the hills with their children. Soon afterwards information was brought from the van, that a body of them, having posted themselves right in our line of march, had stopped our people in a narrow defile, were assailing them with arrows, and effectually prevented their advance. Im­mediately on learning this I hurried forward. On coming up, I found that there really was, properly speaking, no strait; but that some Hazāras had posted themselves on a projecting eminence, where they had gathered together their effects,* had taken up a position, and were making discharges of arrows on our men.

(Tūrki)—

They marked the distant blackening of the foe, And stood panic-struck and confounded; I came up and hastened to the spot, And pressing on, exclaiming, Stand! Stand!* My aim was to make my troops alert, To fall briskly upon the foe. Having brought on my men, I placed myself behind,* When not a man minded my orders; I had neither my coat of mail, nor horse-mail, nor arms, Except only my bow* and arrows. When I stood still, all my men stood still also, As if the foe had slain them all. ‘He who hires a servant, hires him for his need, That he may one day be useful in time of danger, Not that he should stand still while his lord advances, That he should stand at ease while his lord bears the burden of the day. He who is a servant should serve in due season, Not loiter in thy service, so as not even to be seasoning to thy food.’** At length I spurred on my horse and advanced, And, driving the foe before me, ascended the hill; My men, on seeing me advance, advanced also, Leaving their terror behind. Pushing forward, we quickly climbed the hill; We went on without heeding their arrows, Sometimes dismounting, sometimes on horseback. First of all came on the boldest warriors:* The enemy showered down arrows from above, But marking our resolution gave way and fled. We gained the top of the hill, and drove the Hazāras before us, We skipped* over the heights and hollows like deer; We cut the heads of the slain* like deer; We plundered them, we divided their property and sheep; We slew the Turkomān Hazāras, And made captives of their men and women; Those who were far off too we followed and made prisoners:* We took their wives and their children.

The purport of these verses is, that when the Hazāras stopped the van, on its route, our men were all rather per­plexed, and halted. In this situation I came up singly. Having called out to the men who were fleeing, ‘Stand! Stand!’ I attempted to encourage them. Not one of them listened to me, or advanced upon the enemy, but they stood scattered about in different places. Although I had not put on my helmet, my horse’s mail, or my armour, and had only my bow and quiver, I called out that servants were kept that they might be serviceable, and, in time of need, prove their loyalty to their master; not for the purpose of looking on while their master marched up against the foe: after which I spurred on my horse. When my men saw me making for the enemy, they followed. On reaching the hill which the Hazāras occupied, our troops instantly climbed it, and, without minding the arrows which poured down on them, made their way up, partly on horseback, partly on foot. As soon as the enemy saw that our men were in real earnest, they did not venture to stand their ground, but took to flight. Our people pursued them up the hills, hunting them like deer or game. Such property or effects as our troops could lay hold of, they brought in with them, and made the families and children of the enemy prisoners.* We also gathered in some of their sheep, which we gave in charge to Yārek Taghāi, while we proceeded forward. We traversed the heights and eminences* of the hill-country, driving off the horses and sheep of the Hazāras, and brought them to Langer-Taimūr-Beg, where we en­camped. Fourteen or fifteen of the most noted insurgents and robber chiefs of the Hazāras had fallen into our hands. It was my intention to have put them to death with torture at our halting-ground, as an example and terror to all rebels and robbers; but Kāsim Beg happening to meet them, was filled with unseasonable commiseration, and let them go:

To do good to the bad is the same thing
As to do evil to the good:
Salt ground does not produce spikenard;—
Do not throw away good seed on it.*

The same pity was extended to the other prisoners, who were all set at liberty.

Defection
of Mu-
hammed
Hussain
Mirza.

While we were plundering the Turkomān Hazāras, information reached us that Muhammed Hussain Mirza Dughlet, and Sultan Sanjer Birlās, having drawn over to their interests the body of Moghuls who had stayed behind Khan Mir-
za pro-
claimed
king. in Kābul, had declared Khan Mirza king,* were now besieg­ing Kābul, and had spread a report that Badiā-ez-zemān Mirza and Muzaffer Mirza had seized the king, and carried him away to the fort of Ikhtiyār-ed-din at Heri, which is now known by the name of Aleh-kurghān.* The chief persons in the fort of Kābul were Mulla Bābā Peshāgheri, Khalīfeh, Muhibb Ali Kōrchi, Ahmed Yūsef, and Ahmed Kāsim. These officers had all conducted themselves well, had put the fort into a strong state of defence, and done everything to guard it. At Langer-Taimūr-Beg I wrote an intimation of my having arrived in this quarter, and sent it to the nobles who were in Kābul, by Muhammed Andejāni, Bābur’s
plan for
surprising
the rebels
in Kābul. one of Kāsim Beg’s servants.* I arranged with them that I was to descend by the straits of Ghūrbend, and to march on and take the enemy by surprise. The signal of my coming was to be, that I was to kindle a blazing fire after passing Minār hill; and I enjoined them, on their side, to make a large fire in the Citadel, on the top of the Old Kiosk, which is now the Treasury, in order that we might be sure that they were aware of our approach; and while we assailed the enemy from without, they were to sally out from within, and to leave nothing undone to rout the besiegers. Such were the instructions* which I dispatched Muhammed Andejāni to communicate.

Next morning we left Langer, and halted opposite to Ushter-sheher. Mounting again before day, we descended the Pass of Ghūrbend towards night, and halted near Sir-e-pul.* Having refreshed our horses, and bathed them, we left Sir-e-pul at noon-day prayers. Till we reached Tūtkāwel* there was no snow. After passing that place, the farther we went the snow was deeper. Between the village of Nūh* and Minār the cold was so excessive, that, in the whole course of my life, I have seldom experienced the like. I sent Ahmedi Yasāwel,* along with Kara Ahmed Yūrchi, to the Begs in Kābul, to let them know that we had come according to our engagement, and to require them to be on the alert, and bold. After surmounting the hill of Minār, we descended to the skirts of the hill, and, being rendered quite powerless from the frost, kindled fires and warmed ourselves. This was not the place where we were to kindle our fires, but, being unable to stand the cold, we were obliged to kindle them to warm ourselves. The morning was near when we set out from the skirts of the hill of Minār. Between Kābul and Minār the snow reached up to the horses’ thighs. Every place was covered with snow,* so that such of our people as deviated from the road were exposed to mischief.* This whole distance we passed, sinking and rising again in the snow.* In this way we reached Kābul undiscovered, by the appointed time. Before we arrived at Bībi Māh-rūī, we saw a fire blazing in the Citadel. We then knew that they were prepared. When we came to Syed Kāsim’s Bridge, I sent Shīrīm Taghāi, with the right wing, towards Mulla Bāba’s Bridge. With the centre and left wing, I advanced by way of Bāba Lūli; at that time, where the Bāgh-e-Khalīfeh now is, there was a small garden and house, which Ulugh Beg Mirza had made to serve as a langer.* Although its trees and wood were gone, He attacks
them. yet its enclosure was still left. Khan Mirza had his quarters there. Hussain Mirza was in the Bāgh-e-behisht,* which had been made by Ulugh Beg Mirza. We had got to the burying-ground near* Mulla Bāba’s garden, when they brought back to me, wounded and unhorsed, a party that had pushed on in advance. This party, which had preceded us and had entered Khan Mirza’s house, was four in number, Syed Kāsim Ishik-agha, Kamber Ali Beg, Sher Kuli Karāwel Moghul, and Sultan Ahmed Moghul, who was one of Sher Kuli Moghul’s followers; these four persons, as soon as they came up, without halting, entered the palace where Mirza Khan lived. All was instantly in uproar and alarm. Khan Khan
Mirza
escapes. Mirza mounted on horseback, galloped off, and escaped. Muhammed Hussain Korbegi’s younger brother, also in the service of Khan Mirza, attacked Sher Kuli Moghul, one of the four, sword in hand, and threw him down; but Sher Kuli contrived to escape while his opponent was endeavour­ing to cut off his head. These four persons, still smarting from their sabre and arrow wounds, were brought to me as I have mentioned. The alley was narrow, and our horsemen crowded into it, so that a confusion and bustle ensued. Some of the enemy also collected, and though much crowded, made a stand.* Our people could not get forward, and could not get back. I desired some men who were near me to dismount and push on. Dost Nāsir, Khwājeh Muhammed Ali Kitābdār,* Bāba Sherzād, Shah Mahmūd, and a few others, having accordingly dismounted, advanced and assailed the enemy with their arrows. The enemy were shaken and took to flight. We waited a long time for the coming of our people from the fort, but they did not arrive in time for action. After the enemy were defeated, they began to drop in by ones and twos. Before we reached the Chār-bāgh, in which Khan Mirza’s quarters had been, Ahmed Yūsef and Syed Yūsef joined me from the fort, and we entered the garden that he had left. On finding that Khan Mirza had escaped, we instantly left it. Ahmed Yūsef was behind me, when, at the gate of the Chār-bāgh, as I was coming out, Dost Sirpuli Piādeh,* a man to whom I had shown particular marks of favour in Kābul, on account Bābur in
danger. of his valour, and whom I had left in the office of kotwāl,* advanced with a naked sword in his hand, and made at me. I had on my stuffed waistcoat,* but had not put on my plate-mail. I had also omitted to put on my helmet. Although I called out to him, ‘Ho, Dost! Ho, Dost!’ and spoke to him; and though Ahmed Yūsef also called out; whether it was that the cold and snow had affected* him, or whether he was hurried away by a confusion of ideas arising from the bustle of fight, he did not know me, and, without stopping, let fall a blow on my bare arm. The grace of God was conspicuous; it did not hurt a single hair: