The affair happened in this way: At the peace, the prisoners, the chief of whom was Khalīl, the younger brother of Tambol, had been set at liberty, as has been mentioned. Tambol had sent Khalīl, in order to remove his family and effects from Uzkend. Having entered Uzkend under pretence of carrying away the family, day after day he promised to carry them off; but, under one pretext or another, never left the place. When I had set out on my expedition, availing himself of the opportunity, and perceiving Ush to be destitute of troops, he made an attack in the night, and took it by surprise.

Continues
his march.

When this news reached me, I judged it inexpedient, on several accounts, either to halt or turn back against him; I therefore continued to advance on Samarkand. One of the reasons which influenced me was, that all my soldiers of note had gone off different ways, each to his own home, to make ready their accoutrements and arms, and, relying on the peace, we had never suspected any craft or treachery from our enemy. Another was, that the intrigues and cabals of Kamber Ali and Ali Dost, two of my Begs of the first eminence, now began to be very evident, so that all confidence in them was at an end, as I have already given to understand. A farther motive was, that as the party of the nobles of Samarkand, at the head of whom was Muhammed Mazīd Terkhān, had sent to invite me, it would have been most absurd, on account of a small place like Andejān, to lose time, and perhaps such a noble capital as Samarkand. From Kaba we advanced to Marghinān, which I had bestowed on Sultan Ahmed Beg, the father of Kūch Beg. He was himself prevented by his situation and connexions from accompanying me, and remained in Marghinān; but his son, Kūch Beg, with one or two of his brothers, went along with me. We proceeded by way of Aspera, and halted on reaching Mahen, a village belonging to that district. By a fortunate coincidence, Kāsim Beg, with his troops, Ali Dost, with his men, Syed Kāsim, and a very considerable number of good soldiers, that very night arrived in Mahen, as if they had come post by assignation, and all joined me. Leaving Mahen, and passing by the route of the plain Yasān, we reached Uratippa, crossing the bridge of Chupān. Kamber Ali, confiding in Tambol, had gone from his own government of Khojend to Akhsi, in order to consult with him regarding the arrangements of Kamber
Ali seized
by Tambol. the army; no sooner had he reached that place, than he was taken into custody, and Tambol advanced to seize his districts; verifying the Tūrki proverb:

To trust a friend will show you raw;
Your friend will stuff your hide with straw.

Effects his
escape.

While they were conducting him from one place to another, however, he effected his escape by the way, and, barefooted and bareheaded,* after encountering a multitude of hard­ships, came and joined me while I was at Uratippa.

At Uratippa I received intelligence that Sheibāni Khan had defeated Bāki Terkhān, at the fort of Dabūsi,* and was advancing against Bokhāra. From Uratippa, by the route of Ilāk-burkeh, I reached Sangrāz,* the commandant of which surrendered the place. As Kamber Ali had joined me in a ruined state, and completely plundered, I left him Bābur
reaches Yu-
ret-Khan. behind in Sangrāz, and advanced forward. When we had reached Yuret-Khan, the Begs of Samarkand, at the head of whom was Muhammed Mazīd Khan, came to meet me, and tendered me their duty. I consulted with them about the taking of Samarkand. They assured me that Khwājeh Yahya was attached to me; and that if he could be prevailed upon heartily to co-operate, Samarkand might be taken with the greatest facility, without combat or struggle. I therefore several times sent persons to confer with Khwājeh Yahya. The Khwājeh did not send me any message, but silently used every exertion to facilitate my entrance into Samarkand; at the same time, he did not say a word to make me despair of success.*

Marching from Yuret-Khan, I advanced to the Derghām.* From the banks of the Derghām I sent Khwājeh Muhammed Ali, my librarian, to Khwājeh Yahya. He brought me back instructions to advance, and that the city should be given up to me. Mounting just at nightfall, we left the Derghām, and rode towards the city. But Sultan Mahmūd Duldāi, the father of Sultan Muhammed Duldāi, having deserted from me at Yuret-Khan, and gone over to the enemy, had informed them of our proceedings; so that, our motions being discovered, the design did not succeed. I therefore returned back to the banks of the Derghām.

Many of
his Begs
return to
his service.

While I remained encamped there,* Ibrahīm Sāru Minkaligh, who had received many favours from me, but whom Ali Dost had plundered and driven from my service while we were at Yār-ailāk, returned, accompanied by Muhammed Yūsef, the son of Syed Yūsef Beg, and again entered into my service. The greater part of my Begs and most attached servants, whom Ali Dost Beg, from jealousy, had treated ill, banishing some of them, plundering others, and ruining the rest by heavy contributions,* all returned to me at this period, one after another. The power of Ali Dost was now gone. He had placed his entire reliance on Tambol, and had harassed and persecuted me and all my friends. I had conceived a rooted dislike to the man. Partly from shame and partly from apprehension, he could no longer remain with me, and asked leave to retire, which Ali Dost
and his son
allowed to
retire. I granted with great pleasure. Ali Dost and Muhammed Dost, on leaving me, went and joined Tambol, by whom they were received and treated with much distinction; and I afterwards had many proofs of the mutinous and Their
future
history. incendiary temper of both father and son. A year or two after, Ali Dost was seized with a cancerous sore* in the hands, of which he died. Muhammed Dost went among the Uzbeks, where he did not succeed badly; but there, also, having been guilty of some piece of treachery to those whose salt he ate, he was obliged to flee, and came to the hilly districts of Andejān, where he spirited up some disturbances; but falling at last into the hands of the Uzbeks, they put out his eyes, and thus was verified the saying, ‘the salt has seized his eyes.’.*

Sheibāni
Khan takes
Bokhāra

After they had taken leave, I dispatched Ghūri Birlās with a party of horse towards Bokhāra, in quest of intelli­gence. He brought me back information that Sheibāni Khan had taken Bokhāra, and was marching on Samarkand. Not thinking my stay in that neighbourhood advisable, I proceeded towards Kesh,* in which place were the families of many of the Begs of Samarkand. A week or two after and Samar-
kand. my arrival there, information was brought that Sultan Ali Mirza had delivered up Samarkand to Sheibāni Khan.

Particulars
of this
event.

The circumstances of this event are as follows: The mother of Sultan Ali Mirza, named Zuhreh Beghi Agha, was led by her stupidity and folly to send a messenger privately to Sheibāni Khan, proposing that, if he would marry her, her son should surrender Samarkand into his hands, on condition that, when Sheibāni recovered his own paternal dominions, he should restore Samarkand to Sultan Ali Mirza. Abū Yūsef Arghūn was let into the secret of this plan; nay, that traitor may be fairly regarded as the original projector of it.