On Saturday, the 3rd of the month of Safer, three of my paternal aunts, Begums of high rank, Gauhar-Shād Begum, Badī ul jamāl Begum, and Ak Begum,* and of the Begums of inferior rank, Khan-zādeh Begum, the daughter of Sultan Masaūd Mirza; another, who was the daughter of Sultan Bakht Begum, and another, by name Zeinab Sultan Begum, the grand-daughter of Bikeh* Chīcham, having passed Tūteh, on their way to my court, had halted on the extremity of the suburbs, close by the banks of the river. I went and waited on them between afternoon and evening prayers, and returned back in a boat.
Oct. 19.On Monday, the 5th of Safer, I sent the first envoy of Bikermajīt, and the one whom he had sent last, accompanied by Hawesi,* the son of Diureh, a Hindu of Behreh, who had long been in my service, to receive the surrender of Rantambhor, to accept his promise of allegiance, and to complete the treaty according to all their own forms and usages. This person was directed to go and make whatever observations he could, after which he was to return to me, with such information as he acquired.* If the young prince stood to his terms, I agreed with him, that, by the blessing of God, I would make him Rāna in his father’s place, and establish him in Chitūr.
IncreasesAt this crisis, the treasures of Delhi and Agra that had been collected by Iskander and Ibrahīm being expended, and it being necessary to furnish equipments for the army, gunpowder for the service of the guns, and pay for Oct. 22. the artillery and matchlock-men, on Thursday, the 8th of Safer, I gave orders, that in all departments, every man having an office,* should bring a hundred and thirty instead of a hundred,* A. D. 1528. to the Diwān, to be applied to the procuring and fitting out the proper arms and supplies.
Oct. 24.On Saturday the 10th, one Shah Kāsim, a runner of Sultan Muhammed Bakhshi, whom, on a former occasion, I had sent with letters, offering protection and security to the natives of Khorasān, was again dispatched with letters* to the following effect: that, by the favour of God, I had completely triumphed over the rebels on the east and west of Hindustān, as well as over the pagans. That next spring, God willing, I would make an effort, and return in person to Kābul.* I likewise sent a letter to Ahmed Afshār, and, on the margin, made a noting with my own hand, in which I sent for Ferīdūn Kabūzi.* That same day about noon-day prayers, I began to take quick-silver.*
Affairs ofOn Wednesday, the 21st, a Hindustāni runner brought letters from Kāmrān and Khwājeh Dost Khāwend. Khwājeh Dost Khāwend had reached Kābul on the 10th of Zilhijeh, and had set out to meet Humāiūn.* At that time, a man sent by Kāmrān reached the Khwājeh,* desiring him to remain,* that he might deliver to Kāmrān personally whatever orders he had brought; and to say, that after communicating such information as he possessed, he would be allowed to proceed on his journey. On the Sept. 2. 17th of Zilhijeh, Kāmrān arrived in Kābul, and, after Sept. 13. having conferred with him, the Khwājeh on the 28th took his leave, and proceeded for the fort of Zafer. These letters contained the pleasing intelligence, that prince Tahmāsp* having marched to oppose the Uzbeks, had taken Rīnish* the Uzbek in Damghān, and put him, with all his men, to the sword; that Obeidullah Khan,* on hearing of the motions of the Kizilbāshes, had raised the siege of Heri, and retreated to Merv, from whence he had sent to invite the Sultans of Samarkand and the neighbouring countries to join him, and that the whole Sultans of Māweralnaher were, in consequence, repairing to that city to his assistance. The same runner brought the farther news, that Humāiūn had got a son, by the daughter of Yādgār Taghāi*; and that Kāmrān had married in Kābul, having taken to wife the daughter of his maternal cousin,* Sultan Ali Mirza.
The same day I bestowed on Syed Dakni Shirāzi, the water finder,* a dress of honour, made him a present, and appointed him to the charge of my jets d´eau and artificial water-works,* at the same time giving him instructions to complete certain of them in his most perfect style.*
Bābur at-On Friday the 23rd, I was seized with so violent an illness,* that I was scarcely able to complete my Friday’s prayers in the mosque. About noon-day prayers, having gone into my library, I found myself so ill, that it was with difficulty* that I could finish my prayers. Two days Nov. 8. after, on Sunday, I had a fever and shivering. On the Nov. 10. night of Tuesday, the 27th of Zafer, I turned over in my mind the plan of translating into verse the tract in honour of the parents of the reverend Khwājeh Obeid.* Placing my confidence in the soul* of the venerable Khwājeh,* I indulged a hope, that perhaps his reverence might be induced to receive my poem favourably, and to remove my disease,* as he had done* with the writer of the kasīdeh, who, when he presented his kasīdeh, had his offering accepted with favour, and was delivered from his palsy.** In pursuance of this vow, I began a poem in the six feet majnūn metre; the measure, zarb gāh, abter gāh, makhbūn mahzūf,* being the same in which the Sabhat* of Moulavi Abdal-rahmān Jāmi is composed, and the same evening I wrote thirteen couplets. I tasked myself to compose a certain number of couplets, never less than ten daily. I only omitted writing for a single day. Last year, and, indeed, every time that I have been attacked by the disease, it has lasted a month, or forty days, or upwards. By the mercy of God, through the influence of the venerable Nov. 12. Khwājeh, on Thursday, the 29th, the violence of the distemper was abated, and I was again delivered from Nov. 21. the disease. On Saturday, the 8th of the first Rabi, I completed my poetical version of the tract. I had composed every day, on an average, fifty-two couplets.*
Nov. 11.On Wednesday, the 28th of Safer, I dispatched notice to my troops on every side, that in a short time, God willing, I would take the field with the army. That they were immediately to get their arms and accoutrements in readiness, and to meet me with all speed.
Nov. 22,On Sunday, the 9th of the first Rabi, Beg Muhammed Tālikchi waited on me. Last year, in the end of Muharrem, he had been sent to carry a dress of honour and a horse to Humāiūn.
Affairs ofOn Monday the 10th, Beg Kīneh, Weis Lāgheri,* and Biān Sheikh, one of Humāiūn’s servants, arrived from that prince. Beg Kīneh had come for the purpose of announcing the happy news of the birth of Humāiūn’s son. They had given him the name of Al amān. Sheikh Abul Wajd discovered the date of his birth, in the words Shah Saādetmand (the fortunate king).* Biān Sheikh had set out long after Beg Kīneh. He had left Humāiūn below Oct. 23. Kishem,* at a place called Dūshambeh, on Friday the 9th Nov. 23. of Safer; and on Monday, the 10th of the first Rabi, he reached Agra, having made a very quick journey. The same Biān Sheikh, on another occasion, had gone from the fort of Zafer to Kandahār in eleven days. Biān Sheikh brought intelligence of the advance of the prince, and of the defeat of the Uzbeks. The particulars were these: Prince Tahmāsp* had advanced out of Irāk with forty thousand men, disciplined after the Turkish fashion, with an artillery and body of musketeers, had marched on with great expedition, had arrived at Bostām and Damghān, had* taken Rīnish the Uzbek, and put* the whole of his people to death; after which he rapidly pursued his march. Kamber Ali Bī, the son of Kīpek Bī, was also routed by the Kizilbāshes, and, accompanied by a few of his men, had taken refuge with Obeid Khan, who, not seeing any prospect of being able, by his own strength, to keep his ground near Heri, dispatched persons in great A. D. 1528. haste to call the Khans and Sultans of Balkh, Hissār, Samarkand, and Tāshkend, to come to his assistance, while he himself retired to Merv. These princes collected their forces with great expedition. From Tāshkend, Sūnjek Khan, the second* son of Bārak Sultan; from Samarkand and Miān-kāl,* Kūchim Khan,* Abūsaīd Sultan, and Pulād Sultan, accompanied by the sons of Jān Beg Khan**; from Hissār, the sons of Hamzeh Sultan and Mahdi Sultan; from Balkh, Kitīn Kara Sultan, all advanced without loss of time, and joined Obeid Khan in Merv, forming an army of a hundred and five thousand men. Their scouts brought them information, that Prince Tahmāsp, having understood that Obeid Khan was encamped with a few troops in the vicinity of Heri, had at first pushed on with forty thousand men to fall upon them; but that, on learning the particulars of the armament and assembling of their troops, he had entrenched himself in the Auleng Zādegan,* where he now lay. On receiving this information, the Uzbeks, despising their enemy, came to a resolution that the whole of their Khans and Sultans should encamp at Meshhed, except a few Sultans, with twenty thousand men, who should be pushed on close to the Kizilbāshes’ camp, and should not permit them to show their heads out of their trenches. That they should then direct their enchanters* to use their enchantments*; and that thus the enemy being shut up, and* reduced to the greatest difficulties, must fall into their hands. In pursuance of this resolution they marched from Merv. The prince, on his part, leaving Meshhed, encountered them near Jām* and Khirgird, when the Uzbeks were defeated. Many Sultans were taken prisoners and put to death. In one of the letters it was mentioned, that there was no certain intelligence of the escape of any Sultan except Kūchim Khan, as no person who had been in the army was yet arrived. The Sultans who were in Hissār abandoned the place and retired, leaving in it Chalmeh, whose original name was Ismāel, the son of Ibrahīm Jāni. I wrote letters to Humāiūn and Kāmrān, to be dispatched* by the hands of the same Biān Sheikh, who has been mentioned.
Nov. 27.