On first mounting the throne, he took it into his head that he would cause the names of the twelve Imāms* to be recited in the khutbeh. Many used their endeavours to prevent him.* Finally, however, he directed and arranged everything according to the orthodox Sunni faith. From a disorder in his joints, he was unable to perform* his prayers, nor could he observe the stated fasts. He was a lively, pleasant man. His temper was rather hasty, and his language took after his temper. In many instances he displayed a profound reverence for the faith;* on one occasion, one of his sons having slain a man, he delivered him up to the avengers of blood to be carried before the judgement-seat of the Kazi. For about six or seven years after he first ascended the throne, he was very guarded in abstaining from such things as were forbidden by the law; afterwards he became addicted to drinking wine. During nearly forty years that he was King of Khorasān, not a day passed in which he did not drink after midday prayers; but he never drank wine in the morning. His sons, the whole of the soldiery, and the townspeople, followed his example in this respect, and seemed to vie with each other in debauchery and lasciviousness. He was a brave and valiant man. He often engaged sword in hand in fight, nay, frequently distinguished his prowess hand to hand several times in the course of the same fight. No person of the race of Taimūr Beg ever equalled Sultan Hussain Mirza in the use of the scimitar. He had a turn for poetry, and composed a diwān. He wrote in Tūrki. His poetical name was Hussaini. Many of his verses are far from being bad, but the whole of the Mirza’s diwān is in the same measure. Although a prince of dignity, both as to years and extent of territory, he was as fond as a child of keeping butting rams, and of amusing himself with flying pigeons and cock-fighting.
His warsOne of his exploits was on the banks of the river of Kurkān,* when he plunged into the stream, passed it, and completely routed a party of Uzbeks. Another was, when Sultan Abūsaīd Mirza nominated Muhammed Ali Bakhshi to the command of three thousand horse, with instructions to proceed without halt, and attack him by surprise. Sultan Hussain Mirza advanced to meet them with only sixty men, fell upon them straightway, and fairly discomfited them.* This was a gallant and most distinguished achievement of Sultan Hussain Mirza. On another occasion he had a battle with Sultan Mahmūd Mirza at Asterābād, and defeated him.* He had also another fight at Asterābād, when he beat Hussain Turkomān Saadlīmek.* Another of his battles was after mounting the throne, when he engaged and routed Yādgār Muhammed Mirza in Khabārān.* Another of his exploits was when, passing the bridge of the Murghāb,* he proceeded by forced marches, and surprised and took prisoner Yādgār Muhammed Mirza, who was lying in a state of intoxication in the Bāgh-Zāghān (or Raven Garden),* after a debauch, and by this success gained the undisturbed possession of Khorasān.* Another of them was at Chekmān,* in the vicinity of Andekhūd and Shaberghān,* where he encountered and defeated Sultan Mahmūd Mirza. Another of them was, when Ababeker Mirza came from Irāk, accompanied by the Turkomāns of the Black-sheep, defeated Ulugh Beg Mirza in Takāneh and Khimār, and took Kābul, which he abandoned in consequence of the confusions in Irāk, passed by way of Kheiber, traversed the territory of Khushāb and Multān, and entered Sīvī, from whence he proceeded and occupied Karmān; but being unable to retain it, he again entered the country of Khorasān, when Sultan Hussain Mirza came upon him by surprise, and took him prisoner.* On another occasion, at the bridge of Chirāgh, he defeated Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza, one of his own sons.** At another time he raised an army, with which he besieged Kunduz, but was forced to abandon the siege; on another occasion he besieged Hissār, but not succeeding, he raised the siege.* Another of his enterprises was when he marched against Zūlnūn Beg’s country; the Dārogha of Bast surrendered the place,* but he could effect nothing further, and was obliged even to abandon Bast and retreat.* Sultan Hussain Mirza, though a great and warlike prince, accomplished nothing worthy of his dignity in these two or three enterprises, and returned baffled. At another time, he engaged and defeated in the Auleng-Nīshīn his son Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza, who had advanced, accompanied by Shah Shujā Beg, the son of Zūlnūn Beg.* On this occasion a singular coincidence occurred. Sultan Hussain Mirza, having divided his army, had sent the main body towards Asterābād. On the very day of the battle, the army that had been dispatched against Asterābād returned and joined him: and the very same day, Sultan Masaūd Mirza, from whom Hissār had been wrested by Baiesanghar Mirza, made his appearance from another quarter, and also joined Sultan Hussain Mirza.*
His domi-His kingdom was that of Khorasān, which on the east has Balkh, on the west Bistām* and Damghān, on the north Khwārizm, and on the south Kandahār and Sīstān. After the fine city of Heri fell into his hands, his whole time was devoted, night and day, to revelry and enjoyment; and there was not one of his servants or dependants, who, in like manner, did not give himself up to pleasure and riot. The cares of ambition and the necessary toils of military discipline were consequently neglected. Hence, down to the time of his death, his dominions and servants went on diminishing, without getting any corresponding increase.
His chil- He had fourteen sons and eleven daughters who lived.
The eldest of his sons was Badīa-ez-zemān Mirza, whose
Badīa-ez-
zemān
Mirza.
mother was the daughter of Sanjer Mirza of Merv.
Another was Shah Gharīb Mirza. Although his form
Gharīb
Mirza
was not prepossessing,*
he had a fine genius; and though
his constitution was feeble, he had a powerful style. He
assumed the poetical name of Gharbi, and composed a
diwān. He wrote verses both in Persian and Tūrki. The
following is his:
I had a passing glance of a fairy face, and became inflamed to madness with her love; What is her name, where her abode, I know not.
Sultan Hussain Mirza gave Shah Gharīb the government of Heri for some time. He departed in his father’s lifetime, leaving no son nor daughter.
MuzafferAnother was Muzaffer Hussain Mirza, who was the favourite son of Sultan Hussain Mirza, although there was nothing in his manners or conduct to justify such marked favour. In consequence of the decided partiality which he showed to this son, several of the others were induced to revolt. Khadījeh Begum, who had been a concubine of Sultan Abūsaīd Mirza’s, was the mother of the two last-mentioned Mirzas. She had likewise a daughter by the Mirza, named Ak Begum.*
Abul Has-Another of his sons was Abul Hassan Mirza. Another was Kīpek Mirza,* as he was generally called, but his name was Muhammed Muhsin Mirza. The mother of these two was Latīfeh Sultan Aghācheh.
Abu TarābAnother was Abu Tarāb Mirza, who in early life was highly extolled for his rapid acquirements. When his father’s illness increased and became extreme, having heard something to alarm him, he went to Irāk, accompanied by his younger brother, Muhammed Hussain Mirza. He there renounced the profession of arms, and betook himself to that of a dervīsh. I never heard of him afterwards. He had one son, Sohrāb Mirza, who was in my service when [A.D. 1511.] I defeated Hamzeh Sultan, Mahdi Sultan, and the other Sultans, and took Hissār. This young man was blind of one eye. He was singularly ill-favoured, and his manners corresponded with his looks. Having been guilty of something extremely reprehensible, he found it impossible to remain in my employment, and repaired to Asterābād, where Najem Sāni inflicted on him condign punishment for his misdeeds.
Muhammed