BĀBUR begins his Memoirs abruptly, by informing us, that he mounted the throne of Ferghāna at the age of twelve. As he often alludes to events that occurred previous to that time, and speaks familiarly of the different princes who had governed in the neighbouring countries, supposing the reader to be well acquainted with their history, it becomes necessary, for the better understanding of his text, to give a short review of the succession of the most eminent of those who had ruled in his kingdom and in the adjoining countries for some years before his accession; and as the whole of these princes were descended from the famous Tamerlane, or Taimūr Beg, as all their kingdoms were only fragments of his immense empire, and their claims and political relations derived from him, the reign of that prince is the most convenient period from which to commence such a review.
Death ofTaimūr Beg, after having spread his empire over the fairest provinces of Asia, died in the year 1405,* near the city of Otrār, beyond the river Sirr. His dominions, however, though extensive, were ill compacted and ill governed. He had conquered countries, but he had not the genius to found an empire. Though a conqueror, whatever his encomiasts may assert, he was no legislator. He had marched into Tartary, into Hindustān, into Mesopotamia, into Syria and Asia Minor, and had subdued a great portion of all these countries; but in the course of a very few years his native country of Māweralnaher, with Persia and Kābul, alone remained in his family, and Persia also very soon after escaped from their grasp, and was overrun by the Turkomāns.
In his lifetime, he had given the immediate government
of different quarters of his extensive dominions to his sons
and their descendants, who, at the period of his death,
were very numerous; and the Tūrki and Moghul tribes,
like other Asiatics, having no fixed rules of succession to the
throne, various princes of his family set up for themselves
in different provinces. The nobles who were about his
He is suc-
ceeded in
Samarkand
by Khalīl.
A.D. 1412.
person at the time of his death proclaimed his grandson
Khalīl, an amiable prince of refined genius and warm
affections, but better fitted to adorn the walks of private
life than to compose the dissensions of a distracted kingdom,
or to check the ambitious designs of a turbulent
nobility. He reigned for some years, with little power,
at Samarkand, his grandfather’s capital; but was finally
dethroned by his ambitious nobles. His uncle Shahrokh,
Shahrokh
Mirza seizes
Māweral-
naher.
A.D. 1415.
the youngest son of Taimūr Beg, a prince of solid talents
and great firmness of character, on hearing of this event,
marched from Khorasān, which was the seat of his dominions,
took possession of Samarkand, and reduced all the rest of
Māweralnaher under his obedience. He governed his
His death.
A.D. 1446.
extensive dominions with a steady hand till his death,
which happened in 1446.
On his death, his sons, according to the fashion of their
Is succeed-
ed in Sa-
markand
by Ulugh
Beg Mirza.
country and age, seized the different provinces which they
had held as governors, each asserting his own independence,
and aiming at the subjugation of the others. He was
succeeded in Samarkand by his eldest son Ulugh Beg,
a prince illustrious by his love of science, and who has
secured an honest fame, and the gratitude of posterity,
by the valuable astronomical tables constructed by his
directions, in an observatory which he built at Samarkand
for that purpose. Ulugh Beg, who had long held the
government of Samarkand in his father’s lifetime, soon after
his accession, led an army from that city against his nephew
Alā-ed-daulat, the son of his brother Baiesanghar, who was
the third son of Shahrokh. Alā-ed-daulat, who had occupied
In Khora-
sān by Alā-
ed-daulat,
who is de-
throned by
Ulugh Beg.
the kingdom of Khorasān, being defeated by his uncle
Ulugh Beg, on the river of Murghāb, fled to his brother,
the elder Bābur Mirza. That prince had taken possession
of Jorjān, or Korkān, on the south-east of the Caspian, the
government of which he had held in the lifetime of his
In Korkān
by Bābur
Mirza, who
marches to
restore his
brother;
but is de-
feated, and
flies to Irāk.
1448.
grandfather, Shahrokh, and now asserted his independence.
Bābur led the forces of his principality towards Herāt, to
restore his brother Alā-ed-daulat; but being defeated,
and hard pushed by Ulugh Beg, was forced to abandon even
his capital, Asterābād, and to take refuge, in company with
Alā-ed-daulat, in Irāk, which was then held by another of
their brothers, Muhammed Mirza. Ulugh Beg having
soon afterwards returned across the Amu to Bokhāra,
Bābur Mirza again entered Khorasān, and took possession
Conquers
Khorasān.
of Herāt; while Ulugh Beg’s own son, Abdallatīf, revolted
and seized upon Balkh.
To complete Ulugh Beg’s misfortunes, Abūsaīd Mirza,
who was the son of Muhammed Mirza, the grandson of
Taimūr Beg, by that conqueror’s second son Mirānshah,
but who is better known by his own conquests, and as the
grandfather of the great Bābur, also appeared in arms
against him. Abūsaīd had been educated under the eye
of Ulugh Beg. When his father, Muhammed Mirza, was
on his death-bed, Ulugh Beg had come to visit him. The
dying man took Abūsaīd’s hand, and, putting it into Ulugh
Beg’s, recommended his son to his protection. Ulugh Beg
was not unworthy of this confidence, and treated the young
prince with great kindness and affection. One of Ulugh
Beg’s friends having remarked to him that his young
cousin seemed to be attached and active in his service,
‘It is not my service in which he is now employed,’ said
the generous Sultan; ‘he is busy acquiring the rudiments
of the arts of government and of policy, which will one day
be of use to him.’*
Abūsaīd, during the disorders that
followed the death of Shahrokh, had for some time held
the province of Fārs; but, being stripped of that possession
by Muhammed Mirza (the brother of Alā-ed-daulat and of
Bābur Mirza), had again taken refuge at the court of Ulugh
Beg, who had given him one of his daughters in marriage.
Believing, probably, according to the maxims of his age
and country, that the pursuit of a throne dissolved all the
obligations of nature or of gratitude, he now availed himself
of the prevailing confusions, and of the absence of Ulugh
Beg, who had marched against Abdallatīf, his rebellious
Death of
Ulugh Beg.
son, to seize on Samarkand. Ulugh Beg, on hearing of this
new revolt, had turned back to defend his capital, but was
followed from Balkh by Abdallatīf, who defeated and slew
1449.
him, after a short reign of three years.
Abdallatīf, after the murder of his father, continued
his march, defeated Abūsaīd Mirza, took him prisoner, and
recovered Samarkand. But Abūsaīd, who was destined to
act an important part in the history of Asia, was fortunate
enough to effect his escape, and found shelter and concealment
in Bokhāra. While in this retreat, he heard
that Abdallatīf had been murdered by a mutiny in his
army, and had been succeeded by his cousin Abdallah,*
who
Is succeed-
ed by
Abdallah.
was the son of Ibrahīm, the second son of Shahrokh, and
consequently a nephew of Ulugh Beg. The ambitious
hopes of Abūsaīd Mirza were revived by this event. He
succeeded in forming a party, seized upon Bokhāra, and
marched against Samarkand, but was defeated and forced
1451.
to take shelter in Turkestān,*
beyond the Sirr. Next year,
Abusaīd
Mirza
defeats
Abdallah,
and reduces
Samar-
kand.
however, having engaged the Uzbeks of the desert to assist
him, he returned towards Samarkand, defeated Abdallah
in a great battle, and occupied all Māweralnaher. His new
allies appear to have indulged in great excesses, and were
with difficulty prevailed upon to retire from the fertile
plains and rich pillage of the valley of the Soghd.*