The Khans having followed close after Tambol, took post
in the vicinity of Andejān. The elder Khan had his quarters
on the edge of the kurūgh (or Park) in the garden of my
grandmother Isān Doulet Begum, which is known by the
name of Kūshtigirmān.*
The younger Khan had his
quarters near the langer*
or monastery of Bāba Tawakkel.
After two days I came from Ush, and waited on the elder
The south-
ern districts
of Ferghāna
given to the
younger
Khan.
Khan at Kūshtigirmān. On this first visit he made over
to the younger Khan all the places which I had gained
possession of, giving me for an excuse, that as an enemy so
formidable as Sheibāni Khan had taken the city of Samarkand,
and was daily increasing in power, it had become
necessary to summon the younger Khan from a great
distance; that he had no possessions in this quarter; that
it was therefore expedient to give him the country south
of the river of Khojend, including Andejān, that he might
have a convenient station and place in which to fix himself.
The districts to the north of the river of Khojend, along
with Akhsi, were promised to me; and after settling this
country they were to proceed against Samarkand, which
was to be conferred on me; when the whole of Ferghāna
was to be ceded to the younger Khan. It is probable that all
this talk was merely to over-reach me; and that in case of
success they would have forgot their promises. However,
there was no help for it. Willing or not, I was obliged to
appear contented with this arrangement. On leaving the
elder Khan, I mounted and went to visit the younger Khan.
Kamber
Ali’s ad-
vice.
On the road, Kamber Ali, who was known by the name of
the Skinner, came up alongside of me, and said, ‘Do you
observe? they are taking away from you the countries
which you possess. Depend upon it, you will never gain
anything at their hands. Now that you have Ush, and Marghinān,
Uzkend, and the country of the Īls and Ulūses, set
out at once for Ush, fortify all your castles, dispatch some
person to Sultan Ahmed Tambol, to conclude a peace, join
in attacking and driving out the Moghuls, and then make
a division of the country as between yourself and a younger
brother.’ I answered, ‘It is more satisfactory to me, as the
Khans are my own family and kinsmen, to be a vassal of
theirs, than a Sovereign along with Tambol.’ Perceiving
that I did not approve of his suggestion, he seemed to regret
Bāburvisits
the younger
Khan.
having mentioned it, and drew off. I went on and saw my
uncle the younger Khan. In my first interview with him
I had come upon him unexpectedly, and gone up to him at
once, so that he had not even time to dismount from his
horse, and our meeting took place without ceremony. On
this occasion, however, when I had approached near, he
came out hastily, beyond the range of his tent ropes, and
as I walked with considerable pain, and with a staff in my
hand, from the arrow-wound in my thigh, he ran up and
embraced me, saying, ‘Brother, you have behaved like
a hero!’ and taking me by the arm, led me into the tent.
His tent was but small. As he had been brought up in
a rude and remote country, the place in which he sat was
far from being distinguished for neatness, and had much
of the air of a marauder’s. Melons, grapes, and stable
furniture were all lying huddled about in the same tent in
which he was sitting.
After getting up from the Little Khan’s I came to my own camp, when he sent me his own Yakhshi* or Surgeon to examine my wound. The Moghuls term a surgeon Yakhshi. He was wonderfully skilful in surgery. If a man’s brains had come out he could cure him by medicine; and even where the arteries were cut he healed them with the utmost facility. To some wounds he applied a kind of plaster; and to some wounded persons he gave a medicine to be swallowed. To the wound in my thigh he applied the skin of some fruits which he had prepared and dried,* and did not insert a seton. He also once gave me something like a root to eat, and said, ‘A man had once the bone of his leg broken in such a manner that a part of the bone, of the size of the hand, was completely shattered to pieces. I cut open the integuments, extracted the whole of the shattered bones, and inserted in their place a pulverized preparation; the preparation grew in the place of the bone, and became bone itself, and the leg was perfectly cured.’ He told me many similar strange and wonderful stories of cures, such as the surgeons of our countries are totally unable to accomplish. Three or four days afterwards, Kamber Ali, being apprehensive of evil consequences from the conversation which he had had with me, fled to Andejān.
Bābur goes After a few days, the Khans, having held a consultation,
sent Ayūb Begchik, with his tumān, Jān Hassan Bārīn,
with the tumān of Bārīns, and Sārīk-bāsh Mirza, as
commander of the detachment, with a thousand or two
thousand men to attend me, and dispatched us towards
Akhsi. Sheikh Bayezīd, Tambol’s younger brother, held
Akhsi, and Shahbāz Kārlūk held Kāsān. On this occasion,
Shahbāz came out and took post in advance of the fortress
of Noukend. Having passed the river of Khojend unobserved,
Advances
to
Noukend.
opposite to Ata, I hastened by a rapid march towards
Noukend to surprise Shahbāz. Just before morning, when
we were hard upon Noukend, my Begs represented to me
that in all probability Shahbāz had got notice of our
approach; that therefore it was better not to advance in
disorder, but slowly and in regular array. We therefore
advanced deliberately, and, as we approached, Shahbāz,
who had in reality been off his guard, and ignorant of our
motions, on being apprised of our coming, fled away and
took shelter in the fortress. Things very often turn out
just as they did on this occasion. On its being suggested
that the enemy must be acquainted with our motions,
enterprises are easily given up, and the moment for action
is lost. The result of my experience on these matters is,
that after we have formed our plan, and are in the moment
of execution, we ought to admit of no remission of activity
or exertion in carrying it through; for afterwards what do
regret and repining avail? When it was morning, there
was some fighting around the fort, but I made no serious
attack.
From Noukend we proceeded towards the hills near Bishkhārān, for the purpose of plundering. Shahbāz Kārlūk availing himself of the opportunity, abandoned Noukend and threw himself into Kāsān. On my return I took up my quarters in Noukend. During the interval that followed, my troops made various excursions in different directions. On one occasion they fell upon the villages of Akhsi; on another they plundered those of Kāsān. Shahbāz, with the adopted son of Ūzūn Hassan, one Mīram, came out to fight, and did engage; but they were defeated, and Mīram fell in the action.
Pāp de-One of the strongest fortresses of Akhsi is Pāp, the garrison of which declared for me, put it in a state of defence, and sent a messenger to call me in; when I dispatched Syed Kāsim with a detachment, who passed the river* opposite to some villages above Akhsi, and marching on, entered the castle of Pāp.
Attempt toA few days after this, an event worthy of notice occurred. At this time, Ibrahīm Chāpuk Taghāi, Ahmed Kāsim Kohbur, and Kāsim Jangeh Arghūn, with Sheikh Bayezīd, were in Akhsi. Tambol one night sent these officers with about two hundred chosen men to surprise Pāp. Syed Kāsim had gone to sleep without taking the proper precautions for guarding the place. The enemy having reached the fort, applied their scaling-ladders, mounted the walls, seized the gate, let down the drawbridge, and introduced seventy or eighty of their men, before Syed Kāsim received intelligence of what was passing. Half awakened from his sleep, he rushed out just as he was, in his vest, and with five or six others, began to discharge arrows upon them, and molested them so effectually by dint of repeated fails. attacks that he drove them out of the fort and cut off the heads of some of them, which he sent me. Though it was very unworthy of a captain to go to sleep in this negligent manner, yet, with a few men, to drive out such a number of brave soldiers clad in mail, merely by hard fighting and the edge of the sword, was a most gallant exploit.
All this time the Khans were engaged in the siege of the fortress of Andejān. The garrison, however, would not suffer them to approach it, and parties of horse frequently sallied out and skirmished with the besiegers.
Sheikh