After passing Kalāt, I was joined by Khan Mirza, whom I had suffered to retire into Khorasān after his revolt in Kābul, and by Abdal Razāk Mirza,* who had stayed behind in Khorasān when I left it. They had just escaped from Kandahār. The mother of the Pīr Muhammed Mirza, who was the grandson of Bahār Mirza, and the son of Jehāngīr Mirza, accompanied these Mirzas, and waited on me.
Shah BegI now sent letters to Shah Beg and Mukīm, informing them that I had advanced thus far in compliance with their wishes; that, as a foreign enemy like the Uzbeks had occupied Khorasān, it was necessary, in conjunction with them, to concert such measures as might seem most advisable and expedient for the general safety. Immediately upon this, they not only desisted from writing and sending to invite me, but even* returned rude and uncivil answers. One instance of their rudeness was, that in the letter which they wrote me, they* impressed the seal on the back of the letter,* in the place in which one Amir writes to another, nay, where an Amir of some rank sets his seal in writing to an inferior Amir.* Had they not been guilty of such insolence, and returned such insulting answers, things never would have come to such an issue, as it has been said,
| (Persian)— | An altercation has sometimes gone so far as to overthrow an ancient family (dynasty). |
The result of their passionate and insolent conduct was, that their family, and the accumulated wealth and honours of thirty or forty years, were given to the wind.
In Shaher i Safā,* one day, there was a false alarm in the camp: all the soldiers armed and mounted. I was busy bathing and purifying myself. The Amirs were in great alarm. When ready I mounted; but, as the alarm was a false one, everything was soon quieted.
Bābur ar- Proceeding thence by successive marches, we encamped
at Guzer.*
There too, in spite of all my attempts to come
to an explanation, they paid no attention to my overtures,
but persisted in their obstinacy and contumacy. My
adherents, who knew every part of the country, advised me
to advance by the rivulets which flow towards Kandahār,
on the side of Bāba Hassan Abdāl, and Khalishak,*
and to
occupy a strong position on their course. I adopted the
plan, and next morning having armed our troops, and
arrayed them in right and left wings and centre, we marched
in battle order for Khalishak. Shah Beg and Mukīm had
erected*
a large awning on the projecting face of the hill
of Kandahār, somewhat below the place where I have built
a palace,*
and lay there with their army.*
Mukīm’s men
pushed forward and advanced near us. Tūfān Arghūn, who
had deserted and joined us near Shaher i Safā, advanced
alone towards the Arghūn line. One Āshik-ullah, with seven
or eight men, separating from the enemy, rode hard towards
him. Tūfān advanced singly, faced them, exchanged some
sword-blows, dismounted Āshik-ullah, cut off his head, and
brought it to us as we were passing by Sang Lakhsheh.*
We
hailed this exploit as a favourable omen. As the ground
was broken by villages and trees, we did not reckon it
a good place to select for the battle. We therefore passed
over the skirts of the hills, and having chosen our ground
by the stream of an auleng (or meadow), near Kandahār,
had halted, and were encamping, when Sher Kuli, who led
the advance, rode hastily up, informing me that the enemy
were in full march towards us, drawn up in battle array.
After passing Kalāt, our people had suffered much from
hunger and want. On coming to Khalishak, most of them
had gone out in various directions, some up the country
and others down, to collect bullocks, sheep, and other
necessaries, and were now much scattered. Without
wasting time in attempting to gather in the stragglers, we
mounted for action. My whole force might amount to about
two thousand; but when we halted on our ground, from
the numbers that had gone off in different directions on
foraging parties, as has been mentioned, and who had not
had time to rejoin us before the battle, when the enemy
appeared I had only about a thousand men with me.
His order
of battle.
Though my men were few in number, yet I had been at
great pains to train and exercise them in the best manner.
Perhaps on no other occasion had I my troops in such
perfect discipline. All my household dependants*
who
could be serviceable were divided into bodies of tens and
fifties, and I had appointed proper officers for each body,
and had assigned to each its proper station on the right or
left, so that they were all trained and perfectly informed of
what they were to do; and had orders to be on the alert,
and active, during the fight. The right and left wings,
the right and left divisions, the right and left flanks, were
to charge on horseback, and were drawn up and instructed
to act of themselves, without the necessity of directions
from the tawāchis;*
and in general the whole troops knew
their proper stations, and were trained to attack those to
whom they were opposed. Although the terms Barānghār,
Ung-kūl, Ungyān, and Ung have all the same meaning, yet
for the sake of distinctness, I gave the different words
different senses. As the right and left are called Barānghār
Jawānghār (Maimeneh and Maisareh), and are not included
in the centre, which they call Ghūl, the right and left do not
belong to the Ghūl; in this instance, therefore, I called
these separate bodies by the distinctive names of Barānghār
and Jawānghār. Again, as the Ghūl or centre is a distinct
body, I called its right and left by way of distinction,
Ung-kūl and Sūl-kūl. The right and left of that part of the
centre where my immediate dependants were placed, I
called Ungiān and Sūliān. The right and left of my own
household troops, who were close at hand, I called Ung and
Sūl. In the Barānghār or right wing were Mirza Khan,
Shīrīm Taghāi, Yārek Taghāi, with his brother, Chilmeh
Moghul, Ayūb Beg, Muhammed Beg, Ibrahīm Beg, Ali
Syed Moghul, with the Moghuls, Sultan Ali Chihreh,
Khuda Bakhsh, and his brothers.*
In the Jawānghār or
left wing were Abdal Razāk Mirza, Kāsim Beg, Tengri
Berdi, Kamber Ali, Ahmed Elchi Būgheh, Ghūri Birlās,
Syed Hussain Akber, Mīr Shah Kūchīn Harāwel, Nāsir Mirza,
Syed Kāsim the Ishik-agha (or chamberlain), Muhibb Ali
Korchi, Pāpa Ughli, Allah Weirān Turkomān, Sher Kuli
Karāwel Moghul, with his brothers, and Ali Muhammed.
In the Ghūl or centre on my right hand, Kāsim Gokultāsh,
Khosrou Gokultāsh, Sultan Muhammed Duldāi, Shah
Mahmūd Parwānchi (the secretary), Kūl Bayezīd Bekāwel
(the taster), Kamāl Sherbetji (the cup-bearer). On my
left, Khwājeh Muhammed, Ali Dost, Nāsir Mīram, Nāsir
Bāba Sherzād, Jān Kuli, Wali Khizānchi (the treasurer),
Kūtluk Kadem Karāwel, Maksūd Sūchi,*
and Bāba Sheikh;
besides these, all my own immediate servants and adherents
were in the centre; there was no Beg or man of high rank
in it; for none of those whom I have mentioned had yet
attained the rank of Beg. With the party which was ordered
to be in advance were Sher Beg, Jānim Korbegi, Kūpek
Kuli, Bāba Abul Hassan Korchi; of the Urūs Moghuls, Ali
Syed Darwīsh, Ali Syed Khūsh-Gildi, Chilmeh Dost Gildi,
Chilmeh Yaghenchi,*
Dāmāji Mahdi; of the Turkomāns
Mansūr and Rustam, with his brothers, and Shah Nazer
Siyūndūk.
The enemy were divided into two bodies. One of them
was commanded by Shah Shujaa Arghūn, who is known
by the name of Shah Beg, and shall hereafter be called
Shah Beg; the other by his younger brother Mukīm. From
the appearance of the Arghūns, they looked about six or
seven thousand in number. There is no dispute that there
were four or five thousand men in armour with them. He
himself was opposed to my right wing and centre, while
Mukīm was opposed to the left wing. Mukīm’s division was
much smaller than his elder brother’s. He made a violent
attack on my left wing, where Kāsim Beg was stationed
with his division. During the fight, two or three messages
came to me from Kāsim Beg, to ask succour; but as the
enemy opposed to me were also in great force, I was unable
The battle.
to detach any men to his assistance. We advanced without
loss of time towards the enemy. When within bowshot
they suddenly charged, put my advance into confusion, and
forced them to fall back on the main body, which, having
ceased shooting, marched on to meet them; they on their
part also gave over shooting, halted, and stood still a while.
A person who was over against me, after calling out to his
men, dismounted and deliberately aimed an arrow at me.
I galloped up instantly to meet him; when I came near him,
however, he did not venture to stand, but mounted his horse
and returned back. This man who had so dismounted was
Shah Beg himself. During the battle, Pīri Beg Turkomān,
with four or five of his brothers, taking their turbans in their
hands,*
left the enemy and came over to us. This Pīri Beg
was one of those Turkomāns who, when Shah Ismāel
vanquished the Bayander Sultans, and conquered the
kingdoms of Irāk, had accompanied Abdal Bāki Mirza,
Murād Beg Bayander, and the Turkomān Begs, in their
flight. My right wing continued to advance towards the
enemy.*
Its farther extremity made its way forward with
difficulty, sinking in the soft ground close by the place
where I have since made a garden. My left wing proceeded
a good deal lower down than Bāba Hassan Abdāl, by the
larger river and its streams and channels. Mukīm, with his
dependants and adherents, was opposed to my left wing,
which was very inconsiderable in number, compared with
the force under his command. Almighty God, however,
directed everything to a happy issue. Three or four of the
large streams which flow to Kandahār and its villages*
were
between the enemy and my left. My people had seized the
fords and obstructed the passage of the enemy, and in spite of
the fewness of their numbers, made a gallant fight, and stood
firm against every attack. On the part of the Arghūns,
Halwāchi Tarkhān engaged in a skirmish with Kamber Ali
and Tengri Berdi in the water. Kamber Ali was wounded;
Kāsim Beg was struck with an arrow in the forehead;
Ghūri Birlās was wounded above the eyebrows by an arrow,
Bābur vic-
torious.
which came out by the upper part of his cheek. At that
very crisis I put the enemy to flight, and passed the streams
towards the projecting face of the hill of Murghān. While
we were passing the streams, a person mounted on a white*
charger appeared on the skirt of the hill, going backwards
and forwards, apparently in dismay and irresolute, as if
uncertain which way to take; at last he set off in a particular
direction. It looked very like Shah Beg, and was probably
himself. No sooner was the enemy routed than all our troops
set out to pursue them and make prisoners. There might
perhaps be eleven persons left with me. One of these was
Abdallah Kitābdār (the Librarian). Mukīm was still standing
his ground and fighting. Without regarding the smallness
of my numbers, and relying on the providence of God,
I beat the kettle-drum and marched towards the enemy.
| (Tūrki)— | God is the giver of little and of much; |
| In his court none other has power. |
| (Arabic)— | Often, at the command of God, the smaller army has routed the greater. |