Marching hence,* I sent forward Kāsim, the master of horse, with the pioneers, to open a number of wells in the perganna of Madhakūr, which was the place where the army was to encamp.
Feb. 16.On Saturday, the 14th of the first Jumāda, I marched from the vicinity of Agra, and encamped in the ground where the wells had been dug.
Feb. 17. Next morning I marched from that ground. It occurred
to me that, situated as I was, of all the places in this
Bābur
marches for
Sīkri.
neighbourhood, Sīkri,*
being that in which water was most
abundant, was, upon the whole, the most desirable station
for a camp; but that it was possible that the pagans might
anticipate us, take*
possession of the water and encamp
there. I therefore drew up my army in order of battle, with
right and left wing and main body, and advanced forward
in battle array. I sent on Derwīsh Muhammed Sārbān with
Kismnai,*
who had gone to Biāna and returned back, and
who had seen and knew every part of the country; ordering
him to proceed to the banks of the tank of Sīkri and to
look out for a good ground for encamping. On reaching
my station, I sent a messenger to Mahdi Khwājeh, to direct
him to come and join me without delay, with the force that
was in Biāna. At the same time I sent a servant of
Humāiūn’s, one Beg Mīrak Moghul, with a body of troops,
to get notice of the motions of the pagans. They accordingly
set out by night, and next morning returned with information,
that the enemy were encamped a kos on this side of
Basāwer.*
The same day Mahdi Khwājeh, with Muhammed
Sultan Mirza, and the light troops that had been sent to
Biāna, returned and joined us.
I had directed that the different Begs should have charge of the advance and* scouts in turn. When it was Abdal-azīz’s day, without taking any precautions, he advanced as far as Kānwā, which is five kos from Sīkri. The pagans were on their march forward when they got notice of his imprudent and disorderly advance, which they no sooner learned, than a body of four or five thousand of them at once pushed on and fell upon him. Abdal-azīz and Mulla Apāk had with them about a thousand or fifteen hundred men. Without taking into consideration the numbers or position of the enemy, they immediately engaged. On the very first charge, a number of their men were taken prisoners and carried off the field.*
The moment this intelligence arrived, I dispatched Muhibb Ali Khalīfeh, with his followers, to reinforce them. Mulla Hussain and some others were sent close after to their support, being directed to push on, each according to the speed of his horse.* I then detached Muhammed Ali Jeng-Jeng to cover their retreat.* Before the arrival of the first reinforcement, consisting of Muhibb Ali Khalīfeh and his party, they had reduced Abdal-azīz and his detachment to great straits,* had taken his horse-tail standard, and taken and put to death Mulla Niamet, Mulla Daūd, and Mulla Apāk’s younger brother, besides a number of others. No sooner did the first reinforcement come up, than Tāhir Tibri, the maternal uncle of Muhibb Ali, made a push forward, but was unable to effect a junction with his friends, and got into the midst of the enemy.* Muhibb Ali himself was thrown down in the action, but Baltū making a charge from behind succeeded in bringing him off. They pursued our troops a full kos, but halted the moment they descried Muhammed Ali Jeng-Jeng’s troops from a distance.
Messengers now arrived in rapid succession, to inform me that the enemy had advanced close upon us. We lost no time in buckling on our armour; we arrayed our horses in their mail, and were no sooner accoutred than we mounted and rode out; I likewise ordered the guns* * to advance. After marching a kos we found that the enemy had retreated.
There being a large tank on our left,*
I encamped there
Bābur for-
tifies his
position.
to have the benefit of the water. We fortified*
the guns in
front, and connected them by chains. Between every two
guns we left a space of seven or eight gaz, which was
defended by a chain. Mustafa Rūmi had disposed the guns
according to the Rūmi*
fashion. He was extremely active,
intelligent, and skilful in the management of artillery.
As Ustād Ali Kuli was jealous of him, I had stationed
Mustafa on the right with*
Humāiūn. In the places where
there were no guns, I caused the Hindustāni and Khorasāni
pioneers and spademen to run a ditch. In consequence
of the bold and unexpected advance of the pagans, joined
to the result of the engagement that had taken place at
Biāna, aided by the praises and encomiums passed on them
by Shah Mansūr, Kāsimi, and those who had come from
Biāna, there was an evident alarm diffused among the troops;
the defeat of Abdal-azīz completed this panic. In order
to reassure my troops, and to add to the apparent strength
of my position, wherever there were not guns, I directed
things like tripods to be made of wood, and the spaces
between each of them, being seven or eight gaz, to be
connected and strengthened by bull’s hides twisted into
ropes. Twenty or twenty-five days elapsed before these
machines and furniture were finished. During this interval,
Kāsim Hussain Sultan, who was the grandson of Sultan
Hussain Mirza by one of his daughters, Ahmed Yūsef, Syed
Yūsef, with some who belonged to the royal camp,*
and
a number of other men who had gathered by ones and twos
from different quarters, amounting in all to five hundred
Muhammed
Sherīf the
astrologer.
persons, arrived from Kābul. Muhammed Sherīf the
astrologer, a rascally fellow, came along with them. Bāba
Dost Sūchi,*
who had been sent to Kābul for wine, came
back with some choice wine of Ghazni, laden on three strings
of camels,*
and arrived in their company. While the army
was yet in the state of alarm and panic that has been
mentioned, in consequence of past events and of ill-timed*
and idle observations that had been spread abroad, that
evil-minded wretch Muhammed Sherīf, instead of giving me
any assistance, loudly proclaimed to every person whom
he met in the camp, that at this time Mars was in the west,
and that whoever should engage coming from the opposite
quarter would be defeated. The courage of such as consulted
this villainous soothsayer was consequently still further
depressed. Without listening to his foolish predictions,
I proceeded in taking the steps which the emergency seemed
to demand, and used every exertion to put my troops in
a fit state to engage the enemy.
On Sunday the 21st* I sent Sheikh Jamāli to collect as many bowmen of the Doāb and Delhi as he could, to proceed with them to plunder the country of Mewāt, and to leave nothing undone to annoy and distress these districts. Mulla Tūrk Ali, who had come from Kābul, was instructed to accompany Sheikh Jamāli, and to see that everything possible was done to plunder and ruin Mewāt. Similar orders were given to Maghfūr Dīwān, who was instructed to proceed to ravage and desolate some of the bordering and remoter districts, ruining the country, and carrying off the inhabitants into captivity. They did not, however, appear to have suffered much from these proceedings.
Bābur’sOn Monday, the 23rd of the first Jumāda, I had mounted to survey my posts, and, in the course of my ride, was seriously struck with the reflection that I had always resolved, one time or another, to make an effectual repentance, and that some traces of a hankering after the renunciation of forbidden works had ever remained in my heart.* I said to myself, O, my soul!
He de-
(Persian verse)— How long wilt thou continue to take pleasure in sin?
Repentance is not unpalatable—Taste it.(Tūrki verse)— How great has been thy defilement from sin!—
How much pleasure thou didst take in despair*!—
How long hast thou been the slave of thy passions!—
How much of thy life hast thou thrown away!—
Since thou hast set out on a Holy War,
Thou hast seen death before thine eyes for thy salvation.
He who resolves to sacrifice his life to save himself,
Shall attain that exalted state which thou knowest.*
Keep thyself* far away from all forbidden enjoyments; Cleanse thyself from all thy* sins.
Having withdrawn myself from such temptation,*
I vowed never more to drink wine.