[This is an extract from Pavet de Courteille’s ‘Fragments’, which he regards as the last words written by Bābur.]
A YEAR had already elapsed since Humāyūn had retired to Badakhshān, and withdrawn himself from society. At the end of this time he called me to mind, and having made over the government of Badakhshān to Suleimān Mirza, his father-in-law, he reached Kābul after a day’s journey. During the ceremonies of the Feast of Bairām, he met Kamrān Mirza at Kabul, who had arrived there from Kandahār. The latter, much astonished at meeting him, asked him why he was on the move. Humāyūn, who was hurrying to see me again, despatched Hindāl Mirza from Kābul to Badakhshān, and set off to interview me. After an interval of a few days, he reached Agra, the imperial residence. I was engaged in talking of him to his mother, just as he arrived. His presence made our hearts expand like rosebuds, and our eyes shine like flaming torches. It was my daily custom to maintain an open table, but on this occasion I held a feast in his honour, and treated him in a most distinguished manner. We stayed together for some time living on terms of the closest intimacy. The truth is that his conversation had an inexpressible charm, and that he realized completely the type of the ‘perfect man’.
At the time that Humāyūn left Badakhshān to visit me, Sultan Sa’īd Khan, who belonged to the family of the Khans of Kāshgar, and was related to me, having left Rashīd Khan at Yārkand, advanced in the direction of Badakhshān, which he had a mad desire to possess, but, before his arrival, Hindāl Mirza had already entered Fort Zafar. Sultan Sa’īd, after besieging him there for three months, returned without being able to accomplish anything. As soon as I was informed that the people of Kāshgar had come to conquer Badakhshān, I gave orders to Khwāja Khalīfeh to go there, and take such measures as he thought the situation required. He, however, was ill advised enough to decline the mission which I had offered him. Then I asked Humāyūn if he could bring himself to go there in person. He replied that he would of course obey an official order, but protested that he would never leave me willingly. Suleimān Mirza was therefore sent to Badakhshān. This, on the other hand, is what I wrote to Sultan Sa’īd. ‘After all the favours that I have bestowed upon you, I was astonished to find you acting as you have done. For the present I have recalled Hindāl Mirza and have sent Suleimān Mirza to take his place. If regarding the rights of justice, you make over Badakhshān to this Prince, who is our son, all will be well; otherwise, I will not take notice of your offence as it concerns myself, but will leave the heritage to my heirs to deal with it as they may think best.’
Suleimān Mirza had not reached Kābul before the enemy, abandoning the possession of Badakhshān, demanded quarter (peace). As soon as that Prince arrived there, Hindāl Mirza gave up the place to him and left for India. Muhammed Humāyūn took leave of me to proceed to Sambhal, which was the place assigned for his residence, and where he stayed for six months. It is probable that the climate and water of the place did not suit him, for fever attacked him, and continued for such a long time that I ended by making up my mind to speak to him about it. I gave orders to have him conveyed by boat to Delhi and thence to Agra so that capable doctors might see him and prescribe a proper treatment for him. He was accordingly made to travel by water for several days. In spite of all the remedies that were administered to him, he got no better. Then Mīr Abul Kāsim, who was a person of the highest esteem, represented to me that the only remedy that could be applied in the case of such maladies was to make a sacrifice to God of something of great value in order to obtain from Him the restoration of the patient’s health. Thereupon, having reflected that nothing in the world was dearer to me than Humāyūn except my own life, I determined to offer myself in the hope that God would accept my sacrifice. Khwāja Khalīfah and other close friends of mine said to me, ‘Humāyūn will recover his health, so how can you speak so unwisely? It will suffice if you offer to God the most precious thing you possess of worldly goods. Offer as alms that diamond which came into your possession after Ibrahīm’s defeat, and which you presented to Humāyūn.’ ‘But’, I replied, ‘there is no treasure which can be compared to my son. It would be better for me to offer myself as his ransom, for he is in a very critical condition, and the situation demands that I should come to the aid of his weakness at the expense of my own strength.’ I immediately entered the room where he was and went thrice round him, starting from his head, and saying: ‘I take upon myself all that you suffer.’ At the same instant I felt myself heavy and depressed, while he became cheery and well. He got up in complete health, while I became weak and afflicted with malaise. I summoned to my bedside the grandees of the Empire and the most influential nobles, and placing their hands in that of Humāyūn as a mark of investiture, I solemnly proclaimed him as my successor and the heir to my crown, and placed him on the throne; Khwāja Khalīfah, Kambar Ali Beg, Tardi Beg, Hindu Beg, and others of my dependants took part in these deliberations. All of them agreed to what had been done, and bound themselves by an oath to support him.