BÁBÁ SULTÁN has been already mentioned above, as the son of the Khán's brother, Sultán Khalil Sultán. He was a mere child when his father was drowned in the river, at Akhsi, by Jáni Beg Sultán, in the year 914. After the Khán took Andiján, Bábá Sultán remained in the Khán's service, and was treated with such consideration that he became an object of envy to [the Khán's own] children. Khwája Ali Bahádur, who has been frequently mentioned, was appointed his governor [Atáka]. This man, as has been explained, had a plan [for seizing] Moghulistán, and taking Bábá Sultán with him. But my uncle opposed this, and arranged that Rashid Sultán should go instead. On this account, Bábá Sultán was offended. Despite the attentions the Khán showed him, his resentment increased daily, and in proportion as Rashid Sultán rose [in power], his jealousy became the more bitter. Moreover, some devils of companions (who are to be found everywhere, and who sow the seeds of hypocrisy in the soil of men's hearts) did their best to incite him to sedition and revolt; so that at length he came to the conclusion that there was nothing left but flight.
One of these men was named Mazid, a person of evil ways, whom the Khán had at first favoured, but finding that he did not perform his duties in the posts to which he was appointed, the Khán deprived him of his rank. This person found it inconvenient to remain in Káshghar, so he approached Bábá Sultán, and filled his ears with many idle tales, which Bábá Sultán, from the vanity of youth, or rather from sheer ignorance, took for truth. Among other deceitful statements, he said to him: “It is a ruler of capability such as you, that Káshghar stands in need of, and everybody is seeking for a really good king. Wherever you go, the people accept you as Bábá Sháhi. Look, for example, at Sultán Avais in Khatlán-Hisár. Failing to find a good king, he set himself up on his own account, and now bows his head to no one. If you present yourself before him, he will make you king, while he himself will advance and take the whole of Badakhshán, and accomplish much that I cannot [now] explain. The truth of the matter is, that the sovereignty of Khorásán and Mávará-un-Nahr is far more important than that of Káshghar and Moghulistán [and you may attain it].” Such idle tales as these did he string together, and by persistence, made them appear reasonable. Thus was Bábá Sultán duped by this man and one or two others of the same sort.
In the summer of the afore-mentioned year, they fled from
Yárkand. The Khán did not send in pursuit of them, but said:
“If they find some one better than I am, well and good; if not,
they will retnrn.” Bábá Sultán fled to Sultán Avais, and thence
to Badakhshán. Here he saw that he had been deceived, and that
these cowardly men had misled him for their own private ends.
Repentant, he returned to Káshghar. But the Khán was unwilling
[that he should remain], as shall be shortly explained.
So being obliged to quit the country, he withdrew to Hindustán,
where he conducted himself badly. Bábar Pádisháh gave him
Ruhtak, an important town in Hisár-Firuza, where he followed
his uncommendable courses, but shortly afterwards was seized
with dysentery, and died in the course of the year 937, at the age
of twenty-four. In his youth he had been so spoiled by the Khán,
that his masters could do nothing with him, and his studies came
to naught. [Two couplets]… Yet he was not devoid of natural
talents, for he was a skilled archer and conversed well. At an
early period he was fond of me, and we were such warm friends
that we always used the same tent on journeys, and the same
dwelling at court. His aunt was with me and my sister with
him, on which account we were always able to associate without
ceremony. Then occurred the affair of my uncle; a bitterness
arose between them, and he plotted against the Khán. All my
warnings and reproofs were in vain, and after this our friendship
began to cool. When he came back [from his flight into Badakh-