BEFORE the Khán made peace with Sultán Ahmad Mirzá and married Karáguz Begum, he captured Táshkand. He seized and threw into prison Muhammad Mazid Tarkhán, who had been appointed Governor of Turkistán by Mirzá Sultán Ahmad; and this Muhammad Mazid Tarkhán was one of the principal causes of the peace, for he was a relation, on the mother's side [tághá], of Mirzá Sultán Ahmad. When the Khán conquered Turkistán, he had in his service Sháhi Beg Khán. As a reward for the services he rendered in the battle of the Chir (which has been described above), the Khán made over Turkistán to him; and on this account disagreement arose between the sons of Karái Khán and Jáni Beg Khán (of the Kazák) and Sultán Mahmud Khán, who had previously been on terms of friendship. [They complained, saying:] “Sháhi Beg Khán is our enemy; why did you send him to oppress us in Turkistán?” In a word, in consequence of this quarrel, between Sultán Mahmud Khán and the Uzbeg Kazák,* two battles took place, the Khán suffering defeat on both occasions. The cause of these defeats was that the most distinguished of his generals had left Yunus Khán. For the Khán had, in common with all who succeed to power, the defect of not knowing the value of men of worth, and [of imagining] that whomsoever they favour becomes, for that reason, a valuable man, which is, of course, impossible.

However, in conformity with these pernicious principles, the Khán patronised some of the lowest of his people, who were con­tinually engaged in trying to decry the old and influential Amirs. This they carried so far as to induce the Khán to put to death five of the great Amirs, each of whom was the head of a department [sar daftar], and to extirpate their families; while in their places, five of those base-born men were set up. At the time when the difference arose between Sultán Mahmud Khán and the Uzbeg Kazák, on account of Sháhi Beg Khán, and a war ensued, these five base-born men were generals: hence the defeat. That dread and esteem of the Khán, which by the successful efforts of the five Amirs, had taken possession of the hearts of the neighbouring Sultáns, had now disappeared. In the meantime Omar Shaikh Mirzá was killed by a house falling on him: this was in the year 899. When this news reached Sultán Ahmad Mirzá, he set out with an army against Andiján, to prevent it falling into the hands of the Moghuls. The Amirs of Omar Shaikh Mirzá behaved bravely, and raised his son, Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad Bábar Pádisháh, who was then twelve years of age, to the throne: they also applied to Sultán Mahmud Khán for assistance. When Sultán Ahmad Mirzá reached Marghilán he fell ill, and so made terms of peace and turned back; but he died on the road, just forty days after the death of Omar Shaikh Mirzá. Sultán Mahmud Mirzá came from Hisár, and set himself up on the throne of Samarkand in his brother's stead. He reigned six months; he then died a natural death, and was succeeded by his son Mirzá Baisanghar.

Sultán Mahmud Khán coveted the throne of Samarkand. He marched towards that town and met Baisanghar in battle, at a place called Kámyái. As the generals were the [above mentioned] base-born persons, the enterprise failed and the Khán was defeated. This was a very famous battle, and its date is as celebrated with the Moghuls as among the people of Samarkand. The Khán then returned to Táshkand, when these same low-born men persuaded him that it was fitting for them to support Sháhi Beg Khán, in order that he might take Samarkand and Bokhárá, and bear all the duties of the State, while they themselves remained at their ease in Táshkand. This appeared reasonable to the Khán. Much as my father condemned this advice and used his influence over the Khán, he was in no way able to prevent the latter helping and supporting Sháhi Beg Khán, till he had taken Samarkand and Bokhárá. This needs a detailed account, which will be given in Part II. along with incidents in the life of Bábar Pádisháh.

In a word, with this assistance, Sháhi Beg Khán took Samarkand, and obtained complete control over it. His army increased to 50,000 men; and Uzbegs from on all sides flocked round him. His first attack was directed against the Khán, who began to despair; but much as he and his ignoble advisers might gnaw the hand of vexation with the teeth of regret, they could not help themselves. In the meanwhile Sultán Ahmad Khán, who (as I have mentioned) had remained in Moghulistán, hearing of the Khán's distress, came to his brother's aid, and these two Kháns together, gave battle to Sháhi Beg Khán, but they were defeated. Sháhi Beg Khán, having treated them both with courtesy and respect, sent the Khán into Moghulistán; he, however, kept the Moghul soldiers with him, as will be related in Part II.

The two brothers, Sultán Mahmud Khán and Sultán Ahmad Khán, went to Moghulistán, where Sultán Ahmad Khán died, as shall be presently related. Sultán Mahmud Khán reached Moghul-istán and for some time underwent many hardships there. Finally he presented himself before Sháhi Beg Khán, counting on the favour he had once shown him. But Sháhi Beg Khán said to Sultán Mahmud Khán: “Once I was kind to you, but a second act of mercy would be the cause of the ruin of my kingdom.” He then put to death the Khán and his children, both great and small, on the banks of the river of Khojand. The chronogram “Lab-i-daryá-i-Khojand ” gives the date of the event—914 [1508-9]. The particulars will be given in Part II. of this History. The matter is mentioned briefly here to save repetition.