Firishta's History (Gulshan-i Ibrāhīmī) 56.3.1

56.3.1

In the mean time, Sooltan Mahmood Doldy, one of Babur's officers, having deserted to Samarkand, informed the enemy of the correspondence with Khwaja Kootb-ood-Deen Yehya, which completely disconcerted Babur's measures, and he was compelled to relinquish his enterprise. Meanwhile the troops of Ally Dost Toghay, disgusted with their chief, crowded to the King's camp with complaints against that chief, and he finding his importance shaken, abandoned the service of Babur, and, with his son, went over to Sooltan Ahmud Tumbole, in whose camp he arrived a short time after. At this period, news arrived that Sheebany Khan had taken Bokhara, and was on full march to attack Samarkand, which Sooltan Ally Mirza, at the instance of his mother, surrendered without opposition. Babur accordingly fell back on Kish, and from thence to Khoozar, where Mahomed Moorad Turkhan, and the officers who had invited him to attack Samarkand, left him, and joined Khoosrow Shah. Babur, after this defection, was obliged to retreat by the route of Sirtak to Eelak, over rocks, stones, and rugged paths, by which his army suffered exceedingly, having lost most of his camels and horses on the march. This circumstance dispirited his troops to such a degree, that they all deserted him before he reached Eelak, excepting two hundred and forty men. In this state of affairs, Babur called together his officers, and consulted them as to his future operations.