The Rashīdī History 99.1
The Tarikh-i-Rashidi (Elias, Ross) 99.1
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99.1.1
At this date of 953, Abdur Rashid, the most excellent son of Sultan Said Khan, is on the throne of the Khans, and I (your most despicable slave), Muhammad Haidar, have inscribed and adorned my history with his glorious name. This book, beginning with an account of Tughluk Timur Khan (who was the first among the Moghul Khakans to be converted to Islam), down to Sultan Yunus Khan, is compiled from oral tradition and contemporary accounts, when they have not been found contradictory. Conflicting traditions have been omitted, on account of their probable inaccuracy. The history, from Yunus Khan down to the end of the reign of Sultan Said Khan, has been fully treated of in Part II. But in Part I. I have only given this portion of the history in epitome, as it is long, and much repetition would not embellish my work. As, however, there is no account of Abdur Rashid Khan in Part II., it is fitting to give it in this place.
99.1.2
At the time when the Khan [Sultan Said] was in Moghulistan with his brother Sultan Khalil Sultan, Mansur Khan also entered that country, and a battle was fought between them at Charun Chalak, in which the two brothers were put to flight. After being routed, they found that they could no longer remain in Moghulistan, so they retired in distress to Andijan, where the Khan was put into confinement. But he managed to escape, and went to Kabul, where his cousin Babar Padishah was. (All of this is related in The mother of Abdur Rashid Khan was one of those tribes-people whom his father had married, while they were in his service. She was with the Khan when he was thrown into prison in Andijan, but the malignant Uzbeg had separated her from the Khan, by whom she was seven months with child, of this same Abdur Rashid Khan. When the Khan joined Babar Padishah at Kabul, news reached him that his servant was delivered of a son. The Khan told this news to the Padishah, who said to him: "Call this boy Abdur Rashid, because it rhymes with Sultan Said Khan." And this is the origin of the name of Abdur Rashid, who was his father's successor.
99.1.3
When my uncle, Sayyid Muhammad Mirza, went to Farghana and attacked the Uzbeg under Jani Beg Sultan, he cleared the country entirely of Uzbeg impurities, and sent a messenger to the Padishah in Kunduz, who brought him back Sultan Said Khan. Abdur Rashid Khan had fallen into the unclean hands of the Uzbeg, but in consequence of these successes, he recovered his liberty and joined his noble father. When my sister, Habiba Sultan Khanish, came from Samarkand, the Khan married her, and entrusted Abdur Rashid Sultan to her care. She reared him with motherly attention and love, and Amir Ghuri Barlas was appointed his governor [Atabeg]. He was at that time three years of age. Two years later Amir Ghuri Barlas died, and according to the Moghul usage, his office was given to his uncle, Ali Mirak Barlas Khan. Thus Ali Mirak Barlas was appointed Atabeg to Abdur Rashid Sultan, and the charge of his education was given to Maulana Mohammad Shirazi, a learned and noble-minded man, who passed all his valuable life in the service of the Moghul Khakans. He was chief judge [Sadr-i-Sudur] at the court of Sultan Said Khan, where he exercised great influence. This Maulana was in truth the Atabeg of Rashid Sultan, while Ali Mirak Barlas held the office only nominally. Rashid Sultan was born in the year 915 [1509-10]. In 928, when he was thirteen years of age, the Khan brought him into Moghulistan.
99.1.4
When Khalil Sultan was killed by Jani Beg Sultan at Akhsi, his son Baba Sultan was still at the breast, and like Rashid Sultan, was kept a prisoner by Jani Beg Sultan. At the time when Farghana was subdued, he was brought to the Khan, who came to love this nephew more dearly than he loved his own children. He gave the child in charge to Khwaja Ali Bahadur, who had formerly rendered great services to Sultan Said Khan, and appointed the Khwaja, Atabeg to Baba Sultan. The Khwaja was a Moghul, and had spent most of his life in Moghulistan; he was very devoted to that country, and was always longing to be there. For this reason he begged the Khan to give Moghulistan and the Kirghiz country to Baba Sultan, saying that he himself would take [the boy] to Moghulistan, and would arrange the affairs of the Kirghiz and of Moghulistan. The Khan consented to this, and wished to send [them] off. My uncle, since he was father-in-law to Baba Sultan, did not overstep the bounds of loyalty, but as he disapproved of the plan, he represented [to the Khan] that the Moghuls had an unbounded love for Moghulistan. If Baba Sultan were once established in that country, all the Moghuls would want to live in Moghulistan; if the Khan forbade the undertaking, Baba Sultan would be offended; while if he did not forbid it, the departure of the people for Moghulistan would be a source of injury to the Khan; much anxiety would be caused, and the situation would give rise to many difficulties.
99.1.5
"But if, [he went on to say] Rashid Sultan takes him there, he is your son, and it can do you no harm for the people to follow him. Even if evil should result, you have only to control him—a course which cannot injure him. Although Rashid Sultan is very young, it is advisable that he should go into Moghulistan." No one supported my uncle's opinion. Mirza Ali Taghai in particular supported the side of Baba Sultan. In the meanwhile, Khwaja Ali Bahadur died (a natural death), so that the proposal was entirely abandoned, and the Khan's attention was turned to Rashid Sultan, but heated discussions constantly arose concerning that matter. My uncle did his utmost to settle the affairs of Rashid Sultan quietly, and represented [to the Khan] that the right course to take was to release Muhammad Kirghiz from prison, where he had now been for a long time. He should [my uncle said] be brought out; a selection should be made from among the Moghuls who had flocks and herds and were desirous of returning to Moghulistan, and these, accompanied by some of the great Amirs, should all be sent off [to Moghulistan] together. Finally the Khan approved my uncle's plan, and carried it out as had been suggested.
99.1.6
Having created Mirza Ali Taghai commander-in-chief, and appointed Muhammad Kirghiz, Amir of the Kirghiz, he sent them away. Just at this time Ali Mirak Barlas died, and was succeeded in the service of Rashid Sultan, by his son Muhammadi bin Ali Mirak Barlas; he also accompanied the expedition. Finally, at the insistence of my uncle, the Khan gave to Rashid Sultan one-third of all his regal possessions, whether in men, soldiers, money, tents, or felt dwellings [khirgah] and despatched him into Moghulistan. On the day of the departure of Rashid Sultan, [the Khan] sent to the haram for all his accoutrements, and said to me: "Fasten on his sword and quiver for him, and help him to mount his horse; it may be a good omen, and in the art of war he shall be your pupil." I performed this service, and the Khan himself, having stood up, repeated several times the Fatiha and then said: "Do not forget that it was Mirza Haidar who first fastened on your sword for you, and that you are his pupil; should any one ask you, whose pupil are you in the art of war, what answer will you make?" Rashid Sultan replied: "[I shall say] that I am the pupil of such a one." The Khán said: "He is my pupil." Having repeated this several times, and having once more recited the Fátiha, the Khan sent the party off.
99.1.7
On the arrival of Rashid Sultán in Moghulistan, Muhammad Kirghiz brought together all the Kirghiz and entirely subdued Moghulistán, where at that time there was a large army. It would take too long to recount the details. However, in consequence of the opposition which Rashid Sultan and his followers and allies met with from the Uzbeg Kazak, and also because of the hostility of the Kirghiz, he was obliged to return to Kashghar. Then followed those incidents in connection with Bábá Sultán and Shah Muhammad Sultán which I have given in Part II. Muhammadi Barlás was also concerned in these matters, for it was to him they entreated the Khán to give the heritage of Sháh Muhammad Sultán, by way of retaliation. My uncle and I, however, opposed this plan.
99.1.8
In short, in the winter of that year, 934 [1528], the Khán sent me with Rashid Sultán to Balur, and in Balur I managed all the affairs of the army. Rashid Sultán was then eighteen years of age. He had no cultured men in his service, and had never had practice in conversation [kash-i-muhávala]. Those about him were all a sect of Muhammadans, who, though men in form, were but brutes in their manners, and what could he learn from the brutal ways of those people? In spite of my own want of power and capacity [istita'at], I was superior to these people, and I passed my time with Rashid Sultan. So that when we returned, some little time after, the Khan found his son quite another person, and he said several times, both before me and in my absence, to Rashid Sultán, that he was delighted [masrur] with me. I had made Rashid Sultan a son to him, in that he had won many victories with this army; and [he added] "thanks be to God, my son has come so near to being what my heart would desire him to be."