The Book of Akbar 127: CHAPTER XVII.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 127
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CHAPTER XVII.
127.1
His Majesty Gītī-sitānī Firdōs-makānī Zahīru-d-dīn Muhammad Bābar Pādshāh Ghāzī. King of the four quarters, and of the seven heavens; celestial sovereign; diadem of the sublime throne; great of genius and greatness-conferring; fortune-increaser; of excellent horoscope; heaven in comprehensiveness; earth in stability; lion-hearted; clime-capturer; lofty in splendour; of active brain; searcher after knowledge; rank-breaking lion rampant; exalter of dominion; ocean-hearted; of illustrious origin; a saintly sovereign; enthroned in the kingdom of reality and spirituality, Zahīru-d-dīn Muhammad Bābar Pādshāh Ghāzī. His pearl-like nature was a station for the marks of greatness and sublimity; freedom and detachment together with lofty restraint and majestic power flashed forth in his nature; in asceticism and absorption (faqr u fanā) a Junaid and Bāyazīd; while the magnificence and genius of an Alexander and of a Faridun shone from his brow. The holy birth of this majestic one was on 6 Muharram 888 (14th February 1483) from the holy womb and pure veil of the gloriously chaste and nobly-born, Qutlaq Nigar Khanum. That jewel of fortuned ocean and sparkling star (durri) of the heaven of glory arose from a happy quarter. She, the coiffure of purity and scarf of chastity, was the second daughter of Yunus (Jonah) Khan and elder sister of Sultan Mahmud Khan. Her lineage is as follows :—daughter of Yunus Khan b. Yais Khan, b. Shir ’Ali Oghlan, b. Muhammad Khan, b. Khizr Khwaja Khan, b.
127.2
Tughlaq Timur Khan, b. Isan Bugha Khan, b. Dava Khan, b. Baraq Khan, b. Isun Tava, b. Mutakan, b. Caghatai Khan, b. Cingiz Khan. Maulana Hisami Qarakuli recorded the date of the noble birth as follows. Verse. Since on 6 Muharram was born that bounteous king, His birth's chronogram is also 6 Muharram (shash-i-Muharram.) Though the chronogram be of marvellous coincidence and unfathomable in its significance, there is something stranger yet, viz., the chronogram is in six letters which are reckoned by the masters of computation as a lucky number and also the phrase (lafz) shash harf and the pips (naqsh) ‘adad-i-khair both indicate the date. Another wonderful thing is that the units, tens and hundreds of the date are all the same (8-8-8), thus pointing to equability of dispositions. His life corresponded to these mysteries of birth. That exemplar of high saints, Khwaja Ahrar himself with his own bounty-shedding tongue gave him—the auspicious one—the names of Zahiru-d-din Muhammad, but as this weighty appellation with its majesty and sublimity, was not readily pronounceable or current on the tongues of the Turks, the name of Babar was also given to him.
127.3
His Majesty was the eldest and straightest of the sons of ‘Umar Shaikh Mirza. In his twelfth year, on Tuesday, 5 Ramazan, 899 (10th June, 1494), he sate upon the throne in Andijan. Few kings have encountered such difficulties as he, and the courage, self-reliance and endurance which he displayed in the battle-field and in danger were superhuman. When the inevitable accident of ‘Umar Shaikh Mirza occurred in Akhsi, his Majesty Giti-sitani Firdaus-makani was in the Carbagh (Palace) of Andijan. Next day, viz., Tuesday, 5 Ramazan, the news was brought to Andijan. In a moment he mounted his horse and proceeded to the fort of Andijan. As he was alighting at the gate, Shirim Taghai seized his bridle and carried him towards the namazgah (place of prayer) in order to take him to Ozkand and the foot of the hills. His idea was that, as Sultan Ahmad Mirza was coming with great power, the treacherous officers might make over the country to him; if out of disloyalty, they did so, his Majesty’s sacred person might be saved from this danger and be conveyed to his maternal uncles Ilanja Khan and Sultan Mahmud Khan. Khan. The officers, on becoming aware of this intention, sent Khwaja Muhammad Darzl to dispel anxieties that had arisen in his mind. The cortege had reached the namdzgdh when Khwaja Muhammad came up with it. He calmed his Majesty and induced him to return.
127.4
When he (Babar) alighted at the citadel of Andijan, all the officers came to wait upon him and received marks of favour from him. It has already been mentioned that Sultan Ahmad Mirza and Sultan Mahmud Khan had united and come against ‘Umar Shaikh Mirza. Now that by the decree of fate, an inevitable accident had occurred, all the officers, small and great, united to defend the fort. Sultan Ahmad Mirza had taken possession of Uratippa, Khajand and Margkinan which are districts of Farghana, and had encamped within four kos of Andijan. Though they sent ambassadors and knocked at the door of peace, he did not listen but continued to advance. But as secret aids were always in attendance on this family, on account of the strength of the fort and the unanimity of the officers and of a pestilence which broke out in the camp and of the deaths of the horses, Sultan Ahmad got into difficulties and came to despair of his former designs. He therefore came to terms and returned without effecting anything. Coming from the north side of the river of Khajand, Sultan Mahmud Khan invested Akhsl. Jahangir Mirza, and a number of loyal officers were there. The Khan made several assaults, the officers made a spirited resistance, and so the Khan also did not effect his purpose, and being attacked by a sickness, had to give up his vain enterprise and turn his reins towards his own country. For eleven years, his Majesty waged great wars in Transoxiana against the CaghataT princes and the Uzbegs.
127.5
He twice conquered Samarqand, viz., once in 903 (end of November 1497) when coming from Andijan, he took it from