The Book of Akbar 129: CHAPTER XVII.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 129
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CHAPTER XVII.
129.1
rud and consulted about crossing the river Indus known as the Nilab. Owing to the avarice of Baqi Caghaniani the crossing of the Indus was postponed and he proceeded against Kohat. After taking Kohat, they attacked Bangash and Naghz. Then they went to the country of the 'Isa Khail and halted in the environs of Tarbila which is a village on the Indus and in the country of Multan. Then he made several marches down the river. From thence he came to the borders of Duki and after some days to Ghaznin. In the month Zi-hajja (May 1505) he returned to Kabul. The second time, the illustrious army proceeded in the month of Jumada-l-awwal 913 (Sep. 1507) by way of Little Kabul (Khurd Kabul) to the conquest of Hindustan. They went first from Mandraur by 'Atar and Shiweh and then returned owing to differences of opinion among the officers. They crossed by Kuner and Nurgil and from Kuner he (Babar) came on a raft (jala) to the camp and then by way of Badij to Kabul. By order of his Majesty, the date of his crossing was engraved on a stone above Badij. This wondrous writing still exists. Till this time, the noble descendants of the Lord of Conjunction were called Mirzas. His Majesty ordered, that in this inscription, he should be styled Padshah. On Tuesday, 4 Zi-l-qa'da of this auspicious year (6th March, 1508), occurred, in the citadel of Kabul, the fortunate birth of his Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-ashiyani (Humayun). Of this an account will be given hereafter.
129.2
The third time, on Monday, 1 Muharram 925 (3rd Jan., 1519), while the army was marching against Bajaur, there was a great earthquake which lasted for half a sidereal hour. Sultan 'Ala'u-d-din Siwādī (of Swat) arrived as an envoy on the part of Sultan Yais Siwādī. In a short time, the fort of Bajaur was captured and was presented to Khwaja Kilan Beg, son of Maulana Muhammad Sadr, who had been one of the great officers under Mirza 'Umar Shaikh. This Khwaja was related to his Majesty in a singular manner for his six brothers had given their lives in his service. He himself was a special protege of his Majesty on account of his wisdom and sagacity. When his Majesty was contemplating the Siwad (Swat) expedition and the conquest of the Yusufzais, Taus Khan, the younger brother of Shah Mansur, who was chieftain of the Yusufzai tribe, brought the latter's daughter and uttered words of humility and submission. There was also a difficulty about supplies of corn in that country of wild beasts. His (Babar's) fixed determination too was to undertake the expedition to Hindustan. He turned his rein from Siwad. Although the preparations for the march to India had not been made and the officers were not in favour of it, he lighted the torch of courage and set forth for the tenebrous regions of Hindustan. On the morning of Thursday, 16 Muharram, he crossed the river (Indus) with horses, camels and baggage, while the camp (urdu) bazar was floated across on rafts. They encamped at Kacakot.
129.3
Seven kos from Bhira, towards the north, there is a mountain, called in the Zafarnama and other books, the hill of Jud and there they encamped. His Majesty writes in his Memoirs (Erskine, 254): “At first I was ignorant of the origin of its name, but afterwards “discovered that in this hill there were two races of men descended “of the same father. One tribe is called Jud, the other Jenjuheh.” He sent Abdu-r-rahim Shaghawal to Bhira in order to reassure the people and prevent anyone from committing violence. At the end of the day, he halted east of Bhira, on the bank of the river Bihat (Jhelam, the ancient Hydaspes). He levied 400,000 shahrukhis from Bhira as the price of protection, and presented the country to Hindu Beg, assigning the revenues of it to him as a maintenance. Khushab he made over to Shah Hasan and arranged that he should assist Hindu Beg. He sent Mulla Murshid on an embassy to Sultan Ibrahim, son of Sultan Sikandar Lodi, who had succeeded his father five or six months previously in the kingdom of Hindustan, in order to convey to him salutary counsels. Daulat Khan, the governor of Lahor, detained the ambassador and with utter folly, sent him back without having fulfilled his mission. On Friday, 2 Rabi'u-l-awwal (4th March, 1519), the news came of the birth of an auspicious son. As the expedition against Hindustan was then in progress, he was by secret inspiration and augury, named Hindal.
129.4
On Monday, 6 Rabi'u-l-awwal the administration of Bhira was given to Hindu Beg and he (Babar) for state reasons, proceeded to return to Kabul. On Thursday, the last day of Rabī'u-l-awwal (31st March) he arrived at Kabul. On 25 Rabī'u-l-ākhar (April 25th) Hindu Beg who, out of carelessness, had left Bhīra, came to Kabul.
129.5
The date of the setting out of the fourth expedition has not come to light but it appears that he (Babar) returned after the taking of Lahor and from the chronogram of the taking of Dīpālpur, which will be stated hereafter, it appears that the expedition was in 930 (1524). As every event has its special time, this splendid project (of conquering India) was postponed. The ostensible cause of this was the sluggishness of the officers and the non-co-operation of his brothers. At last, on the fifth time, by the guidance of God and the leadership of Fortune, on Friday, 1st Safar 932 (17th Nov., 1525), when the Sun was in Sagittarius, the standards of light were unfurled, such as might disperse the darkness of an universe, and placing the foot of resolve in the stirrup of reliance on God and of abstention from sin, he proceeded towards the conquest of India. Mīrzā Kāmrān was left in Qandahar and the care of Kabul was also entrusted to him. When this expedition was made, victory followed on victory and fortune upon fortune. Lahor and some other large cities of India were taken and on 17 Safar (3rd Dec.) his Majesty Jahānbānī, Jannat-āshiyānī, Nasīru-d-dīn Muhammad Humāyūn arrived from Badakhshān with his army, at the camp which was in the Bāgh-i-wafā (Garden of Fidelity). Khwaja Kilan Beg also came at this time from Ghaznln.
129.6
On 1st Rabi'u-l-awwal (16th Dec.) he crossed the Indus near Kacakot and held a muster of the army. Twelve thousand cavalry, Turks, Tajiks, merchants, etc., were reckoned up. Then they crossed the Bihat (Jhelam) above Jilum (Jhelam). Near Buhluipur they crossed the Cinab and encamped. On Friday, 14 Rabi'u-l-awwal (29th Dec.) they encamped at Sialkot and his Majesty formed the plan of transferring its population to Buhluipur. At this time news came that the enemy was assembling and when his Majesty reached Kalanur, Muhammad Sultan Mirza, 'Adil Sultan and the other officers who had been appointed to defend Labor, arrived and paid their respects. On Saturday, 22 (Text 24) Rabi'u-l-awwal, the fort of Milwat was taken. Booty was obtained and the books of Ghazi Khan which were in the fort were got possession of. Some of them were given to his Majesty Jahanbani and some were sent as a present to Kamran in Qandahar. As it was reported that Hamid Khan, governor of Hisar-firuza had advanced two or three stages, on Sunday, 13 Jumada-l-awwal the army marched from Ambala and halted on the bank of a tank (tal) and Humayun was sent against him (Hamid Khan). Amir Khwaja Kilan Beg, Amir Sultan Muhammad Duldai, Amir Wali Khazin, Amir 'Abdu-l-'aziz, Amir Muhibb 'Ali, Khwaja Khalifa and some of the officers who had stayed in Hindustan such as Hindu Beg, 'Abdu-l-'aziz, Muhammad 'Ali Jang-jang were appointed to accompany