The Memoirs of Bābur 899.2.5

899.2.5

He was a true believer (_Ḥanafī maẕhablīk_) and pure in the Faith, not neglecting the Five Prayers and, his life through, making up his Omissions.[112] He read the Qur'ān very frequently and was a disciple of his Highness Khwāja `Ubaidu'l-lāh (_Aḥrārī_) who honoured him by visits and even called him son. His current readings[113] were the two Quintets and the _Mas̤nawī_;[114] of histories he read chiefly the _Shāh-nāma_. He had a poetic nature, but no taste for composing verses. He was so just that when he heard of a caravan returning from Khitāī as overwhelmed by snow in the mountains of Eastern Andijān,[115] and that of its thousand heads of houses (_awīlūq_) two only had escaped, he sent his overseers to take charge of all goods and, though no heirs were [Sidenote: Fol. 7b.] near and though he was in want himself, summoned the heirs from Khurāsān and Samarkand, and in the course of a year or two had made over to them all their property safe and sound. He was very generous; in truth, his character rose altogether to the height of generosity. He was affable, eloquent and sweet-spoken, daring and bold. Twice out-distancing all his braves,[116] he got to work with his own sword, once at the Gate of Akhsī, once at the Gate of Shāhrukhiya. A middling archer, he was strong in the fist,—not a man but fell to his blow. Through his ambition, peace was exchanged often for war, friendliness for hostility.