The Memoirs of Bābur 901.5

901.5

When Badī`u'z-zamān Mīrzā and whatever (_nī kīm_) troops had been sent with him against Khusrau Shāh, dismounted some 16 m. (3 to 4 _yīghāch_) below Qūndūz,[292] Khusrau Shāh arrayed whatever men (_nī kīm_) he had, marched out, halted one night on the way, formed up to fight and came down upon the Mīrzā and his men. The Khurāsānīs may not have been twice as many as his men but what question is there they were half [Sidenote: Fol. 35.] as many more? None the less did such Mīrzās and such Commander-begs elect for prudence and remain in their entrenchments! Good and bad, small and great, Khusrau Shāh's force may have been of 4 or 5,000 men! This was the one exploit of his life,—of this man who for the sake of this fleeting and unstable world and for the sake of shifting and faithless followers, chose such evil and such ill-repute, practised such tyranny and injustice, seized such wide lands, kept such hosts of retainers and followers,—latterly he led out between 20 and 30,000 and his countries and his districts (_parganāt_) exceeded those of his own ruler and that ruler's sons,[293]—for an exploit such as this his name and the names of his adherents were noised abroad for generalship and for this they were counted brave, while those timorous laggards, in the trenches, won the resounding fame of cowards.