The Memoirs of Bābur 902.1

902.1

902 AH.—SEP. 9TH. 1496 TO AUG. 30TH. 1497 AD.[309] (_a. Bābur's second attempt on Samarkand._) This winter, Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā's affairs were altogether in a good way. When `Abdu'l-karīm _Ushrit_ came on Sl. `Alī Mīrzā's part to near Kūfīn, Mahdī Sl. led out a body of Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā's troops against him. The two commanders meeting exactly face to face, Mahdī Sl. pricked `Abdu'l-karīm's horse with his Chirkas[310] sword so that it fell, and as `Abdu'l-karīm was getting to his feet, struck off his hand at the wrist. Having taken him, they gave his men a good beating. These (Aūzbeg) sulṯāns, seeing the affairs of Samarkand and the Gates of the (Tīmūrid) Mīrzās tottering to their fall, went off in good time (_āīrtā_) into the open country (?)[311] for Shaibānī. Pleased[312] with their small success (over `Abdu'l-karīm), the Samarkandīs drew an army out against Sl. `Alī Mīrzā; Bāī-sunghar Mīrzā went to Sar-i-pul (Bridge-head), Sl. `Alī Mīrzā to Khwāja Kārzūn. Meantime, Khwāja Abū'l-makāram, at the instigation of Khwāja Munīr of Aūsh, rode light against [Sidenote: Fol. 39.] Bukhārā with Wais _Lāgharī_ and Muḥammad Bāqir of the Andijān begs, and Qāsim _Dūldāī_ and some of the Mīrzā's household. As the Bukhāriots took precautions when the invaders got near the town, they could make no progress. They therefore retired.