The Memoirs of Bābur 925.6
The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 925.6
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925.6.1
(_March 20th_) Marching from that camp at beat of drum (_i.e._ one hour before day), we dismounted at breakfast-time (9 a.m.) below the Sangdakī-pass, at mid-day marched on, crossed the pass, crossed the torrent, and dismounted on the rising-ground. (_March 21st_) Marching thence at midnight, we made an excursion to the ford[1434] we had crossed when on our way to Bhīra. A great raft of grain had stuck in the mud of that same ford and, do what its owners would, could not be made to move. The corn was seized and shared out to those with us. Timely indeed was that corn! Near noon we were a little below the meeting of the waters of Kābul and Sind, rather above old Nīl-āb; we dismounted there between two waters.[1435] From Nīl-āb six boats were brought, and were apportioned to the right, left and centre, who busied themselves energetically in crossing the river (Indus). We got there on a Monday; they kept on crossing the water through the night preceding Tuesday (_March 22nd_), through Tuesday and up to Wednesday (_March 23rd_) and on Thursday (_24th_) also a few crossed. Hātl's kinsman Parbat, he who from Andarāba was sent to [Sidenote: Fol. 232.] Hātī with a servant of Muḥ. `Alī _Jang-jang_, came to the bank of the river with Hātī's offering of an accoutred horse. Nīlābīs also came, brought an accoutred horse and did obeisance. (_s. Various postings._)
925.6.2
Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang_ had wished to stay in Bhīra but Bhīra being bestowed on Hindū Beg, he was given the countries between it and the Sind-river, such as the Qārlūq Hazāra, Hātī, Ghiyāṣ-wāl and Kīb (Kitib):— Where one is who submits like a _ra`iyat_, so treat him; But him who submits not, strike, strip, crush and force to obey. He also received a special head-wear in black velvet, a special Qīlmāq corselet, and a standard. When Hātī's kinsman was given leave to go he took for Hātī a sword and head-to-foot (_bāsh-ayāq_) with a royal letter of encouragement. (_March 24th_) On Thursday at sunrise we marched from the river's bank. That day confection was eaten. While under its influence[1436] wonderful fields of flowers were enjoyed. In some places sheets of yellow flowers bloomed in plots; in others sheets of red (_arghwānī_) flowers in plots, in some red and yellow bloomed together. We sat on a mound near the camp to enjoy the sight. There were flowers on all sides of the mound, yellow [Sidenote: Fol. 232b.] here, red there, as if arranged regularly to form a sextuple. On two sides there were fewer flowers but as far as the eye reached, flowers were in bloom. In spring near Parashāwar the fields of flowers are very beautiful indeed.
925.6.3
(_March 25th_) We marched from that ground at dawn. At one place on the road a tiger came out and roared. On hearing it, the horses, willy-nilly, flung off in terror, carrying their riders in all directions, and dashing into ravines and hollows. The tiger went again into the jungle. To bring it out, we ordered a buffalo brought and put on the edge of the jungle. The tiger again came out roaring. Arrows were shot at it from all sides[1437]; I shot with the rest. Khalwī (var. Khalwā) a foot-soldier, pricked it with a spear; it bit the spear and broke off the spearhead. After tasting of those arrows, it went into the bushes (_būta_) and stayed there. Bābā the waiting-man [_yasāwal_] went with drawn sword close up to it; it sprang; he chopped at its head; `Alī _Sīstānī_[1438] chopped at its loins; it plunged into the river and was killed right in the water. It was got out and ordered to be skinned.
925.6.4
(_March 26th_) Marching on next day, we reached Bīgrām and went to see Gūr-khattrī. This is a smallish abode, after the fashion of a hermitage (_ṣauma`at_), rather confined and dark. After entering at the door and going down a few steps, one must lie full length to get beyond. There is no getting in without a lamp. All round near the building there is let lie an enormous quantity of hair of the head and beard which men have shaved off there. There are a great many retreats (_ḥujra_) near Gūr-khattrī [Sidenote: Fol. 233.] like those of a rest-house or a college. In the year we came into Kābul (910 AH.) and over-ran Kohāt, Bannū and the plain, we made an excursion to Bīgrām, saw its great tree and were consumed with regret at not seeing Gūr-khattrī, but it does not seem a place to regret not-seeing.[1439] On this same day an excellent hawk of mine went astray out of Shaikhīm the head-falconer's charge; it had taken many cranes and storks and had moulted (_tūlāb_) two or three times. So many things did it take that it made a fowler of a person so little keen as I! At this place were bestowed 100 mis̤qāls of silver, clothing (_tūnlūq_), three bullocks and one buffalo, out of the offerings of Hindūstān, on each of six persons, the chiefs of the Dilazāk Afghāns under Malik Bū Khān and Malik Mūsa; to others, in their degree, were given money, pieces of cloth, a bullock and a buffalo.
925.6.5
(_March 27th_) When we dismounted at `Alī-masjid, a Dilazāk Afghān of the Yaq`ūb-khail, named Ma`rūf, brought an offering of 10 sheep, two ass-loads of rice and eight large cheeses. (_March 28th_) Marching on from `Alī-masjid, we dismounted at Yada-bīr; from Yada-bīr Jūī-shāhī was reached by the Midday Prayer and we there dismounted. Today Dost Beg was attacked by burning fever. (_March 29th_) Marching from Jūī-shāhī at dawn, we ate our mid-day meal in the Bāgh-i-wafā. At the Mid-day Prayer we betook ourselves out of the garden, close to the Evening Prayer forded the Siyāh-āb at Gandamak, satisfied our horses' hunger in a field of green corn, and rode on in a _garī_ or two (24-48 min.). After crossing the Sūrkh-āb, we dismounted at Kark and took [Sidenote: Fol. 233b.] a sleep. (_March 30th_) Riding before shoot of day from Kark, I went with 5 or 6 others by the road taking off for Qarā-tū in order to enjoy the sight of a garden there made. Khalīfa and Shāh Ḥasan Beg and the rest went by the other road to await me at Qūrūq-sāī. When we reached Qarā-tū, Shāh Beg _Arghūn's_ commissary (_tawāchī_) Qīzīl (Rufus) brought word that Shāh Beg had taken Kāhān, plundered it and retired.
925.6.6
An order had been given that no-one soever should take news of us ahead. We reached Kābul at the Mid-day Prayer, no person in it knowing about us till we got to Qūtlūq-qadam's bridge. As Humāyūn and Kāmrān heard about us only after that, there was not time to put them on horseback; they made their pages carry them, came, and did obeisance between the gates of the town and the citadel.[1440] At the Other Prayer there waited on me Qāsim Beg, the town Qāẓī, the retainers left in Kābul and the notables of the place. (_April 2nd_) At the Other Prayer of Friday the 1st of the second Rabī` there was a wine-party at which a special head-to-foot (_bāsh-ayāq_) was bestowed on Shāh Ḥasan. (_April 3rd_) At dawn on Saturday we went on board a boat and took our morning.[1441] Nūr Beg, then not obedient (_tā'īb_), played the lute at this gathering. At the Mid-day Prayer we left the boat to visit the garden made between Kul-kīna[1442] and the mountain (Shāh-i-kābul). At the Evening Prayer we went to the Violet-garden where there was drinking again. From Kul-kīna I got in by the rampart and went into the citadel. (_u. Dost Beg's death._) (_April 6th_) On the night of Tuesday the 5th of the month,[1443] Dost Beg, who on the road had had fever, went to God's mercy. [Sidenote: Fol. 234.] Sad and grieved enough we were! His bier and corpse were carried to Ghaznī where they laid him in front of the gate of the Sulṯān's garden (_rauza_).
925.6.7
Dost Beg had been a very good brave (_yīkīt_) and he was still rising in rank as a beg. Before he was made a beg, he did excellent things several times as one of the household. One time was at Rabāṯ-i-zauraq,[1444] one _yīghāch_ from Andijān when Sl. Aḥmad _Taṃbal_ attacked me at night (908 AH.). I, with 10 to 15 men, by making a stand, had forced his gallopers back; when we reached his centre, he made a stand with as many as 100 men; there were then three men with me, _i.e._ there were four counting myself. Nāṣir's Dost (_i.e._ Dost Beg) was one of the three; another was Mīrzā Qulī _Kūkūldāsh_; Karīm-dād _Turkmān_ was the other. I was just in my _jība_[1445]; Taṃbal and another were standing like gate-wards in front of his array; I came face to face with Taṃbal, shot an arrow striking his helm; shot another aiming at the attachment of his shield;[1446] they shot one through my leg (_būtūm_); Taṃbal chopped at my head. It was wonderful! The (under)-cap of my helm was on my head; not a thread of it was cut, but on the head itself was a very bad wound. Of other help came none; no-one was left with me; of necessity I brought myself to gallop back. Dost Beg had been a little in my rear; (Taṃbal) on leaving me alone, chopped at him.[1447]