The Memoirs of Bābur 932.6
The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 932.6
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932.6.1
When the incitement to battle had come, the Sun was spear-high; till mid-day fighting had been in full force; noon passed, the foe was crushed in defeat, our friends rejoicing and gay. By God's mercy and kindness, this difficult affair was made easy for us! In one half-day, that armed mass was laid upon the earth. Five or six thousand men were killed in one place close to Ibrāhīm. Our estimate of the other dead, lying all over the field, was 15 to 16,000, but it came to be known, later in Āgra from the statements of Hindūstānīs, that 40 or 50,000 may have died in that battle.[1678] The foe defeated, pursuit and unhorsing of fugitives began. Our men brought in amīrs of all ranks and the chiefs they captured; _mahauts_ made offering of herd after herd of elephants. Ibrāhīm was thought to have fled; therefore, while pursuing [Sidenote: Fol. 267b.] the enemy, we told off Qismatāī Mīrzā, Bābā _chuhra_ and Būjka of the _khaṣa-tābīn_[1679] to lead swift pursuit to Āgra and try to take him. We passed through his camp, looked into his own enclosure (_sarācha_) and quarters, and dismounted on the bank of standing-water (_qarā-sū_). It was the Afternoon Prayer when Khalīfa's younger brother-in-law T̤āhir Tībrī[1680] who had found Ibrāhīm's body in a heap of dead, brought in his head. (_x. Detachments sent to occupy Dihlī and Āgra._)
932.6.2
On that very same day we appointed Humāyūn Mīrzā[1681] to ride fast and light to Āgra with Khwāja Kalān, Muḥammadī, Shāh Manṣūr _Barlās_, Yūnas-i-`alī, `Abdu'l-lah and Treasurer Walī, to get the place into their hands and to mount guard over the treasure. We fixed on Mahdī Khwāja, with Muḥammad Sl. Mīrza, `Ādil Sulṯān, Sl. Junaid _Barlās_ and Qūtlūq-qadam to leave their baggage, make sudden incursion on Dihlī, and keep watch on the treasuries.[1682] (_April 21st_) We marched on next day and when we had gone 2 miles, dismounted, for the sake of the horses, on the bank of the Jūn (Jumna). (_April 24th_) On Tuesday (Rajab 12th), after we had halted on two nights and had made the circuit of Shaikh Niẓāmu'd-dīn _Auliyā_'s tomb[1683] we dismounted on the bank of the Jūn over against Dihlī.[1684] That same night, being Wednesday-eve, we made an excursion into the fort of Dihlī and there spent the night. (_April 25th_) Next day (Wednesday Rajab 13th) I made the circuit of Khwāja Quṯbu'd-dīn's[1685] tomb and visited the tombs and residences of Sl. Ghiyāṣu'd-dīn _Balban_[1686] and Sl. `Alāu'u'd-dīn [Sidenote: Fol. 268.] _Khiljī_,[1687] his Minār, and the Ḥauẓ-shamsī, Ḥauẓ-i-khaṣ and the tombs and gardens of Sl. Buhlūl and Sl. Sikandar (_Lūdī_). Having done this, we dismounted at the camp, went on a boat, and there _`araq_ was drunk.
932.6.3
We bestowed the Military Collectorate (_shiqdārlīghī_) of Dihlī on Red Walī, made Dost Dīwān in the Dihlī district, sealed the treasuries, and made them over to their charge. (_April 26th_) On Thursday we dismounted on the bank of the Jūn, over against Tūghlūqābād.[1688] (_y. The khuṯba read for Bābur in Dihlī._) (_April 27th_) On Friday (Rajab 15th) while we remained on the same ground, Maulānā Maḥmūd and Shaikh Zain went with a few others into Dihlī for the Congregational Prayer, read the _khuṯba_ in my name, distributed a portion of money to the poor and needy,[1689] and returned to camp. (_April 28th_) Leaving that ground on Saturday (Rajab 16th), we advanced march by march for Āgra. I made an excursion to Tūghlūqābād and rejoined the camp. (_May 4th_) On Friday (Rajab 22nd), we dismounted at the mansion (_manzil_) of Sulaimān _Farmulī_ in a suburb of Āgra, but as the place was far from the fort, moved on the following day to Jalāl Khān _Jig:hat's_ house. On Humāyūn's arrival at Āgra, ahead of us, the garrison had made excuses and false pretexts (about surrender). He and his noticing the want of discipline there was, said, "The long hand may be laid on the Treasury"! and so sat down to watch the roads out of Āgra till we should come. (_z. The great diamond._) In Sultan Ibrāhīm's defeat the Rāja of Gūālīār Bikramājīt the Hindū had gone to hell.[1690] [Sidenote: Fol. 268b.]
932.6.4
(_Author's note on Bikramājīt._) The ancestors of Bikramājīt had ruled in Gūālīār for more than a hundred years.[1691] Sikandar (_Lūdī_) had sat down in Āgra for several years in order to take the fort; later on, in Ibrāhīm's time, `Aẕim Humāyūn _Sarwānī_[1692] had completely invested it for some while; following this, it was taken on terms under which Shamsābād was given in exchange for it.[1693] Bikramājīt's children and family were in Āgra at the time of Ibrāhīm's defeat. When Humāyūn reached Āgra, they must have been planning to flee, but his postings of men (to watch the roads) prevented this and guard was kept over them. Humāyūn himself did not let them go (_bārghālī qūīmās_). They made him a voluntary offering of a mass of jewels and valuables amongst which was the famous diamond which `Alāu'u'd-dīn must have brought.[1694] Its reputation is that every appraiser has estimated its value at two and a half days' food for the whole world. Apparently it weighs 8 _mis̤qāls_.[1695] Humāyūn offered it to me when I arrived at Āgra; I just gave it him back. (_aa. Ibrāhīm's mother and entourage._)
932.6.5
Amongst men of mark who were in the fort, there were Malik Dād _Karānī_, Millī _Sūrdūk_ and Fīrūz Khān _Mīwātī_. They, being convicted of false dealing, were ordered out for capital punishment. Several persons interceded for Malik Dād _Karānī_ and four or five days passed in comings and goings before the matter was arranged. We then shewed to them (all?) kindness and favour in agreement with the petition made for them, and we restored them all their goods.[1696] A _pargana_ worth 7 _laks_[1697] was bestowed on Ibrāhīm's mother; _parganas_ were given also to these begs of his.[1698] She was sent out of the fort with her old servants and given encamping-ground (_yūrt_) two miles below [Sidenote: Fol. 269.] Āgra. (_May 10th_) I entered Āgra at the Afternoon Prayer of Thursday (Rajab 28th) and dismounted at the mansion (_manzil_) of Sl. Ibrāhīm. EXPEDITIONS OF TRAMONTANE MUḤAMMADANS INTO HIND. (_a. Bābur's five attempts on Hindūstān._)
932.6.6
From the date 910 at which the country of Kābul was conquered, down to now (932 AH.) (my) desire for Hindūstān had been constant, but owing sometimes to the feeble counsels of begs, sometimes to the non-accompaniment of elder and younger brethren,[1699] a move on Hindūstān had not been practicable and its territories had remained unsubdued. At length no such obstacles were left; no beg, great or small (_beg begāt_) of lower birth,[1700] could speak an opposing word. In 925 AH. (1519 AD.) we led an army out and, after taking Bajaur by storm in 2-3 _garī_ (44-66 minutes), and making a general massacre of its people, went on into Bhīra. Bhīra we neither over-ran nor plundered; we imposed a ransom on its people, taking from them in money and goods to the value of 4 _laks_ of _shāhrukhīs_ and having shared this out to the army and auxiliaries, returned to Kābul. From then till now we laboriously held tight[1701] to Hindūstān, five times leading an army into it.[1702] The fifth time, God the Most High, by his own mercy and favour, made such a foe as Sl. Ibrāhīm the vanquished and loser, such a realm as Hindūstān our conquest and possession. (_b. Three invaders from Tramontana._)
932.6.7
From the time of the revered Prophet down till now[1703] three men from that side[1704] have conquered and ruled Hindūstān. Sl. Maḥmūd _Ghāzī_[1705] was the first, who and whose descendants sat long on the seat of government in Hindūstān. Sl. Shihābu'd-dīn [Sidenote: Fol. 269b.] of Ghūr was the second,[1706] whose slaves and dependants royally shepherded[1707] this realm for many years. I am the third. But my task was not like the task of those other rulers. For why? Because Sl. Maḥmūd, when he conquered Hindūstān, had the throne of Khurāsān subject to his rule, vassal and obedient to him were the sulṯāns of Khwārizm and the Marches (_Dāru'l-marz_), and under his hand was the ruler of Samarkand. Though his army may not have numbered 2 _laks_, what question is there that it[1708] was one. Then again, rājas were his opponents; all Hindūstān was not under one supreme head (_pādshāh_), but each rāja ruled independently in his own country. Sl. Shihābu'd-dīn again,—though he himself had no rule in Khurāsān, his elder brother Ghiyās̱u'd-dīn had it. The _T̤abaqāt-i-nāṣirī_[1709] brings it forward that he once led into Hindūstān an army of 120,000 men and horse in mail.[1710] His opponents also were rāīs and rājas; one man did not hold all Hindūstān.
932.6.8
That time we came to Bhīra, we had at most some 1500 to 2000 men. We had made no previous move on Hindūstān with an army equal to that which came the fifth time, when we beat Sl. Ibrāhīm and conquered the realm of Hindūstān, the total written down for which, taking one retainer with another, and [Sidenote: Fol. 270.] with traders and servants, was 12,000. Dependent on me were the countries of Badakhshān, Qūndūz, Kābul and Qandahār, but no reckonable profit came from them, rather it was necessary to reinforce them fully because several lie close to an enemy. Then again, all Māwarā'u'n-nahr was in the power of the Aūzbeg khāns and sulṯāns, an ancient foe whose armies counted up to 100,000. Moreover Hindūstān, from Bhīra to Bihār, was in the power of the Afghāns and in it Sl. Ibrāhīm was supreme. In proportion to his territory his army ought to have been 5 _laks_, but at that time the Eastern amīrs were in hostility to him. His army was estimated at 100,000 and people said his elephants and those of his amīrs were 1000.