[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Mughals (1526–1857)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal) › [Bābur (1526–1530)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur) › [Bāburnāma](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama) › [The Babur-nama in English (A. S. Beveridge)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge) › 933.2 # The Memoirs of Bābur 933.2 The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 933.2 - **Language:** English ### [933.2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2.1) (\_f. Attempt to poison Bābur.\_) (\_Dec. 21st\_) On Friday the 16th of the first Rabī\` a strange event occurred which was detailed in a letter written to Kābul. That letter is inserted here just as it was written, without addition or taking-away, and is as follows:—\[1980\] "The details of the momentous event of Friday the 16th of the first Rabī\` in the date 933 \[Dec. 21st 1526 AD.\] are as follows:—The ill-omened old woman\[1981\] Ibrāhim's mother heard \[Sidenote: Fol. 305b.\] that I ate things from the hands of Hindūstānīs—the thing being that three or four months earlier, as I had not seen Hindūstānī dishes, I had ordered Ibrāhīm's cooks to be brought and out of 50 or 60 had kept four. Of this she heard, sent to Atāwa (Etāwa) for Aḥmad the \_chāshnīgīr\_—in Hindūstān they call a taster (\_bakāwal\_) a \_chāshnīgīr\_—and, having got him,\[1982\] gave a \_tūla\_ of poison, wrapped in a square of paper,—as has been mentioned a \_tūla\_ is rather more than 2 \_mis̤qāls\_\[1983\]—into the hand of a slave-woman who was to give it to him. That poison Aḥmad gave to the Hindūstānī cooks in our kitchen, promising them four \_parganas\_ if they would get it somehow into the food. Following the first slave-woman that ill-omened old woman sent a second to see if the first did or did not give the poison she had received to Aḥmad. Well was it that Aḥmad put the poison not into the cooking-pot but on a dish! ### [933.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2.2) He did not put it into the pot because I had strictly ordered the tasters to compel any Hindūstānīs who were present while food was cooking in the pots, to taste that food.\[1984\] Our graceless tasters were neglectful when the food \_(āsh\_) was being dished up. Thin slices of bread were put on a porcelain dish; on these less than half of the paper packet of poison was sprinkled, and over this buttered \[Sidenote: Fol. 306.\] fritters were laid. It would have been bad if the poison had been strewn on the fritters or thrown into the pot. In his confusion, the man threw the larger half into the fire-place." ### [933.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2.3) "On Friday, late after the Afternoon Prayer, when the cooked meats were set out, I ate a good deal of a dish of hare and also much fried carrot, took a few mouthfuls of the poisoned Hindūstānī food without noticing any unpleasant flavour, took also a mouthful or two of dried-meat (\_qāq\_). Then I felt sick. As some dried meat eaten on the previous day had had an unpleasant taste, I thought my nausea due to the dried-meat. Again and again my heart rose; after retching two or three times I was near vomiting on the table-cloth. At last I saw it would not do, got up, went retching every moment of the way to the water-closet (\_āb-khāna\_) and on reaching it vomited much. Never had I vomited after food, used not to do so indeed while drinking. I became suspicious; I had the cooks put in ward and ordered some of the vomit given to a dog and the dog to be watched. It was somewhat out-of-sorts near the first watch of the next day; its belly was swollen and however much people threw stones at it and turned it over, it did not get up. In that state it remained till mid-day; it then got up; it did not die. \[Sidenote: Fol. 306b.\] One or two of the braves who also had eaten of that dish, vomited a good deal next day; one was in a very bad state. In the end all escaped. (\_Persian\_) 'An evil arrived but happily passed on!' God gave me new-birth! I am coming from that other world; I am born today of my mother; I was sick; I live; through God, I know today the worth of life!"\[1985\] ### [933.2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2.4) "I ordered Pay-master Sl. Muḥammad to watch the cook; when he was taken for torture (\_qīn\_), he related the above particulars one after another." "Monday being Court-day, I ordered the grandees and notables, amīrs and wazīrs to be present and that those two men and two women should be brought and questioned. They there related the particulars of the affair. That taster I had cut in pieces, that cook skinned alive; one of those women I had thrown under an elephant, the other shot with a match-lock. The old woman (\_būā\_) I had kept under guard; she will meet her doom, the captive of her own act."\[1986\] "On Saturday I drank a bowl of milk, on Sunday \_\`araq\_ in which stamped-clay was dissolved.\[1987\] On Monday I drank milk in which were dissolved stamped-clay and the best theriac,\[1988\] a strong purge. As on the first day, Saturday, something very dark like parched bile was voided." "Thanks be to God! no harm has been done. Till now I had not known so well how sweet a thing life can seem! As the line has it, 'He who has been near to death knows the worth of life.' Spite of myself, I am all upset whenever the dreadful \[Sidenote: Fol. 307.\] occurrence comes back to my mind. It must have been God's favour gave me life anew; with what words can I thank him?" ### [933.2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2.5) "Although the terror of the occurrence was too great for words, I have written all that happened, with detail and circumstance, because I said to myself, 'Don't let their hearts be kept in anxiety!' Thanks be to God! there may be other days yet to see! All has passed off well and for good; have no fear or anxiety in your minds." "This was written on Tuesday the 20th of the first Rabī\`, I being then in the Chār-bāgh." When we were free from the anxiety of these occurrences, the above letter was written and sent to Kābul. (\_g. Dealings with Ibrāhīm's family.\_) As this great crime had raised its head through that ill-omened old woman (\_būā-i-bad-bakht\_), she was given over to Yūnas-i-\`alī and Khwājagī Asad who after taking her money and goods, slaves and slave-women (\_dādūk\_), made her over for careful watch to \`Abdu'r-raḥīm \_shaghāwal\_.\[1989\] Her grandson, Ibrāhīm's son had been cared for with much respect and delicacy, but as the attempt on my life had been made, clearly, by that family, it did not seem advisable to keep him in Agra; he was joined therefore to Mullā Sarsān—who had come from Kāmrān on important business—and was started off with the Mullā to Kāmrān on Thursday Rabī\` I. 29th (Jan. 3rd 1527 AD.).\[1990\] (\_h. Humāyūn's campaign.\_) ### [933.2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2.6) \[Sidenote: Fol. 307b.\] Humāyūn, acting against the Eastern rebels\[1991\] took Jūna-pūr (\_sic\_), went swiftly against Naṣīr Khān (\_Nūḥānī\_) in Ghāzī-pūr and found that he had gone across the Gang-river, presumably on news\* of Humāyūn's approach. From Ghāzī-pūr Humāyūn went against Kharīd\[1992\] but the Afghāns of the place had crossed the Sārū-water (Gogra) presumably on the news\* of his coming. Kharīd was plundered and the army turned back. Humāyūn, in accordance with my arrangements, left Shāh Mīr Ḥusain and Sl. Junaid with a body of effective braves in Jūna-pūr, posted Qāẓī Jīā with them, and placed Shaikh Bāyazīd \[\_Farmūlī\_\] in Aude (Oude). These important matters settled, he crossed Gang from near Karrah-Mānikpūr and took the Kālpī road. When he came opposite Kālpī, in which was Jalāl Khān \_Jik-hat's\_ (son) \`Ālam Khān who had sent me dutiful letters but had not waited on me himself, he sent some-one to chase fear from \`Ālam Khān's heart and so brought him along (to Āgra). Humāyūn arrived and waited on me in the Garden of Eight-paradises\[1993\] on Sunday the 3rd of the 2nd Rabī\` (Jan. 6th 1527 AD.). On the same day Khwāja Dost-i-khāwand arrived from Kābul. (\_i. Rānā Sangā's approach.\_)\[1994\] ### [933.2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2.7) Meantime Mahdī Khwāja's people began to come in, treading on one another's heels and saying, "The Rānā's advance is certain. Ḥasan Khān \_Mīwātī\_ is heard of also as likely to join him. They must be thought about above all else. It would favour our fortune, if a troop came ahead of the army to reinforce Bīāna." \[Sidenote: Fol. 308.\] Deciding to get to horse, we sent on, to ride light to Bīāna, the commanders Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā, Yūnas-i-\`alī, Shāh Manṣūr \_Barlās\_, Kitta Beg, Qismatī\[1995\] and Būjka. In the fight with Ibrāhīm, Ḥasan Khān \_Mīwātī's\_ son Nāhar Khān had fallen into our hands; we had kept him as an hostage and, ostensibly on his account, his father had been making comings-and-goings with us, constantly asking for him. It now occurred to several people that if Ḥasan Khān were conciliated by sending him his son, he would thereby be the more favourably disposed and his waiting on me might be the better brought about. Accordingly Nāhar Khān was dressed in a robe of honour; promises were made to him for his father, and he was given leave to go. That hypocritical mannikin \[Ḥasan Khān\] must have waited just till his son had leave from me to go, for on hearing of this and while his son as yet had not joined him, he came out of Alūr (Alwar) and at once joined Rānā Sangā in Toda(bhīm, Āgra District). It must have been ill-judged to let his son go just then. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.2) · Pramāṇa