The Memoirs of Bābur 933.3
The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 933.3
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933.3.1
Meantime much rain was falling; parties were frequent; even Humāyūn was present at them and, abhorrent though it was to him, sinned[1996] every few days. (_j. Tramontane affairs._) One of the strange events in these days of respite[1997] was this:—When Humāyūn was coming from Fort Victory. (Qila`-i-ẕafar) to join the Hindūstān army, (Muḥ. 932 AH.-Oct. 1525 AD.) [Sidenote: Fol. 308b.] Mullā Bābā of Pashāghar (_Chaghatāī_) and his younger brother Bābā Shaikh deserted on the way, and went to Kītīn-qarā Sl. (_Aūzbeg_), into whose hands Balkh had fallen through the enfeeblement of its garrison.[1998] This hollow mannikin and his younger brother having taken the labours of this side (Cis-Balkh?) on their own necks, come into the neighbourhood of Aībak, Khurram and Sār-bāgh.[1999] Shāh Sikandar—his footing in Ghūrī lost through the surrender of Balkh—is about to make over that fort to the Aūzbeg, when Mullā Bābā and Bābā Shaikh, coming with a few Aūzbegs, take possession of it. Mīr Hamah, as his fort is close by, has no help for it; he is for submitting to the Aūzbeg, but a few days later Mullā Bābā and Bābā Shaikh come with a few Aūzbegs to Mīr Hamah's fort, purposing to make the Mīr and his troop march out and to take them towards Balkh. Mīr Hamah makes Bābā Shaikh dismount inside the fort, and gives the rest felt huts (_aūtāq_) here and there. He slashes at Bābā Shaikh, puts him and some others in bonds, and sends a man galloping off to Tīngrī-bīrdī (_Qūchīn_, in Qūndūz).
933.3.2
Tīngrī-bīrdī sends off Yār-i-`alī and `Abdu'l-laṯīf with a few effective braves, but before they reach Mīr Hamah's fort, Mullā Bābā has arrived there with his Aūzbegs; he had thought of a hand-to-hand fight (_aūrūsh-mūrūsh_), but he can do nothing. Mīr Hamah and his men joined Tīngrī-bīrdī's and came to Qūndūz. Bābā Shaikh's wound must have been severe; they cut his head off and Mīr Hamah brought [Sidenote: Fol. 309.] it (to Āgra) in these same days of respite. I uplifted his head with favour and kindness, distinguishing him amongst his fellows and equals. When Bāqī _shaghāwal_ went [to Balkh][2000] I promised him a _ser_ of gold for the head of each of the ill-conditioned old couple; one _ser_ of gold was now given to Mīr Hamah for Bābā Shaikh's head, over and above the favours referred to above.[2001] (_k. Action of part of the Bīāna reinforcement._) Qismatī who had ridden light for Bīāna, brought back several heads he had cut off; when he and Būjka had gone with a few braves to get news, they had beaten two of the Pagan's scouting-parties and had made 70 to 80 prisoners. Qismatī brought news that Ḥasan Khān _Mīwātī_ really had joined Rānā Sangā. (_l. Trial-test of the large mortar of f. 302._)
933.3.3
(_Feb. 10th_) On Sunday the 8th of the month (Jumāda I.), I went to see Ustād `Alī-qulī discharge stones from that large mortar of his in casting which the stone-chamber was without defect and which he had completed afterwards by casting the powder-compartment. It was discharged at the Afternoon Prayer; the throw of the stone was 1600 paces. A gift was made to the Master of a sword-belt, robe of honour, and _tīpūchāq_ (horse). (_m. Bābur leaves Āgra against Rānā Sangā._) (_Feb. 11th_) On Monday the 9th of the first Jumāda, we got out of the suburbs of Āgra, on our journey (_safar_) for the Holy War, and dismounted in the open country, where we remained three or four days to collect our army and be its rallying-point.[2002] As little confidence was placed in Hindūstānī people, the Hindūstān amīrs were inscribed for expeditions to this or to that side:—`Ālam Khān (_Tahangarī_) was sent hastily to Gūālīār to [Sidenote: Fol. 309b.] reinforce Raḥīm-dād; Makan, Qāsim Beg _Sanbalī_ (_Saṃbhalī_), Ḥamīd with his elder and younger brethren and Muḥammad _Zaitūn_ were inscribed to go swiftly to Sanbal. (_n. Defeat of the advance-force._)
933.3.4
Into this same camp came the news that owing to Rānā Sangā's swift advance with all his army,[2003] our scouts were able neither to get into the fort (Bīāna) themselves nor to send news into it. The Bīāna garrison made a rather incautious sally too far out; the enemy fell on them in some force and put them to rout.[2004] There Sangur Khān _Janjūha_ became a martyr. Kitta Beg had galloped into the pell-mell without his cuirass; he got one pagan afoot (_yāyāglātīb_) and was overcoming him, when the pagan snatched a sword from one of Kitta Beg's own servants and slashed the Beg across the shoulder. Kitta Beg suffered great pain; he could not come into the Holy-battle with Rānā Sangā, was long in recovering and always remained blemished. Whether because they were themselves afraid, or whether to frighten others is not known but Qismatī, Shāh Manṣūr _Barlās_ and all from Bīāna praised and lauded the fierceness and valour of the pagan army. Qāsim Master-of-the-horse was sent from the starting-ground (_safar qīlghān yūrt_) with his spadesmen, to dig many wells where the army was next to dismount in the Madhākūr _pargana_.
933.3.5
(_Feb. 16th_) Marching out of Āgra on Saturday the 14th of the first Jumāda, dismount was made where the wells had been [Sidenote: Fol. 310.] dug. We marched on next day. It crossed my mind that the well-watered ground for a large camp was at Sīkrī.[2005] It being possible that the Pagan was encamped there and in possession of the water, we arrayed precisely, in right, left and centre. As Qismatī and Darwīsh-i-muḥammad _Sārbān_ in their comings and goings had seen and got to know all sides of Bīāna, they were sent ahead to look for camping-ground on the bank of the Sīkrī-lake (_kūl_). When we reached the (Madhākūr) camp, persons were sent galloping off to tell Mahdī Khwāja and the Bīāna garrison to join me without delay. Humāyūn's servant Beg Mīrak _Mughūl_ was sent out with a few braves to get news of the Pagan. They started that night, and next morning brought word that he was heard of as having arrived and dismounted at a place one _kuroh_ (2 miles) on our side (_aīlkārāk_) of Basāwar.[2006] On this same day Mahdī Khwāja and Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā rejoined us with the troops that had ridden light to Bīāna. (_o. Discomfiture of a reconnoitring party._)
933.3.6
The begs were appointed in turns for scouting-duty. When it was `Abdu'l-`azīz's turn, he went out of Sīkrī, looking neither before nor behind, right out along the road to Kanwā which is 5 _kuroh_ (10 m.) away. The Rānā must have been marching forward; he heard of our men's moving out in their reinless (_jalāū-sīz_) way, and made 4 or 5,000 of his own fall suddenly on them. With `Abdu'l-`azīz and Mullā Apāq may have been 1000 to 1500 men; they took no stock of their opponents but just [Sidenote: Fol. 310b.] got to grips; they were hurried off at once, many of them being made prisoner. On news of this, we despatched Khalīfa's Muḥibb-i-`alī with Khalīfa's retainers. Mullā Ḥusain and some others _aūbrūqsūbrūq_[2007]* were sent to support them,[2008] and Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang_ also. Presumably it was before the arrival of this first, Muḥibb-i-`alī's, reinforcement that the Pagan had hurried off `Abdu'l-`azīz and his men, taken his standard, martyred Mullā Ni`mat, Mullā Dāūd and the younger brother of Mullā Apāq, with several more. Directly the reinforcement arrived the pagans overcame T̤āhir-tibrī, the maternal uncle of Khalīfa's Muḥibb-i-`alī, who had not got up with the hurrying reinforcement[?].[2009] Meantime Muḥibb-i-`alī even had been thrown down, but Bāltū getting in from the rear, brought him out. The enemy pursued for over a _kuroh_ (2 m.), stopped however at the sight of the black mass of Muḥ. `Alī _Jang-jang's_ troops.
933.3.7
Foot upon foot news came that the foe had come near and nearer. We put on our armour and our horses' mail, took our arms and, ordering the carts to be dragged after us, rode out at the gallop. We advanced one _kuroh_. The foe must have turned aside. (_p. Bābur fortifies his camp._) For the sake of water, we dismounted with a large lake (_kūl_) on one side of us. Our front was defended by carts chained together*, the space between each two, across which the chains stretched, being 7 or 8 _qārī_ (_circa_ yards). Musṯafa _Rūmī_ had [Sidenote: Fol. 311.] had the carts made in the Rūmī way, excellent carts, very strong and suitable.[2010] As Ustād `Alī-qulī was jealous of him, Musṯafa was posted to the right, in front of Humāyūn. Where the carts did not reach to, Khurāsānī and Hindūstānī spadesmen and miners were made to dig a ditch. Owing to the Pagan's rapid advance, to the fighting-work in Bīāna and to the praise and laud of the pagans made by Shāh Manṣūr, Qismatī and the rest from Bīāna, people in the army shewed sign of want of heart. On the top of all this came the defeat of `Abdu'l-`azīz. In order to hearten our men, and give a look of strength to the army, the camp was defended and shut in where there were no carts, by stretching ropes of raw hide on wooden tripods, set 7 or 8 _qārī_ apart. Time had drawn out to 20 or 25 days before these appliances and materials were fully ready.[2011]