[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) › 933.4 # The Memoirs of Bābur 933.4 The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 933.4 - **Language:** English ### [933.4.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4.1) (\_q. A reinforcement from Kābul.\_) Just at this time there arrived from Kābul Qāsim-i-ḥusain Sl. (\_Aūzbeg Shaibān\_) who is the son of a daughter of Sl. Ḥusain M. (\_Bāī-qarā\_), and with him Aḥmad-i-yūsuf (\_Aūghlāqchī\_), Qawwām-i-aūrdū Shāh and also several single friends of mine, counting up in all to 500 men. Muḥammad Sharīf, the astrologer of ill-augury, came with them too, so did Bābā Dost the water-bearer (\_sūchī\_) who, having gone to Kābul for wine, had there \[Sidenote: Fol. 311b.\] loaded three strings of camels with acceptable Ghaznī wines. At a time such as this, when, as has been mentioned, the army was anxious and afraid by reason of past occurrences and vicissitudes, wild words and opinions, this Muḥammad Sharīf, the ill-augurer, though he had not a helpful word to say to me, kept insisting to all he met, "Mars is in the west in these days;\[2012\] who comes into the fight from this (east) side will be defeated." Timid people who questioned the ill-augurer, became the more shattered in heart. We gave no ear to his wild words, made no change in our operations, but got ready in earnest for the fight. ### [933.4.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4.2) (\_Feb. 24th\_) On Sunday the 22nd (of Jumāda 1.) Shaikh Jamāl was sent to collect all available quiver-wearers from between the two waters (Ganges and Jumna) and from Dihlī, so that with this force he might over-run and plunder the Mīwāt villages, leaving nothing undone which could awaken the enemy's anxiety for that side. Mullā Tark-i-\`alī, then on his way from Kābul, was ordered to join Shaikh Jamāl and to neglect nothing of ruin and plunder in Mīwāt; orders to the same purport were given also to Maghfūr the Dīwān. They went; they over-ran and raided a few villages in lonely corners (\_būjqāq\_); they took some prisoners; but their passage through did not arouse much anxiety! (\_r. Bābur renounces wine.\_) On Monday the 23rd of the first Jumāda (Feb. 25th), when \[Sidenote: Fol. 312.\] I went out riding, I reflected, as I rode, that the wish to cease from sin had been always in my mind, and that my forbidden acts had set lasting stain upon my heart. Said I, "Oh! my soul!" (\_Persian\_) "How long wilt thou draw savour from sin? Repentance is not without savour, taste it!"\[2013\] (\_Turkī\_) Through years how many has sin defiled thee? How much of peace has transgression given thee? How much hast thou been thy passions' slave? How much of thy life flung away? With the Ghāzī's resolve since now thou hast marched, Thou hast looked thine own death in the face! Who resolves to hold stubbornly fast to the death, Thou knowest what change he attains, ### [933.4.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4.3) That far he removes him from all things forbidden, That from all his offences he cleanses himself. With my own gain before me, I vowed to obey, In this my transgression,\[2014\] the drinking of wine.\[2015\] The flagons and cups of silver and gold, the vessels of feasting, I had them all brought; I had them all broken up\[2016\] then and there. Thus eased I my heart by renouncement of wine. The fragments of the gold and silver vessels were shared out to deserving persons and to darwīshes. The first to agree in renouncing wine was \`Asas;\[2017\] he had already agreed also about leaving his beard untrimmed.\[2018\] That night and next day some \[Sidenote: Fol. 312b.\] 300 begs and persons of the household, soldiers and not soldiers, renounced wine. What wine we had with us was poured on the ground; what Bābā Dost had brought was ordered salted to make vinegar. At the place where the wine was poured upon the ground, a well was ordered to be dug, built up with stone and having an almshouse beside it. It was already finished in Muḥarram 935 (AH.-Sep. 1528 AD.) at the time I went to Sīkrī from Dūlpūr on my way back from visiting Gūālīār. (\_s. Remission of a due.\_) I had vowed already that, if I gained the victory over Sangā the pagan, I would remit the \_tamghā\_\[2019\] to all Musalmāns. Of this vow Darwīsh-i-muḥammad \_Sārbān\_ and Shaikh Zain reminded me at the time I renounced wine. Said I, "You do well to remind me." ### [933.4.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4.4) \*\_The tamghā\_ was remitted to all Musalmāns of the dominions I held.\[2020\] I sent for the clerks (\_munshīlār\_), and ordered them to write for their news-letters (\_akhbar\_) the \_farmān\_ concerning the two important acts that had been done. Shaikh Zain wrote the \_farmān\_ with his own elegance (\_inshāsī bīla\_) and his fine letter (\_inshā\_) was sent to all my dominions. It is as follows:—\[2021\] FARMĀN ANNOUNCING BĀBUR'S RENUNCIATION OF WINE.\[2022\] \[2023\] \_Let us praise the Long-suffering One who loveth the penitent and who loveth the cleansers of themselves; and let thanks be rendered to the Gracious One who absolveth His debtors, and forgiveth those who seek forgiveness. Blessings be upon Muḥammad the Crown of Creatures, on the Holy family, on the pure Companions\_, and on the mirrors of the glorious congregation, to wit, the Masters of Wisdom who are treasure-houses of the pearls of purity and who bear the impress of the sparkling jewels of this purport:—that the nature of man is prone to evil, and that the abandonment of sinful appetites is only feasible by Divine aid \[Sidenote: Fol. 313.\] and the help that cometh from on high. "\_Every soul is prone unto evil\_,"\[2024\] (and again) "\_This is the bounty of God\_; \_He will give the same unto whom He pleaseth\_; \_and God is endued with great bounty\_."\[2025\] ### [933.4.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4.5) Our motive for these remarks and for repeating these statements is that, by reason of human frailty, of the customs of kings and of the great, all of us, from the Shāh to the sipāhī, in the heyday of our youth, have transgressed and done what we ought not to have done. After some days of sorrow and repentance, we abandoned evil practices one by one, and the gates of retrogression became closed. But the renunciation of wine, the greatest and most indispensable of renunciations, remained under a veil in the chamber of deeds \_pledged to appear in due season\_, and did not show its countenance until the glorious hour when we had put on the garb of the holy warrior and had encamped with the army of Islām over against the infidels in order to slay them. On this occasion I received a secret inspiration and heard an infallible voice say "\_Is not the time yet come unto those who believe, that their hearts should humbly submit to the admonition of God, and that truth which hath been revealed?\_"\[2026\] Thereupon we set ourselves to extirpate the things of wickedness, and we earnestly knocked at the gates of repentance. The Guide of Help assisted us, according to the saying "\_Whoever knocks and re-knocks, to him it will be opened\_", and an order was given that with the Holy War there should \[Sidenote: Fol. 313b.\] begin the still greater war which has to be waged against sensuality. ### [933.4.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4.6) In short, we declared with sincerity that \_we would subjugate our passions\_, and I engraved on the tablet of my heart "\_I turn unto Thee with repentance, and I am the first of true believers\_".\[2027\] And I made public the resolution to abstain from wine, which had been hidden in the treasury of my breast. The victorious servants, in accordance with the illustrious order, dashed upon the earth of contempt and destruction the flagons and the cups, and the other utensils in gold and silver, which in their number and their brilliance were like the stars of the firmament. They dashed them in pieces, as, God willing! soon will be dashed the gods of the idolaters,—and they distributed the fragments among the poor and needy. By the blessing of this acceptable repentance, many of the courtiers, by virtue of the saying that \_men follow the religion of their kings\_, embraced abstinence at the same assemblage, and entirely renounced the use of wine, and up till now crowds of our subjects hourly attain this auspicious happiness. I hope that in accordance with the saying "\_He who incites to good deeds has the same reward as he who does them\_" the benefit of this action will react on the royal fortune and increase it day by day by victories. ### [933.4.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4.7) After carrying out this design an universal decree was issued that in the imperial dominions—May God protect them from \[Sidenote: Fol. 314.\] every danger and calamity—no-one shall partake of strong drink, or engage in its manufacture, nor sell it, nor buy it or possess it, nor convey it or fetch it. "\_Beware of touching it.\_" "\_Perchance this will give you prosperity.\_"\[2028\] In thanks for these great victories,\[2029\] and as a thank-offering for God's acceptance of repentance and sorrow, the ocean of the royal munificence became commoved, and those waves of kindness, which are the cause of the civilization of the world and of the glory of the sons of Adam, were displayed,—and throughout all the territories the tax (\_tamghā\_) on Musalmāns was abolished,—though its yield was more than the dreams of avarice, and though it had been established and maintained by former rulers,—for it is a practice outside of the edicts of the Prince of Apostles (Muḥammad). So a decree was passed that in no city, town, road, ferry, pass, or port, should the tax be levied or exacted. No alteration whatsoever of this order is to be permitted. "\_Whoever after hearing it makes any change therein, the sin of such change will be upon him.\_"\[2030\] --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.babur.baburnama~en-beveridge.933.4) · Pramāṇa