The Memoirs of Bābur 934.1
The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 934.1
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934.1.1
934 AH.-SEP. 27TH 1527 TO SEP. 15TH 1528 AD.[2171] (_a. Visit to Kūl (Aligarh) and Saṃbal._) (_Sep. 27th_) On Saturday the 1st of Muḥarram we dismounted in Kūl (Koel). Humāyūn had left Darwīsh(-i-`alī) and Yūsuf-i-`alī[2172] in Saṃbal; they crossed one river,[2173] fought Quṯb _Sīrwānī_[2174] and a party of rājas, beat them well and killed a mass of men. They sent a few heads and an elephant into Kūl while we were there. After we had gone about Kūl for two days, we dismounted at Shaikh Gūran's house by his invitation, where he entertained us hospitably and laid an offering before us. (_Sep. 30th-Muḥ. 4th_) Riding on from that place, we dismounted at Aūtrūlī (Atrauli).[2175] (_Oct. 1st-Muḥ. 5th_) On Wednesday we crossed the river Gang (Ganges) and spent the night in villages of Saṃbal. (_Oct. 2nd-Muḥ. 6th_) On Thursday we dismounted in Saṃbal. After going about in it for two days, we left on Saturday. (_Oct. 5th-Muḥ. 9th_) On Sunday we dismounted in Sikandara[2176] at the house of Rāo _Sīrwānī_ who set food before us and served us. When we rode out at dawn, I made some pretext to leave the rest, and galloped on alone to within a _kuroh_ of Āgra where they overtook me. At the Mid-day Prayer we dismounted in Āgra. (_b. Illness of Bābur._) (_Oct. 12th_) On Sunday the 16th of Muḥarram I had fever and ague. This returned again and again during the next 25 or 26 days. I drank operative medicine and at last relief came. I suffered much from thirst and want of sleep.
934.1.2
[Sidenote: Fol. 331b.] While I was ill, I composed a quatrain or two; here is one of them:—[2177] Fever grows strong in my body by day, Sleep quits my eyes as night comes on; Like to my pain and my patience the pair, For while that goes waxing, this wanes. (_c. Arrival of kinswomen._) (_Nov. 23rd_) On Saturday the 28th of Ṣafar there arrived two of the paternal-aunt begīms, Fakhr-i-jahān Begīm and Khadīja-sulṯān Begīm.[2178] I went to above Sikandarābād to wait on them.[2179] (_d. Concerning a mortar._) (_Nov. 24th-Ṣafar 29th_) On Sunday Ustād `Alī-qulī discharged a stone from a large mortar; the stone went far but the mortar broke in pieces, one of which, knocking down a party of men, killed eight. (_e. Visit to Sīkrī._) (_Dec. 1st_) On Monday the 7th of the first Rabī` I rode out to visit Sīkrī. The octagonal platform ordered made in the middle of the lake was ready; we went over by boat, had an awning set up on it and elected for _ma'jūn_. (_f. Holy-war against Chandīrī._) (_Dec. 9th_) After returning from Sīkrī we started on Monday night the 14th of the first Rabī`,[2180] with the intention of making Holy-war against Chandīrī, did as much as 3 _kurohs_ (6 m.) and dismounted in Jalīsīr.[2181] After staying there two days for people to equip and array, we marched on Thursday (_Dec. 12th-Rabī` I. 17th_) and dismounted at Anwār. I left Anwār by boat, and disembarked beyond Chandwār.[2182]
934.1.3
(_Dec. 23rd_) Advancing march by march, we dismounted at the Kanār-passage[2183] on Monday the 28th. (_Dec. 26th_) On Thursday the 2nd of the latter Rabī` I crossed the river; there was 4 or 5 days delay on one bank or the other before the army got across. On those days we went more than [Sidenote: Fol. 332.] once on board a boat and ate _ma'jūn_. The junction of the river Chaṃbal is between one and two _kurohs_ (2-4 m.) above the Kanār-passage; on Friday I went into a boat on the Chaṃbal, passed the junction and so to camp. (_g. Troops sent against Shaikh Bāyazīd Farmūlī._) Though there had been no clear proof of Shaikh Bāyazīd's hostility, yet his misconduct and action made it certain that he had hostile intentions. On account of this Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang_ was detached from the army and sent to bring together from Qanūj Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā and the sulṯāns and amīrs of that neighbourhood, such as Qāsim-i-ḥusain Sulṯān, Bī-khūb (or, Nī-khūb) Sulṯān, Malik Qāsim, Kūkī, Abū'l-muḥammad the lancer, and Minūchihr Khān with his elder and younger brethren and Daryā-khānīs, so that they might move against the hostile Afghāns. They were to invite Shaikh Bāyazīd to go with them; if he came frankly, they were to take him along; if not, were to drive him off. Muḥammad `Alī asking for a few elephants, ten were given him. After he had leave to set off, Bābā Chuhra (the Brave) was sent to and ordered to join him. (_h. Incidents of the journey to Chandīrī._)
934.1.4
From Kanār one _kuroh_ (2 m.) was done by boat. (_Jan. 1st 1528 AD._) On Wednesday the 8th of the latter Rabī` we dismounted within a _kuroh_ of Kālpī. Bābā Sl. came to wait on me in this camp; he is a son of Khalīl Sl. who is a younger brother of the full-blood of Sl. Sa`īd Khān. Last [Sidenote: Fol. 332b.] year he fled from his elder brother[2184] but, repenting himself, went back from the Andar-āb border; when he neared Kāshghar, The Khān (Sa`īd) sent Ḥaidar M. to meet him and take him back. (_Jan. 2nd-Rabī` II. 9th_) Next day we dismounted at `Ālam Khān's house in Kālpī where he set Hindūstānī food before us and made an offering. (_Jan. 6th_) On Monday the 13th of the month we marched from Kālpī. (_Jan. 10th-Rabī` II. 17th_) On Friday we dismounted at Īrij.[2185] (_Jan. 11th_) On Saturday we dismounted at Bāndīr.[2186] (_Jan. 12th_) On Sunday the 19th of the month Chīn-tīmūr Sl. was put at the head of 6 or 7000 men and sent ahead against Chandīrī. With him went the begs Bāqī _mīng-bāshī_ (head of a thousand), Qūj Beg's (brother) Tardī Beg, `Āshiq the taster, Mullā Apāq, Muḥsin[2187] _Dūldāī_ and, of the Hindūstānī begs, Shaikh Gūran. (_Jan 17th_) On Friday the 24th of the month we dismounted near Kachwa. After encouraging its people, it was bestowed on the son of Badru'd-dīn.[2188]
934.1.5
Kachwa[2189] is a shut-in place, having lowish hills all round it. A dam has been thrown across between hills on the south-east of it, and thus a large lake made, perhaps 5 or 6 _kurohs_ (10-12 m.) round. This lake encloses Kachwa on three sides; on the north-west a space of ground is kept dry;[2190] here, therefore is its Gate. On the lake are a great many very small boats, able to hold 3 or 4 persons; in these the inhabitants go out on the lake, if they have to flee. There are two other lakes before Kachwa is [Sidenote: Fol. 333.] reached, smaller than its own and, like that, made by throwing a dam across between hills. (_Jan. 18th_) We waited a day in Kachwa in order to appoint active overseers and a mass of spadesmen to level the road and cut jungle down, so that the carts and mortar[2191] might pass along it easily. Between Kachwa and Chandīrī the country is jungly. (_Jan. 19th-Rabī` II. 26th_) After leaving Kachwa we halted one night, passed the Burhānpūr-water (Bhurānpūr)[2192] and dismounted within 3 _kurohs_ (6 m.) of Chandīrī. (_i. Chandīrī and its capture._) The citadel of Chandīrī stands on a hill; below it are the town (_shahr_) and outer-fort (_tāsh-qūrghān_), and below these is the level road along which carts pass.[2193] When we left Burhānpūr (_Jan. 10th_) we marched for a _kuroh_ below Chandīrī for the convenience of the carts.[2194]
934.1.6
(_Jan. 21st_) After one night's halt we dismounted beside Bahjat Khān's tank[2195] on the top of its dam, on Tuesday the 28th of the month. (_Jan. 22nd-Rabī` II. 29th_) Riding out at dawn, we assigned post after post (_būljār_, _būljār_),[2196] round the walled town (_qūrghān_) to centre, right, and left. Ustād `Alī-qulī chose, for his stone-discharge, ground that had no fall[2197]; overseers and spadesmen were told off to raise a place (_m:ljār_) for the mortar to rest on, and the whole army was ordered to get ready appliances for taking a fort, mantelets, ladders[2198] and ... -mantelets (_tūra_).[2199] Formerly Chandīrī will have belonged to the Sulṯāns of Mandāū (Mandū). When Sl. Nāṣiru'd-dīn passed away,[2200] one [Sidenote: Fol. 333b.] of his sons Sl. Maḥmūd who is now holding Mandū, took possession of it and its neighbouring parts, and another son called Muḥammad Shāh laid hands on Chandīrī and put it under Sl. Sikandar _(Lūdī)'s_ protection, who, in his turn, took Muḥammad Shāh's side and sent him large forces. Muḥammad Shāh survived Sl. Sikandar and died in Sl. Ibrāhīm's time, leaving a very young son called Aḥmad Shāh whom Sl. Ibrāhīm drove out and replaced by a man of his own. At the time Rānā Sangā led out an army against Sl. Ibrāhīm and Ibrāhīm's begs turned against him at Dūlpūr, Chandīrī fell into the Rānā's hands and by him was given to Medinī [Mindnī] Rāo[2201] the greatly-trusted pagan who was now in it with 4 or 5000 other pagans.
934.1.7
As it was understood there was friendship between Medinī Rāo and Ārāīsh Khān, the latter was sent with Shaikh Gūran to speak to Medinī Rāo with favour and kindness, and promise Shamsābād[2202] in exchange for Chandīrī. One or two of his trusted men got out(?).[2203] No adjustment of matters was reached, it is not known whether because Medinī Rāo did not trust what was said, or whether because he was buoyed up by delusion about the strength of the fort.