The Memoirs of Bābur 935.11
The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 935.11
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935.11.1
The matter having been left at this, the force for the north of the Gang was formed into four divisions to start under `Askarī's command for the Haldī-passage. One division was of `Askarī and his retainers; another was Sl. Jalālu'd-dīn _Sharqī_; another was of the Aūzbeg sulṯāns Qāsim-i-ḥusain Sulṯān, Bī-khūb Sulṯān and Tāng-aītmīsh Sulṯān, together with Maḥmūd Khān _Nūḥānī_ of Ghāzīpūr, Bābā Qashqa's Kūkī, Tūlmīsh _Aūzbeg_, Qurbān of Chīrkh, and the Daryā-khānīs led by Ḥasan Khān; another was of Mūsā Sl. (_Farmūlī_) and Sl. Junaid with what-not of the Jūnpūr army, some 20,000 men. Officers were appointed to oversee the getting of the force to horse that very night, that is to say, the [Sidenote: Fol. 371b.] night of Sunday.[2601] (_May 1st_) The army began to cross Gang at the dawn of Sunday (_Sha`bān 22nd_); I went over by boat at the 1st watch (6a.m.). Zard-rūī and his party came in at mid-day; the ford itself they had not found but they brought news of boats and of having met on the road the army getting near them.[2602]
935.11.2
(_May 3rd_) On Tuesday (_Sha`bān 24th_) we marched from where the river had been crossed, went on for nearly one _kuroh_ (2 m.) and dismounted on the fighting-ground at the confluence.[2603] I myself went to enjoy Ūstād `Alī-qulī's firing of culverin and _firingī_; he hit two boats today with _firingī_-stones, broke them and sank them. Muṣṯafa did the same from his side. I had the large mortar[2604] taken to the fighting-ground, left Mullā Ghulām to superintend the making of its position, appointed a body of _vasāwals_[2605] and active braves to help him, went to an island facing the camp and there ate _ma`jūn_.
935.11.3
Whilst still under the influence of the confection[2606] I had the boat taken to near the tents and there slept. A strange thing happened in the night, a noise and disturbance arising about the 3rd watch (midnight) and the pages and others snatching up pieces of wood from the boat, and shouting "Strike! strike!" [Sidenote: Fol. 372.] What was said to have led to the disturbance was that a night-guard who was in the Farmāīsh along-side the Asāīsh in which I was sleeping,[2607] opening his eyes from slumber, sees a man with his hand on the Asāīsh as if meaning to climb into her. They fall on him;[2608] he dives, comes up again, cuts at the night-guard's head, wounding it a little, then runs off at once towards the river.[2609] Once before, on the night we returned from Munīr, one or two night-guards had chased several Hindūstānīs from near the boats, and had brought in two swords and a dagger of theirs. The Most High had me in His Keeping! (_Persian_) Were the sword of the world to leap forth, It would cut not a vein till God will.[2610] (_May 4th_) At the dawn of Wednesday (_25th_), I went in the boat Gunjāīsh to near the stone-firing ground (_tāsh-ātār-yīr_) and there posted each soever to his work. (_bbb. Details of the engagement._)
935.11.4
Aūghān-bīrdī _Mughūl_, leading not less than 1,000 men, had been sent to get, in some way or other, across the river (Sarū) one, two, three _kurohs_ (2, 4, 6m.) higher up. A mass of foot-soldiers, crossing from opposite `Askarī's camp,[2611] landed from 20-30 boats on his road, presumably thinking to show their superiority, but Aūghān-bīrdī and his men charged them, put them to flight, took a few and cut their heads off, shot many with arrows, and got possession of 7 or 8 boats. Today also Bengalīs crossed in a few boats to Muḥammad-i-zamān Mīrzā's side, there landed and [Sidenote: Fol. 372b.] provoked to fight. When attacked they fled, and three boat-loads of them were drowned. One boat was captured and brought to me. In this affair Bābā the Brave went forward and exerted himself excellently. Orders were given that in the darkness of night the boats Aūghān-bīrdī had captured should be drawn[2612] up-stream, and that in them there should cross Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā, Yakka Khwāja, Yūnas-i-`alī, Aūghān-bīrdī and those previously assigned to go with them. Today came a man from `Askarī to say that he had crossed the [Sarū]-water, leaving none behind, and that he would come down on the enemy at next day's dawn, that is to say, on Thursday's. Here-upon those already ordered to cross over were told to join `Askarī and to advance upon the enemy with him.
935.11.5
At the Mid-day Prayer a person came from Ūstā, saying "The stone is ready; what is the order?" The order was, "Fire this stone off; keep the next till I come." Going at the Other Prayer in a very small Bengalī skiff to where shelter (_muljār_) had been raised, I saw Ūstā fire off one large stone and several small _firingī_ ones. Bengalīs have a reputation for fire-working;[2613] we tested it now; they do not fire counting to hit a particular spot, but fire at random. At this same Other Prayer orders were given to draw a few boats up-stream along the enemy's front. A few were got past without a "God forbid!"[2614] from those who, all unprotected, drew [Sidenote: Fol. 373.] them up. Aīsān-tīmūr Sl. and Tūkhta-būghā Sl. were ordered to stay at the place those boats reached, and to keep watch over them. I got back to camp in the 1st night-watch of Thursday.[2615] Near midnight came news from (Aūghān-bīrdī's) boats which were being drawn up-stream, "The force appointed had gone somewhat ahead; we were following, drawing the boats, when the Bengalīs got to know where we were drawing them and attacked. A stone hit a boatman in the leg and broke it, we could not pass on."
935.11.6
(_May 5th_) At dawn on Thursday (_Sha`bān 26th_) came the news from those at the shelter, "All the boats have come from above.[2616] The enemy's horse has ridden to meet our approaching army." On this, I got our men mounted quickly and rode out to above those boats[2617] that had been drawn up in the night. A galloper was sent off with an order for Muḥammad Sl. M. and those appointed to cross with him, to do it at once and join `Askarī. The order for Aīsān-tīmūr Sl. and Tūkhta-būghā Sl. who were above these boats,[2618] was that they should busy themselves to cross. Bābā Sl. was not at his post.[2619]
935.11.7
Aīsān-tīmūr Sl. at once crosses, in one boat with 30-40 of his retainers who hold their horses by the mane at the boat-side. [Sidenote: Fol. 373b.] A second boat follows. The Bengalīs see them crossing and start off a mass of foot-soldiers for them. To meet these go 7 or 8 of Aīsān-tīmūr Sl.'s retainers, keeping together, shooting off arrows, drawing those foot-soldiers towards the Sulṯān who meantime is getting his men mounted; meantime also the second boat is moving (_rawān_). When his 30-35 horsemen charge those foot-soldiers, they put them well to flight. Aīsān-tīmūr did distinguished work, first in crossing before the rest, swift, steady, and without a "God forbid!", secondly in his excellent advance, with so few men, on such a mass of foot, and by putting these to flight. Tūkhta-būghā Sl. also crossed. Then boats followed one after another. Lāhorīs and Hindūstānīs began to cross from their usual posts[2620] by swimming or on bundles of reeds.[2621] Seeing how matters were going, the Bengalīs of the boats opposite the shelter (Muṣṯafa's), set their faces for flight down-stream.
935.11.8
Darwīsh-i-muḥammad _Sārbān_, Dost Lord-of-the-gate, Nūr Beg and several braves also went across the river. I made a man gallop off to the Sulṯāns to say, "Gather well together those who [Sidenote: Fol. 374.] cross, go close to the opposing army, take it in the flank, and get to grips." Accordingly the Sulṯāns collected those who crossed, formed up into 3 or 4 divisions, and started for the foe. As they draw near, the enemy-commander, without breaking his array, flings his foot-soldiers to the front and so comes on. Kūkī comes up with a troop from `Askarī's force and gets to grips on his side; the Sulṯāns get to grips on theirs; they get the upper hand, unhorse man after man, and make the enemy scurry off. Kūkī's men bring down a Pagan of repute named Basant Rāō and cut off his head; 10 or 15 of his people fall on Kūkī's, and are instantly cut to pieces. Tūkhta-būghā Sl. gallops along the enemy's front and gets his sword well in. Mughūl `Abdu'l-wahhāb and his younger brother gets theirs in well too. Mughūl though he did not know how to swim, had crossed the river holding to his horse's mane. I sent for my own boats which were behind;[2622] the Farmāīsh coming up first, I went over in it to visit the Bengalīs' encamping-grounds. I then went into the Gunjāīsh. "Is there a crossing-place higher up?" I asked. Mīr Muḥammad the raftsman represented that the Sarū was better to cross higher up;[2623] accordingly the army-folk[2624] were ordered to cross at the higher place he named.
935.11.9
While those led by Muḥammad Sl. Mīrzā were crossing the [Sidenote: Fol. 374b.] river,[2625] the boat in which Yakka Khwāja was, sank and he went to God's mercy. His retainers and lands were bestowed on his younger brother Qāsim Khwāja.