The Memoirs of Bābur 935.7
The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 935.7
- Language
- English
935.7.1
"How should a person forget the pleasant things of those countries, especially one who has repented and vowed to sin no more? How should he banish from his mind the permitted flavours of melons and grapes? Taking this opportunity,[2470] a melon was brought to me; to cut and eat it affected me strangely; I was all tears!" "The unsettled state[2471] of Kābul had already been written of [Sidenote: Fol. 359b.] to me. After thinking matters over, my choice fell on this:—How should a country hold together and be strong (_marbūṯ u maẓbūṯ_), if it have seven or eight Governors? Under this aspect of the affair, I have summoned my elder sister (Khān-zāda) and my wives to Hindūstān, have made Kābul and its neighbouring countries a crown-domain, and have written in this sense to both Humāyūn and Kāmrān. Let a capable person take those letters to the Mīrzās. As you may know already, I had written earlier to them with the same purport. About the safe-guarding and prosperity of the country, there will now be no excuse, and not a word to say. Henceforth, if the town-wall[2472] be not solid or subjects not thriving, if provisions be not in store or the Treasury not full, it will all be laid on the back of the inefficiency of the Pillar-of-the State."[2473] "The things that must be done are specified below; for some of them orders have gone already, one of these being, 'Let treasure accumulate.' The things which must be done are these:—First, the repair of the fort;
935.7.2
again:—the provision of stores; again:—the daily allowance and lodging[2474] of envoys going backwards and forwards[2475]; again:—let money, taken legally from revenue,[2476] be spent for building the Congregational Mosque; again:—the repairs of the Kārwan-sarā (Caravan-sarai) and the Hot-baths; again:—the completion of the unfinished building [Sidenote: Fol. 360.] made of burnt-brick which Ūstād Ḥasan `Alī was constructing in the citadel. Let this work be ordered after taking counsel with Ūstād Sl. Muḥammad; if a design exist, drawn earlier by Ūstād Ḥasan `Alī, let Ūstād Sl. Muḥammad finish the building precisely according to it; if not, let him do so, after making a gracious and harmonious design, and in such a way that its floor shall be level with that of the Audience-hall; again:—the Khẉurd-Kābul dam which is to hold up the But-khāk-water at its exit from the Khẉurd-Kābul narrows; again:—the repair of the Ghaznī dam[2477]; again:—the Avenue-garden in which water is short and for which a one-mill stream must be diverted[2478]; again:—I had water brought from Tūtūm-dara to rising ground south-west of Khwāja Basta, there made a reservoir and planted young trees. The place got the name of Belvedere,[2479] because it faces the ford and gives a first-rate view. The best of young trees must be planted there, lawns arranged, and borders set with sweet-herbs and with flowers of beautiful colour and scent; again:—Sayyid Qāsim has been named to reinforce thee;
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again:—do not neglect the condition of matchlockmen and of Ūstād Muḥammad Amīn the armourer[2480]; again:—directly this letter arrives, thou must get my elder sister (Khān-zāda Begīm) and my wives right out of Kābul, and escort them to Nīl-āb. However averse they may still be, they most certainly must start within a week of the arrival of [Sidenote: Fol. 360b.] this letter. For why? Both because the armies which have gone from Hindūstān to escort them are suffering hardship in a cramped place (_tār yīrdā_), and also because they[2481] are ruining the country." "Again:—I made it clear in a letter written to `Abdu'l-lāh (_`asas_), that there had been very great confusion in my mind (_dúghdugha_), to counterbalance being in the oasis (_wādī_) of penitence. This quatrain was somewhat dissuading (_mānī`_):—[2482] Through renouncement of wine bewildered am I; How to work know I not, so distracted am I; While others repent and make vow to abstain, I have vowed to abstain, and repentant am I.
935.7.4
"A witticism of Banāī's came back to my mind:—One day when he had been joking in `Alī-sher Beg's presence, who must have been wearing a jacket with buttons,[2483] `Alī-sher Beg said, 'Thou makest charming jokes; but for the buttons, I would give thee the jacket; they are the hindrance (_māni`_).' Said Banāī, 'What hindrance are buttons? It is button-holes (_mādagī_) that hinder.'[2484] Let responsibility for this story lie on the teller! hold me excused for it; for God's sake do not be offended by it.[2485] Again:—that quatrain was made before last year, and in truth the longing and craving for a wine-party has been infinite and endless for two years past, so much so that sometimes the craving for wine brought me to the verge of tears. Thank God! this year that trouble has passed from my mind, perhaps by virtue of the [Sidenote: Fol. 361.] blessing and sustainment of versifying the translation.[2486] Do thou also renounce wine! If had with equal associates and boon-companions, wine and company are pleasant things; but with whom canst thou now associate? with whom drink wine? If thy boon-companions are Sher-i-aḥmad and Ḥaidar-qulī, it should not be hard for thee to forswear wine. So much said, I salute thee and long to see thee."[2487]
935.7.5
The above letter was written on Thursday the 1st of the latter Jumāda (_Feb. 10th_). It affected me greatly to write concerning those matters, with their mingling of counsel. The letters were entrusted to Shamsu'd-dīn Muḥammad on Friday night,[2488] he was apprized of word-of-mouth messages and given leave to go. (_oo. Complaints from Balkh._) (_Feb. 11th_) On Friday (_Jumāda II. 2nd_) we did 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) and dismounted at Jumandnā.[2489] Today a servant of Kītīn-qarā Sl. arrived whom the Sulṯān had sent to his retainer and envoy Kamālu'd-din _Qīāq_,[2490] with things written concerning the behaviour of the begs of the (Balkh) border, their intercourse with himself, and complaints of theft and raid. Leave to go was given to _Qīāq_, and orders were issued to the begs of the border to put an end to raiding and thieving, to behave well and to maintain intercourse with Balkh. These orders were entrusted to Kītīn-qarā Sl.'s servant and he was dismissed from this ground. A letter, accepting excuse for the belated arrival of Ḥasan _Chalabī_,[2491] was sent to the Shāh today by one Shāh-qulī who had [Sidenote: Fol. 361b.] come to me from Ḥasan _Chalabī_ and reported the details of the battle (of Jām).[2492] Shāh-qulī was given his leave on this same day, the 2nd of the month. (_pp. Incidents of the eastward march resumed._) (_Feb. 12th_) On Saturday (_3rd_) we did 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) and dismounted in the Kakūra and Chachāwalī[2493] _parganas_ of Kālpī.
935.7.6
(_Feb. 13th_) On Sunday the 4th of the month, we did 9 _kurohs_ (18m.) and dismounted in Dīrapūr[2494] a _pargana_ of Kālpī. Here I shaved my head,[2495] which I had not done for the past two months, and bathed in the Sīngar-water (Sengar). (_Feb. 14th_) On Monday (_5th_) we did 14 _kurohs_ (28m.), and dismounted in Chaparkada[2496] one of the _parganas_ of Kālpī. (_Feb. 15th_) At the dawn of Tuesday (_6th_), a Hindūstānī servant of Qarācha's arrived who had taken a command (_farmān_) from Māhīm to Qarācha from which it was understood that she was on the road. She had summoned escort from people in Lāhor, Bhīra and those parts in the fashion I formerly wrote orders (_parwānas_) with my own hand. Her command had been written in Kābul on the 7th of the 1st Jumāda (_Jan. 17th_).[2497] (_Feb. 16th_) On Wednesday (_7th_) we did 7 _kurohs_ (14m.), and dismounted in the Ādampūr _pargana_.[2498] Today I mounted before dawn, took the road[2499] alone, reached the Jūn (Jumna), and went on along its bank. When I came opposite to Ādampūr, I had awnings set up on an island (_ārāl_) near the camp and seated there, ate _ma`jūn_.
935.7.7
Today we set Ṣādiq to wrestle with Kalāl who had come to [Sidenote: Fol. 362.] Āgra with a challenge.[2500] In Āgra he had asked respite for 20 days on the plea of fatigue from his journey; as now 40-50 days had passed since the end of his respite, he was obliged to wrestle. Ṣādiq did very well, throwing him easily. Ṣādiq was given 10,000 _tankas_, a saddled horse, a head-to-foot, and a jacket with buttons; while Kalāl, to save him from despair, was given 3000 _tankas_, spite of his fall. The carts and mortar were ordered landed from the boats, and we spent 3 or 4 days on this same ground while the road was made ready, the ground levelled and the landing effected. (_Feb. 21st_) On Monday the 12th of the month (_Jumāda II._), we did 12 _kurohs_ (24 m.) and dismounted at Kūrarah.[2501] Today I travelled by litter. (_Feb. 22nd-25th_) After marching 12 _kurohs_ (24 m.) from Kūrarah (_13th_), we dismounted in Kūrīa[2502] a _pargana_ of Karrah. From Kūrīa we marched 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) and dismounted (_14th_) in Fatḥpūr-Aswa.[2503] After 8 _kurohs_ (16m.) done from Fatḥpūr, we dismounted (_15th_) at Sarāī Munda.[2504]... Today at the Bedtime Prayer (_Friday 16th_, _after dark_), Sl. Jalālu'd-dīn (_Sharqī_)[2505] came with his two young sons to wait on me.