The Memoirs of Bābur 935.9
The Bābur-nāma in English (A. S. Beveridge) 935.9
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- English
935.9.1
(_uu. News of the Afghāns._) (_March 25th_ (?) _and 26th_) Having heard there were many elephants in the Chunār jungles, I had left (Thursday's) ground thinking to hunt them, but Tāj Khān bringing the news (_Friday 15th_(?)) that Maḥmūd Khān (_Lūdi_) was near the Son-water, I summoned the begs and took counsel as to whether to fall upon him suddenly. In the end it was settled to march on continuously, fast[2537] and far. (_March 27th_) Marching on (_Sunday 17th_), we did 9 _kurohs_ (18m.), and dismounted at the Bilwah-ferry.[2538] (_March 28th_) On Monday night[2539] the 18th of the month, T̤āhir was started for Āgra from this camp (Bilwah-ferry), taking money-drafts for the customary gifts of allowance and lodging[2540] to those on their way from Kābul. Before dawn next morning (Monday) I went on by boat. When we came to where the Gūī-water (Gūmtī) which is the water of Jūnpūr, meets the Gang-water (Ganges), I went a little [Sidenote: Fol. 365.] way up it and back. Narrower[2541] though it is, it has no ford; the army-folk crossed it (last year) by boat, by raft, or by swimming their horses.
935.9.2
To look at our ground of a year ago,[2542] from which we had started for Jūnpūr,[2543] I went to about a _kuroh_ lower than the mouth of the Jūnpūr-water (Gūmtī). A favourable wind getting up behind, our larger boat was tied to a smaller Bengalī one which, spreading its sail, made very quick going. Two _garīs_ of day remained (5.15 p.m.) when we had reached that ground (Sayyidpur?), we went on without waiting there, and by the Bed-time Prayer had got to camp, which was a _kuroh_ above Madan-Benāres,[2544] long before the boats following us. Mughūl Beg had been ordered to measure all marches from Chunār on the direct road, Luṯfī Beg to measure the river's bank whenever I went by boat. The direct road today was said to be 11 _kurohs_ (22m.), the distance along the river, 18 (36m.). (_March 29th_) Next day (_Tuesday 19th_), we stayed on that ground. (_March 30th_) On Wednesday (_20th_), we dismounted a _kuroh_ (2m.) below Ghāzīpūr, I going by boat.
935.9.3
(_March 31st_) On Thursday (_21st_) Maḥmūd Khān _Nuḥānī_[2545] waited on me on that ground. On this same day dutiful letters[2546] came from Bihār Khān _Bihārī's_ son Jalāl Khān (_Nuḥānī_),[2547] from Naṣīr Khān (_Nūḥānī_)'s son Farīd Khān,[2548] from Sher Khān _Sūr_, from `Alāūl Khān _Sūr_ also, and from other Afghān amīrs. Today [Sidenote: Fol. 365b.] came also a dutiful letter from `Abdu'l-`azīz _Master-of-the-horse_, which had been written in Lāhor on the 20th of the latter Jumāda (_Feb. 29th_), the very day on which Qarācha's Hindūstānī servant whom we had started off from near Kālpī,[2549] reached Lāhor. `Abdu'l-`azīz wrote that he had gone with the others assigned to meet my family at Nīl-āb, had met them there on the 9th of the latter Jumāda (_Feb. 18th_), had accompanied them to Chīn-āb (Chan-āb), left them there, and come ahead to Lāhor where he was writing his letter. (_April 1st_) We moved on, I going by boat, on Friday (_Rajab 22nd_). I landed opposite Chausā to look at the ground of a year ago[2550] where the Sun had been eclipsed and a fast kept.[2551] After I got back to the boat, Muḥammad-i-zamān Mīrzā, coming up behind by boat, overtook me; at his suggestion _ma`jūn_ was eaten.
935.9.4
The army had dismounted on the bank of the Karmā-nā['s]ā-river, about the water of which Hindūs are understood to be extremely scrupulous. They do not cross it, but go past its mouth by boat along the Gang (Ganges). They firmly believe that, if its water touch a person, the merit of his works is destroyed; with this belief its name accords.[2552] I went some way up it by [Sidenote: Fol. 366.] boat, turned back, went over to the north bank of Gang, and tied up. There the braves made a little fun, some wrestling. Muḥsin the cup-bearer challenged, saying, "I will grapple with four or five." The first he gripped, he threw; the second, who was Shādmān (Joyous), threw him, to Muḥsin's shame and vexation. The (professional) wrestlers came also and set to. (_April 2nd_) Next morning, Saturday (_23rd_) we moved, close to the 1st watch (6 a.m.), in order to get people off to look at the ford through the Karmā-nā['s]ā-water. I rode up it for not less than a _kuroh_ (2 m.), but the ford being still far on,[2553] took boat and went to the camp below Chausā. Today I used the pepper remedy again; it must have been somewhat hotter than before, for it blistered (_qāpārdī_) my body, giving me much pain. (_April 3rd_) We waited a day for a road to be managed across a smallish, swampy rivulet heard to be ahead.[2554] (_April 4th_) On the eve of Monday (_25th_),[2555] letters were written and sent off in answer to those brought by the Hindūstānī footman of `Abdu'l-`azīz.
935.9.5
The boat I got into at Monday's dawn, had to be towed because of the wind. On reaching the ground opposite Baksara (Buxar) [Sidenote: Fol. 366b.] where the army had been seated many days last year,[2556] we went over to look at it. Between 40 and 50 landing-steps had been then made on the bank; of them the upper two only were left, the river having destroyed the rest. _Ma`jūn_ was eaten after return to the boat. We tied up at an _ārāl_[2557] above the camp, set the champions to wrestle, and went on at the Bed-time Prayer. A year ago (_yīl-tūr_), an excursion had been made to look at the ground on which the camp now was, I passing through Gang swimming (? _dastak bīla_),[2558] some coming mounted on horses, some on camels. That day I had eaten opium. (_vv. Incidents of the military operations._) (_April 5th_) At Tuesday's dawn (_26th_), we sent out for news not under 200 effective braves led by Karīm-bīrdī and Ḥaidar the stirrup-holder's son Muḥammad `Alī and Bābā Shaikh. While we were on this ground, the Bengal envoy was commanded to set forth these three articles:—[2559] (_April 6th_) On Wednesday (_27th_) Yūnas-i-`alī who had been sent to gather Muḥammad-i-zamān Mīrzā's objections to Bihār, brought back rather a weak answer. Dutiful letters from the (Farmūlī) Shaikh-zādas of Bihār gave news that the enemy had abandoned the place and gone off.
935.9.6
(_April 7th_) On Thursday (_28th_) as many as 2000 men of the Turk and Hind amīrs and quiver-wearers were joined to Muḥammad `Alī _Jang-jang's_ son Tardī-muḥammad, and he was [Sidenote: Fol. 367.] given leave to go, taking letters of royal encouragement to people in Bihār. He was joined also by Khwāja Murshid _`Irāqī_ who had been made Dīwān of Bihār. (_April 8th_ (?)) Muḥammad-i-zamān M. who had consented to go to Bihār, made representation of several matters through Shaikh Zain and Yūnas-i-`alī. He asked for reinforcement; for this several braves were inscribed and several others were made his own retainers. (_April 9th_)[2560] On Saturday the 1st of the month of Sha`bān, we left that ground where we had been for 3 or 4 days. I rode to visit Bhūjpūr and Bihiya,[2561] thence went to camp. Muḥammad `Alī and the others, who had been sent out for news, after beating a body of pagans as they went along, reached the place where Sl. Maḥmūd (_Lūdī_) had been with perhaps 2000 men. He had heard of our reconnaissance, had broken up, killed two elephants of his, and marched off. He seemed to have left braves and an elephant[2562] scout-fashion; they made no stand when our men came up but took to flight. Ours unhorsed a few of his, cut one head off, brought in a few good men alive. (_ww. Incidents of the eastward march resumed._)
935.9.7
(_April 10th_) We moved on next day (_Sunday 2nd_), I going by boat. From our today's ground Muḥammad-i-zamān M. crossed (his army) over the river (Son), leaving none behind. We spent 2 or 3 days on this ground in order to put his work through and [Sidenote: Fol. 367b.] get him off. (_April 13th_) On Wednesday the 4th[2563] of the month, Muḥammad-i-zamān M. was presented with a royal head-to-foot, a sword and belt, a _tīpūchāq_ horse and an umbrella.[2564] He also was made to kneel (_yūkūndūrūldī_) for the Bihār country. Of the Bihār revenues one _krūr_ and 25 _laks_ were reserved for the Royal Treasury; its Dīwānī was entrusted to Murshid _`Irāqī_. (_April 14th_) I left that ground by boat on Thursday (_6th_). I had already ordered the boats to wait, and on getting up with them, I had them fastened together abreast in line.[2565] Though all were not collected there, those there were greatly exceeded the breadth of the river. They could not move on, however, so-arranged, because the water was here shallow, there deep, here swift, there still. A crocodile (_gharīāl_) shewing itself, a terrified fish leaped so high as to fall into a boat; it was caught and brought to me.
935.9.8
When we were nearing our ground, we gave the boats names:—a [Sidenote: Fol. 368.] large[2566] one, formerly the Bāburī,[2567] which had been built in Āgra before the Holy-battle with Sangā, was named Asāīsh (Repose).[2568] Another, which Arāīsh Khān had built and presented to me this year before our army got to horse, one in which I had had a platform set up on our way to this ground, was named Arāīsh (Ornament). Another, a good-sized one presented to me by Jalālu'd-dīn _Sharqī_, was named the Gunjāīsh (Capacious); in it I had ordered a second platform set up, on the top of the one already in it. To a little skiff, having a _chaukandī_,[2569] one used for every task (_har āīsh_) and duty, was given the name Farmāīsh (Commissioned).