The Memoirs of Bābur 2.1
Túzak-i Bábarí (extracts, from Erskine's translation) 2.1
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- English
2.1.1
On Friday, the 1st of Safar, in the year 932 (November 17th, 1525), when the sun was in Sagittarius, I set out on my march to invade Hindustan. * * * We made two marches from Bikram (Peshawar); and after the third, on Thursday, the 26th, we encamped on the banks of the river Sind. On Saturday, the 1st day of the first Rabi', we passed the Sind; and having also crossed the river of Kach-kot, halted on its banks. The Begs, paymasters, and diwans, who had been placed to superintend the embarkation, brought me the return of the troops who were on the service. Great and small, good and bad, servants and no servants, they amounted to 12,000 persons. To secure a proper supply of corn, we advanced along the skirts of the hills towards Sialkot. On coming opposite to the country of the Gakkars, in the bed of a brook, we found in several places a quantity of standing water. These waters were entirely frozen over. Although there was not much of it, the ice was in general a span in thickness. In Hindustan such ice is uncommon. We met with it here; but during all the years I have been in Hindustan, I have in no other instance met with any trace of ice or snow.
2.1.2
Advancing five marches from the Sind, the sixth brought us close by the hill of Jud, below the hill of Balinat-jogi, on the banks of a river, at the station of Bakialan, where we encamped. * * * Marching thence we halted, after passing the river Behat, below Jilam, by the ford. * * * From this encampment I sent forward Saiyid Tufan and Saiyid Lachin, giving each of them a spare horse, with directions to push on with all speed to Lahore, and to enjoin our troops in that city not to fight, but to form a junction with me at Sialkot or Parsarur. The general report was, that Ghazi Khan had collected an army of 30,000 or 40,000 men; that Daulat Khan, old as he was, had buckled on two swords; and that they would certainly try the fate of a battle. I recollected the proverb which says, "Ten friends are better than nine." That no advantage might be lost, I judged it most advisable before fighting to form a junction with the detachment of my army that was in Lahore. I therefore sent on messengers with instructions to the amirs, and at the second march reached the banks of the river Chinab, where I encamped. * * *
2.1.3
On Friday, the 14th of the first Rabi', we arrived at Sialkot. Every time that I have entered Hindustan, the Jats and Gujars have regularly poured down in prodigious numbers from their hills and wilds, in order to carry off oxen and buffaloes. These were the wretches that really inflicted the chief hardships, and were guilty of the severest oppression in the country. These districts, in former times, had been in a state of revolt, and yielded very little revenue that could be come at. On the present occasion, when I had reduced the whole of the neighbouring districts to subjection, they began to repeat their practices. As my poor people were on their way from Sialkot to the camp, hungry and naked, indigent and in distress, they were fallen upon by the road with loud shouts, and plundered. I sought out the persons guilty of this outrage, discovered them, and ordered two or three of the number to be cut in pieces. At this same station a merchant arrived, who brought us the news of the defeat of 'Alim Khan by Sultan Ibrahim. The particulars are as follows: 'Alim Khan, after taking leave of me, had marched forward in spite of the scorching heat of the weather, and had reached Lahore, having, without any consideration for those who accompanied him, gone two stages every march. At the very moment that 'Alim Khan took leave, the whole Sultans and Khans of the Uzbeks had advanced and blockaded Balkh;
2.1.4
so that immediately on his departure for Hindustan, I was obliged to set out for that city. 'Alim Khan, on reaching Lahore, insisted with such of my Begs as were in Hindustan that the Emperor had ordered them to march to his assistance, and that it had been concerted that Ghazi Khan should likewise join him, and that they were all in conjunction to march upon Delhi and Agra. The Begs answered, that situated as things were, they could not accompany Ghazi Khan with any kind of confidence; but that, if he sent to Court his younger brother Haji Khan, with his son, or placed them in Lahore as hostages, their instructions would then leave them at liberty to march along with him; that otherwise they could not; that it was only the other day that 'Alim Khan had fought and been defeated by Ghazi Khan, so that no mutual confidence was to be looked for between them; and that altogether it was by no means advisable for 'Alim Khdn to let GhazI Khdn accompany him in the expedition. Whatever expostulations of this nature they employed, in order to dissuade 'Alim Khan from prosecuting his plan, were all ineffectual. He sent his son Shir Khdn to confer with Daulat Khau and Ghdzl Khdn, and the parties themselves afterwards met. Dildwar Khdn, who had been in confinement very recently, and who had escaped from custody and come to Lahore only two or three months before, was likewise associated with them.
2.1.5
Mahmiid Khdn Khdn-Jahan, to whom the custody of Lahore had been intrusted, was also pressed into their measures. In a word, it was in the end definitively arranged among them, that Daulat Khdn, and Ghazl Khan should take under their orders all the Begs who had been left in Hindustan, and should, at the same time themselves assume the government of all the adjacent territories; while Dilawar Khan and Haji Khan were to accompany 'Alim Khan, and occupy the whole of the country about Dehli and Agra, and in that neighbourhood. Ismd.'il Jilwanl, and a number of other amirs, waited on 'Alim Khan, and acknowledged him. He now proceeded towards Dehli without delay by forced marches. On reaching Indari, Sulaiman Shaikh-zdda came and likewise joined him. The numbers of the confederate army now amounted to 30,000 or 40,000 men. They laid siege to Dehli, but were unable either to take the place by storm or to reduce it by famine. Sultan Ibrahim, as soon as he heard that they had collected an army, and invaded his dominions, led his troops to oppose them. Having notice of his march as he approached, they raised the siege and advanced to meet him. The confederates concurred in opinion, that if the battle was fought in the daytime, the Afghans, from regard to their reputation with their countrymen, would not flee ; but that if the attack was made by night, the night is dark, and no one seeing another, each chief would shift for himself.
2.1.6
Resolving, therefore, to attempt a night surprise, they mounted to proceed against the enemy, who were six kos off. Twice did they mount their horses at noon, and continue mounted till the second or third watch of the night, without going either back or forward, not being able to come to a resolution, or agree among themselves. The third time they set out for their surprise, when only one watch of the night remained. Their plan was merely for the party to set fire to the tents and pavilions, and to attempt nothing further. They accordingly advanced and set fire to the tents during the last watch of the night, at the same time shouting the war-cry. Jalal Khan Jaghat, and several other amirs, came over and acknowledged 'Alim Khan. Sultan Ibrahim, attended by a body of men, composed of his own tribe and family, did not move from the royal pavilion, but continued steady in the same place till morning. By this time, the troops who accompanied 'Alim Khan were dispersed, being busy plundering and pillaging. Sultan Ibrahim's troops perceived that the enemy were not in great force, and immediately moved forward from the station which they had kept, though very few in number, and having only a single elephant; but no sooner had the elephant come up than 'Alim Khan's men took to flight, without attempting to keep their ground.
2.1.7
In the course of his flight 'Alim Khan crossed over to the Doab side of the river, and again recrossed it towards Panipat, on reaching which place he contrived by a stratagem to get three or four lacs from Mian Sulaiman, and went on his way. Isma'il Jilwani, Babin, and Jalal Khan, the eldest son of 'Alim Khan, separating from him, betook themselves to the Doab. A small part of the army which 'Alim Khan had collected, such as Saifu-d din, Darya Khan, Mahmud Khan Khan-Jahan, Shaikh Jamal Farmuli, and some others, deserted before the battle and joined Ibrahim. 'Alim Khan and Dilawar Khan, with Haji Khan, after passing Sirhind, heard of my approach, and that I had taken Milwat; whereupon Dilawar Khdn, who had always been attached to my interests, and had been detained three or four months in prison on my account, separated from the others, came on by way of Sultdnpur and Kochi, and waited upon me in the neighbourhood of Milwat, three or four days after the taking of that town, 'Alim Khan and Haji Khan having passed the river Satlej, at length reached Kinkuta, the name of a strong castle in the hills between Dun and the plain, and threw themselves into it. One of my detachments, consisting of Afghdns and Hazdras, happening to come up, blockaded them, and had nearly succeeded in taking the castle, strong as it was, being only prevented by the approach of night.
2.1.8
These noblemen then made an attempt to leave it, but some of their horses having fallen in the gateway, they could not get out. Some elephants that were along with them were pushed forward, and trampled upon and killed a number of the horses. Although unable to escape on horseback, they left the place during a dark night on foot, and after incredible sufferings, joined Ghazi Khan, who, in the course of his flight, finding that he could not get refuge in Milwat, had directed his course towards the hills, where they met. Ghdzi Khan did not give 'Alim Khdn a very friendly reception, which induced him to wait on me, below Diin in the neighbourhood of Palhur, where he came and tendered me his allegiance. While I was at Sialkot, some of the troops whom I had left in Lahore arrived to inform me that they would all be up by the morning.