The Memoirs of Bābur 5.8

5.8

On Monday, the ambassador of Bengal came to wait on me, when I sent him notice that he had leave to return. It was at the same time intimated to him, that I would be guided entirely by my own pleasure, in moving backwards or forwards, as seemed best for the purpose of quelling the rebels wherever they were to be found, but that his master's dominions should sustain no harm, either by land or water; that as one of the three articles was, that he should order the army of Kharid to leave the tract in which I was marching, and return to Kharid, I was willing to send some Turks to accompany them on their march; that I would give the Kharid troops a safe conduct, and assurances of indemnity, and suffer them to go to their own homes. If he refused to leave the passage open, and neglected to listen to the remonstrances which I made, that then whatever evil fell on his head, he must regard as proceeding from his own act; and he would have himself only to blame for any unpleasant circumstance that occurred. On Thursday, the 19th Sha'ban, I called the amirs, both Turki and Hindu, to a council, and took their opinion about passing the river. It was finally settled that Ustad 'Ali should plant his cannon, his firingi pieces and swivels (zarb-zan), on a rising ground between the Ganges and Saru, and also keep up a hot fire with a number of matchlockmen from that post;