The History of Humāyūn (Gulbadan Begam) 3.6.2

3.6.2

Muhammad Mahdi Khwaja is one of those men about whose birth and descent particulars are looked for with the sure hope of success in the search. Yet nothing is said on the topic by Babar or Gul-badan. When he first appears on the scene (in the Persian version, and presumably also in the Elphinstone text), he is not introduced, as it is customary for Babar to introduce, with some few words indicating family. This omission may be a result of forgetfulness bred of familiarity, or it may be, and most probably is, that he himself first met Muhammad Mahdi at a date which falls in one of the gaps of his book. Nizamu'd-din's statements must have some corn of truth, and they imply that by birth, as well as by marriage and military rank, Mahdi was a man who, without outrage, might be raised still higher. There are hints which make it seem probable that he was a Tirmizi sayyid and the son of a Timurid mother. The suggestion of Tirmizi parentage is supported by the burial of Abu’l-ma'ali Tirmizi in the place of interment of Mahdi and Khanzada.