The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c12.s1.13

v4.c12.s1.13

April, 1509, to April, 1510, was passed quietly in Kābul, but exciting news began to arrive of the hostilities which had broken out between Shāh Isma'īl Safavī and the redoubtable Uzbeg Khān, who had now been in possession of Transoxiana for about nine years. In the summer of 1510 Shaibānī had led an army against the elusive Hazāras eastward of Herāt, and, having failed to discover them, he gave leave of absence to his troops for the winter; but no sooner had he done so than news came that Shāh Isma'īl had set out with his army for Khurāsān. Most of this province had been wrested from the aged Sultān Husain (1506) by Shaibānī, and his troops had even penetrated into the province of Kirmān. This led to an acrimonious correspondence between the Shiah king and the Sunnī usurper (containing taunting references to the possible visit of the former to Meshed and of the latter to Mecca). Isma‘īl, having overrun Khurāsān as far as Meshed, went in pursuit of Shaibānī in the direction of Marv, where the latter shut himself up. Isma‘īl, in order to bring him out into the open, gave out that he was returning home after paying a ceremonial visit to the Holy City of Meshed. The ruse had the desired result, and on 2 December, 1510, a battle was engaged outside Marv, in which Shaibānī was defeated and slain. The Uzbegs now withdrew from Khurāsān into Transoxiana, and Isma‘īl wintered in Herāt. News of the victory at Marv was brought to Bābur, who, with hopes revived of regaining his lost territories, set out with all possible speed via Bāmiān and reached Qunduz in January, 1511. Shāh Isma‘īl sent an embassy, laden with rich presents and bringing Bābur’s sister Khānzāda Begam, who had, as we have seen, been given in marriage to Shaibānī Khān. On the approach of Bābur, however, fearing the results of her devotion to her brother, Shaibānī had divorced her and married her to a man who afterwards fell in the battle near Marv. Bābur sent Khān Mīrzā to thank Isma‘īl and to congratulate him on his victory over their common enemy; he further suggested that Isma‘īl might help him to recover Transoxiana. The latter consented and began to invade this country but, owing to affairs in Āzarbaijān which required his personal attention, he accepted proposals of peace made by certain Uzbeg chiefs, and withdrew again to Herāt. In the meanwhile Bābur learnt that his cousin Mīrzā Haidar had driven the Uzbegs out of Farghāna. Not long after, Bābur with the help of some Qizilbāsh troops took Bukhārā and Samarqand, and the Uzbegs withdrew to Turkestān. In October, 1511, he was proclaimed king at Samarqand. His dominions now included Tāshkent and Kābul, Qunduz and Hisār, Samarqand, Bukhārā and Farghāna.