The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)Babur, Emperor of Hindustan
History
The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)
Babur, Emperor of Hindustan
Babur, Emperor of Hindustan, 1483-1530; Mogul Empire
Badī`u´z-zamān Mīrzā, Muz̤affar Mīrzā, Muḥ. Barandūq _Barlās_ and
Ẕū´n-nūn _Arghūn_ were all lying with their army in Bābā Khākī,[1260]
not decided to fight, not settled to make (Herī) fort fast, there they
sat, confounded, vague, uncertain what to do. Muḥammad Barandūq _Barlās_
was a knowledgeable man; he kept saying, "You let Muz̤affar Mīrzā and me
make the fort fast; let Badī`u´z-zamān Mīrzā and Ẕū´n-nūn Beg go into
the mountains near Herī and gather in Sl. `Alī _Arghūn_ from Sīstān and
Zamīn-dāwar, Shāh Beg and Muqīm from Qandahār with all their armies, and
let them collect also what there is of Nikdīrī and Hazāra force; this
done, let them make a swift and telling move. The enemy would find it
difficult to go into the mountains, and could not come against the
(Herī) fort because [Sidenote: Fol. 205.] he would be afraid of the army
outside." He said well, his plan was practical.
Brave though Ẕū´n-nūn _Arghūn_ was, he was mean, a lover-of-goods, far
from businesslike or judicious, rather shallow-pated, and a bit of a
fool. As has been mentioned,[1261] when that elder and that younger
brother became joint-rulers in Herī, he had chief authority in
Badī`u´z-zamān Mīrzā's presence. He was not willing now for Muḥ.
Barandūq Beg to remain inside Herī town; being the lover-of-goods he
was, he wanted to be there himself. But he could not make this seem one
and the same thing![1262] Is there a better sign of his shallow-pate and
craze than that he degraded himself and became contemptible by accepting
the lies and flattery of rogues and sycophants? Here are the
particulars[1263]:—While he was so dominant and trusted in Herī, certain
Shaikhs and Mullās went to him and said, "The Spheres are holding
commerce with us; you are styled _Hizabru´l-lāh_ (Lion of God); you will
overcome the Aūzbeg." Believing these words, he put his bathing-cloth
round his neck and gave thanks. It was through this he did not accept
Muḥammad Barandūq Beg's sensible counsel, did not strengthen the works
(_aīsh_) of the fort, get ready fighting equipment, set scout or
rearward to warn of the foe's approach, or plan out such method of array
that, should the foe appear, his men would fight with ready heart.
(_e. Shaibāq Khān takes Herī._)
Shaibāq Khān passed through Murgh-āb to near Sīr-kāī[1264] in [Sidenote:
Fol. 205b.] the month of Muḥarram (913 AH. May-June 1507 AD.). When the
Mīrzās heard of it, they were altogether upset, could not act, collect
troops, array those they had. Dreamers, they moved through a
dream![1265] Ẕū'n-nūn _Arghūn_, made glorious by that flattery, went out
to Qarā-rabāṯ, with 100 to 150 men, to face 40,000 to 50,000 Aūzbegs: a
mass of these coming up, hustled his off, took him, killed him and cut
off his head.[1266]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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