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
(_Feb. 19th_) Marching thence at dawn and crossing the Sūhān-water, we
dismounted at the Mid-day Prayer. Those behind kept coming in till
midnight; the march had been mightily long, and, as many horses were
weak and out-of-condition, a great number were left on the road.
(_i. The Salt-range._)
Fourteen miles (_7 kos_) north of Bhīra lies the mountain-range written
of in the _Z̤afar-nāma_ and other books as the Koh-i-jūd.[1399] I had
not known why it was called this; I now knew. On it dwell two tribes,
descendants from one parent-source, one is called Jūd, the other
Janjūha. These two from of old have been the rulers and lawful
commanders of the peoples and hordes (_aūlūs_) of the range and of the
country between Bhīra and Nīl-āb. Their rule is friendly and brotherly
however; they cannot take what their hearts might desire; the portion
ancient custom has fixed is given and taken, no less and no more. The
agreement is to give one _shāhrukhī_[1400] for each yoke of oxen and
seven for headship in a household; there is also service in the army.
The Jūd and Janjūha both are divided into several clans. The Koh-i-jūd
runs for 14 miles along the Bhīra country, taking off from those Kashmīr
mountains that are one with [Sidenote: Fol. 223b.] Hindū-kūsh, and it
draws out to the south-west as far as the foot of Dīn-kot on the
Sind-river.[1401] On one half of it are the Jūd, the Janjūha on the
other. People call it Koh-i-jūd through connecting it with the Jūd
tribe.[1402] The principal headman gets the title of Rāī; others, his
younger brothers and sons, are styled Malik. The Janjūha headmen are
maternal uncles of Langar Khan. The ruler of the people and horde near
the Sūhān-water was named Malik Hast. The name originally was Asad but
as Hindūstānīs sometimes drop a vowel _e.g._ they say _khabr_ for
_khabar_ (news), they had said Asd for Asad, and this went on to Hast.
Langar Khān was sent off to Malik Hast at once when we dismounted. He
galloped off, made Malik Hast hopeful of our favour and kindness, and at
the Bed-time Prayer, returned with him. Malik Hast brought an offering
of a horse in mail and waited on me. He may have been 22 or 23 years
old.[1403]
The various flocks and herds belonging to the country-people were close
round our camp. As it was always in my heart to possess Hindūstān, and
as these several countries, Bhīra, Khūsh-āb, Chīn-āb and Chīnīūt[1404]
had once been held by the Turk, I pictured them as my own and was
resolved to get them into my hands, whether peacefully or by force. For
these reasons it being imperative to treat these hillmen well, this
following [Sidenote: Fol. 224.] order was given:—"Do no hurt or harm to
the flocks and herds of these people, nor even to their cotton-ends and
broken needles!"
(_j. The Kalda-kahār lake_.)
(_Feb. 20th_) Marching thence next day, we dismounted at the Mid-day
Prayer amongst fields of densely-growing corn in Kalda-kahār.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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