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
Shaikh Mazīd Beg was another, my first guardian, excellent in rule and
method. He must have served (_khidmat qīlghān dūr_) under Bābur Mīrzā
(_Shāhrukhī_). There was no greater beg in `Umar Shaikh Mīrzā's
presence. He was a vicious person and kept catamites.
`Alī-mazīd _Qūchīn_ was another;[164] he rebelled twice, once at Akhsī,
once at Tāshkīnt. He was disloyal, untrue to his salt, vicious and
good-for-nothing.
Ḥasan (son of) Yaq`ūb was another, a small-minded, good-tempered, smart
and active man. This verse is his:—
"Return, O Huma, for without the parrot-down of thy lip,
The crow will assuredly soon carry off my bones."[165]
[Sidenote: Fol. 14.] He was brave, a good archer, played polo
(_chaughān_) well and leapt well at leap-frog.[166] He had the control
of my Gate after `Umar Shaikh Mīrzā's accident. He had not much sense,
was narrow-minded and somewhat of a strife-stirrer.
Qāsim Beg _Qūchīn_, of the ancient army-begs of Andijān, was another. He
had the control of my Gate after Ḥasan Yaq`ūb Beg. His life through, his
authority and consequence waxed without decline. He was a brave man;
once he gave some Aūzbegs a good beating when he overtook them raiding
near Kāsān; his sword hewed away in `Umar Shaikh Mīrzā's presence; and
in the fight at the Broad Ford (Yāsī-kījīt _circa_ 904AH.-July, 1499AD.)
he hewed away with the rest. In the guerilla days he went to Khusrau
Shāh (907AH.) at the time I was planning to go from the Macha
hill-country[167] to Sl. Maḥmūd Khān, but he came back to me in 910AH.
(1504AD.) and I shewed him all my old favour and affection. When I
attacked the Turkmān Hazāra raiders in Dara-i-khwush (911AH.) he made
better advance, spite of his age, than the younger men; I gave him
Bangash as a reward and later on, after returning to Kābul, made him
Humāyūn's guardian. He went to God's mercy [Sidenote: Fol. 14b.] about
the time Zamīn-dāwar was taken (_circa_ 928AH.-1522AD.). He was a pious,
God-fearing Musalmān, an abstainer from doubtful aliments; excellent in
judgment and counsel, very facetious and, though he could neither read
nor write (_ummiy_), used to make entertaining jokes.
Bābā Beg's Bābā Qulī (`Alī) was another, a descendant of Shaikh `Alī
_Bahādur_.[168] They made him my guardian when Shaikh Mazīd Beg died. He
went over to Sl. Aḥmad Mīrzā when the Mīrzā led his army against Andijān
(899AH.), and gave him Aūrā-tīpā. After Sl. Maḥmūd Mīrzā's death, he
left Samarkand and was on his way to join me (900AH.) when Sl. `Alī
Mīrzā, issuing out of Aūrā-tīpā, fought, defeated and slew him. His
management and equipment were excellent and he took good care of his
men. He prayed not; he kept no fasts; he was like a heathen and he was a
tyrant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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