During that time, I regularly went aboard of a boat, and indulged in a maajûn. The junction of the Ganges and Chambal, is a kos or two above the ford of Kinâr. On Dec. 27. Friday, I embarked in the river Chambal in a boat, and passing over at the point of junction, went on to the camp.

hammed Ali Jeng

Though I had no decisive proofs of Sheikh Bayezid's hostility, I was well assured, Sends Mufrom his way of proceeding and general conduct, that he was hostilely inclined. On this account I detached Muhammed Ali Jeng-Jeng from the army, and sent him to Jeng against the bring together at Kunauj, Muhammed Sultan Mirza, and the Sultans and Amîrs in Afghans in that quarter, such as Kâsim Hussain Sultan, Taimûr Sultan, Malek Kâsim Koki, Abul Muhammed Nezehbâz, Manûcheher Khan, with his brothers and the Deriakhânis, and to march with them, under his command, against the hostile Afghâns. He was directed to summon Sheikh Bayezîd to attend him. If he came frankly, they were to take him along with them on the expedition; if he did not join them, they were then, first of all, to settle his business. Muhammed Ali asked me for a few elephants; I gave him ten. After Muhammed Ali had been sent off, I directed Bâba Chehreh also to join them. I advanced one march from Kinâr in a boat. On Wednesday, the 8th of the last Proceeds Rebi, we halted within a kos of Kalpi.1 Bâba Sultan, the younger brother of the full Chânderi. blood of Sultan Saîd Khan, the son of Sultan Khalil Sultan, came and waited on me January, at this station. Last year he had fled from his elder brother, and come to my territories, but soon after, changing his mind, had gone off from the country of Anderâb. When he got near Kâshghar, however, Khan Haider Mirza was sent to meet him, and to desire him to return back.

towards

1528.

Next morning, I halted at Kâlpi, at Alim Khan's house. He entertained me with a January 2. dinner, in which the meats were dressed after the Hindi fashion, and presented me with a Peshkesh.

On Monday the 13th, I marched from Kâlpi, and on Friday we encamped in Irîj.3 January 6. On Saturday we reached Bandîr.

4

January 10.
January 11.

On Sunday the 19th, I sent forward in advance Chin Taimûr Sultan, with six or January 12. seven thousand men, against Chânderi. The Begs who went on this expedition were Bâki Ming-Begi, Terdi Beg, Kûch Beg, Ashek Bekâwel, Mûlla Apâk, Mukhsin Dûldi; and of the Amîrs of Hindustân, Sheikh Khuren.

Kechweh.

On Friday the 24th, we encamped near Kechweh. I sent to assure the inhabitants January 17. of Kechweh that they had nothing to apprehend, and bestowed the place on Bedreddîn's son. Kechweh is rather a pretty place. It is surrounded by small hills. On a Reaches hill to the north-east of Kechweh, they have constructed a mound for collecting the water, and formed a large tank, which may be five or six kos in circumference. This tank encloses Kechweh on three of its sides. To the north-west there is a small neck of dry land, on which side is the gate of the town. In this tank they have very small boats, which may hold three or four persons. Whenever they are obliged to flee, they

1 Kâlpi, a considerable place on the Ganges, in lat. 25° 10′.

3 Irij is a town on the river Bethwa.

5 Eight or nine miles.

2 Of Kashghar.

* The original has 14th, which must be a mistake.

A. D. 1528. betake themselves to their boats, and push out into the middle of the tank. Before coming to Kechweh, in other two places, we had met with similar mounds thrown up between hills, and tanks formed, but they were less than that at Kechweh.

Arrives before Chán. deri.

Having halted one day at Kechweh, I sent on a number of overseers and pioneers, to level the inequalities of the road, and to cut down the jungle, to admit of the guns January 18. and carriages passing without difficulty. Between Kechweh and Chânderi the coun

and 20.

Prepares for the siege. January 22.

try is jungly. Leaving Kechweh, the second day's march brought us within three kos January 19 of Chânderi, where we encamped, having previously crossed the river of Berhânpûr. The citadel of Chânderi is situated on a hill. The outer fort and town lie in the middle of the slope of the hill. The straight road, by which cannon can be conveyed, passes right below the fort. After marching from Berhânpûr, we passed a kos lower down than Chânderi, on account of our guns, and, at the end of the march, on TuesJanuary 21. day the 28th, encamped on the banks of Behjet Khan's tank, on the top of the mound. Next morning I rode out and distributed the different posts around the fort, to the different divisions of my army, to the centre, and to the right and left wings. In placing his battery, Ustâd Ali Kûli chose a piece of ground that had no slope. Overseers and pioneers were appointed to construct works on which the guns were to be planted. All the men of the army were directed to prepare tûras and scaling-ladders, and to serve the tûras1 which are used in attacking forts. Chânderi had formerly belonged to the Sultans of Mându. After the death of Sultan Nâsir-ed-dîn, one of his sons, Sultan Mahmûd, who is now in Mându, got possession of Mându and the neighbouring countries; another of his sons, Muhammed Shah, seized on Chânderi, and applied to Sultan Sekander for protection. Sultan Sekander sent several large armies, and supported him in his dominions. After Sultan Sekander's demise, in Sultan Ibrahîm's reign, Muhammed Shah died, leaving a young son of the name of Ahmed Shah. Sultan Ibrâhim carried off Ahmed Shah, and established one of his own people in his stead. When Sanka advanced with an army against Ibrâhim as far as Dhûlpûr, that prince's Amîrs rose against him, and, on that occasion, Chânderi fell into Sanka's hands. He bestowed it on one Mîdini Rao, a Pagan of great consequence, who was now in the place with four or five thousand Pagans. As Arâish Khan had long been on terms of friendship with him, I sent Arâish Khan to him, along with Sheikh Kûren, to assure him of my favour and clemency, and offering him Shemsâbâd in exchange for Chânderi. Two or three considerable people about him were averse to conciliation. I know not whether he did not place perfect reliance in my promises, or whether it was from confidence in the strength of his fort, but the treaty broke off January 28. without success. On the morning of Tuesday, the 6th of the first Jemâdi, I marched from Behjet Khan's tank, for the purpose of attempting Chânderi by force, and encamped on the banks of the middle tank, which is near the fort.

Baber's armyin Purab defeated.

The same morning, just as we reached our ground, Khalîfeh brought me a letter or two. The tenor of them was, that the army which had been sent to the eastward (to

1 These turas, so often mentioned, appear to have been a sort of testudo, under cover of which the assailants advanced, and sometimes breached the wall. The word burkereh, or buzkezeh, I do not understand. Mr Metcalfe's MS. seems to read, noukeri-e-tûra, which would signify, and to serve the turas, which I have adopted in the text.

Purab), while marching in disorder, had been attacked and defeated; that it had abandoned Luknow, and fallen back to Kunauj. I saw that Khalifeh was in great perturbation and alarm, in consequence of this news. I told him, that alarm or discomposure was of no use; that nothing could happen but by the decrees of God; that as the enterprize in which we were engaged was still unfinished, we had better not speak a word of his intelligence, but attack the fort vigorously next morning, and see what ensued. The enemy had garrisoned every part of the citadel strongly, but had placed only a few men, by ones and twos, in the outer fort, to defend it. This very night my troops entered the outer fort on every side. There being but few people in the place, the resistance was not obstinate. They fled, and took shelter in the citadel.

storm.

Next morning, being Wednesday, the 7th of the first Jemâdi, I commanded the Chanderi troops to arm themselvss, to repair to their posts, and to prepare for an assault, direct- taken by ing that, as soon as I raised my standard and beat my kettle-drum, every man should January 29. push on to the assault. I did not intend to display my standard, nor beat the kettledrum, till we were ready to storm, but went to see Ustâd Ali Kûli's battering-cannon play. He discharged three or four shot; but his ground having no slope, and the works being very strong, and entirely of rock, the effect produced was trifling. It has been mentioned, that the citadel of Chânderi is situated on a hill; on one side of it they have made a covered way that runs down to the water. The walls of this covered way reach down below the hill, and this is one of the places in which the fort is assailable, with most hopes of success. This spot had been assigned to the right and left of the centre, and to my own household troops, as the object of their attack. The citadal was attacked on all sides, but here with particular vigour. Though the Pagans exerted themselves to the utmost, hurling down stones from above, and throwing over flaming substances on their heads, the troops nevertheless persevered, and at length Shahem Nûr Beg mounted, where the wall of the outer fort joined the wall of the projecting bastion. The troops likewise, about the same time, scaled the walls in two or three other places. The Pagans who were stationed in the covered way took to flight, and that part of the works was taken. They did not defend the upper fort with so much obstinacy, and were quickly put to flight; the assailants climbed up, and entered the upper fort by storm. In a short time the Pagans, in a state of complete nudity, Desperation rushed out to attack us, put numbers of my people to flight, and leaped over the ram- of the garparts. Some of our troops were attacked furiously and put to the sword. The reason of this desperate sally from their works was, that, on giving up the place for lost, they had put to death the whole of their wives and women, and, having resolved to perish, Massacre of had stripped themselves naked, in which condition they had rushed out to the fight; of the woand, engaging with ungovernable desperation, drove our people along the ramparts. Two or three hundred Pagans had entered Medini Rao's house, where numbers of them slew each other, in the following manner: One person took his stand with a sword in his hand, while the others, one by one, crowded in and stretched out their necks, eager to die. In this way many went to hell; and, by the favour of God, in the space of two or three geris,' I gained this celebrated fort, without raising my stan

1 About one hour.

rison.

men.

A. D. 1528. dards, or beating my kettle-drum, and without using the whole strength of my arms. On the top of a hill, to the north-west of Chânderi, I erected a tower of the heads of the Pagans. The words, Fateh Dar-ul-Kherb, (the conquest of the city hostile to the faith,) were found to contain the date of its conquest. I composed the following

Description

verses:

Long was the fort of Chânderi

Full of Pagans, and styled the town of hostility and strife;

I stormed and conquered its castle,

And the date is the Conquest of the castle hostile to the faith.1

Chânderi is an excellent country, abounding on every side with running water. Its of Chanderi citadel stands on a hill. In the midst of it they have excavated a large tank out of the rock. Another large tank was in the covered way, that has been mentioned, as the point by which the place was attacked and taken by storm. The houses of all the inhabitants are of stone, and are beautiful and capacious. The houses of the men of consequence are of hewn stone, wrought with great skill and labour. The houses of the lower ranks are wholly of stone, generally not hewn. Instead of tiles, the houses are covered with flag-stones. In front of the fort there are three large tanks. Former governors have thrown up mounds on different sides of it, and formed these tanks. In an elevated situation in this district, called Bitwi, there is a lake. It is three kos2 from Chânderi. In Hindustân the water of Bitwi is famous for its excellence and its agreeable taste. It is a small pretty lake. Little spots of rising ground are scattered about it, affording beautiful sites for houses. Chânderi lies south from Agra ninety kos3 by the road. It is situate in the 25th degree of north latitude.

January 30.

Baber resolves to march to the east

ward.

February 2.

4

Next morning, being Thursday, I marched round the fort, and encamped by the tank of Malû Khan. When I came, it was my design, after the capture of Chânderi, to fall upon Rai Sing, and Bhîlsan, and Sarangpûr, which is a country of the Pagans, that belonged to Silâh-ed-dîn the Pagan; and I intended, after conquering them, to advance to Chîtur against Sânka. On the arrival of the unfavourable news that has been alluded to, I convened the Begs, and held a council, in which it was decided, that it was necessary, first of all, to proceed to check the rebellion of the insurgents. I gave Chânderi to Ahmed Shah, who has been mentioned, the grandson of Sultan Nâsir-ed-dîn, and fixed a revenue of fifty laks to be paid from it to the imperial treasury. I made Mûlla Apâk Shekdâr (or military collector) of the territory, leaving him with two or three thousand Tûrks and Hindustânis to support Ahmed Shah.

Having made these arrangements, on Sunday, the 11th of the first Jemâdi, I set out from Malû Khan's tank on my expedition, and halted on the banks of the river of

1 The letters in Fatah Dar-ul-kherb make 934.

3 One hundred and thirty-five miles.

2 Nearly five miles.

4 Bhilsan, or Bilsa, is a town and district north-east of Bopâl, in Malwa. Sarangpûr lies to the westward of Bhilsa, north-east from Oujein.

* Chitûr, or Cheitore, is the capital of the Râna, or head of the Rajput governments. It lies in Meiwar, south from Ajmir.

6 About £12,500.

Berhânpûr. I dispatched from Bandîr, Yekeh Khwâjeh and Jaafer Khwâjeh, to bring vessels from Kâlpi to the passage at Kinâr.1

Crosses the

On Saturday the 24th, having halted at the passage of Kinâr, I ordered the troops Feb. 15. to lose no time in crossing with all possible speed. At this time I received intelligence, Josna. that the detachment which I had sent forward, after abandoning Kunauj, had fallen back to Râberi, and that a strong force had advanced and stormed the fort of Shemsâbâd, which had been garrisoned by the troops of Abul Muhammed Nezehbaz. We were detained three or four days on the two banks of the river, while the army was passing. Having transported the whole army across, I proceeded, march after march, for Kunauj, and sent on a party of light troops before us, in order to gain intelligence of the enemy. We were still two or three marches from Kunauj, when they returned with information, that, instantly on discovering from a distance the troops who had advanced to reconnoitre, the son of Maarûf had fled from Kunauj and abandoned it, and that Biban and Bayezid, as well as Maarûf, on hearing of my motions, had, re-crossed the Ganges, and occupied the east side of the river opposite to Kunauj, hoping that they would be able to prevent my passage.

force a passage.

On Thursday, the 6th of the latter Jemâdi, I passed Kunauj, and encamped on the Feb. 27. Encamps western bank of the Ganges. My troops went out and seized a number of the eneon the mies' boats, which they brought in. From above and from below they collected about Ganges. thirty or forty boats in all, of different sizes. I sent Mîr Muhammed Jalehbân to Resolves to throw a bridge over the river. He accordingly went and marked out a situation, about a kos below our encampment. I appointed commissaries to provide everything requisite for the bridge. Near the place pitched on, Ustâd Ali Kûli brought a gun for the purpose of cannonading, and having pitched upon a proper spot, began his fire. Bâba Sultan and Derwish Sultan, with ten or fifteen men, about evening prayers, crossed over in a boat without any object, and returned back again without fighting, and having done nothing. I reprimanded them severely for having crossed. Malek Kâsim Moghul and a few men passed over once or twice in a boat, and had very creditable affairs with small bodies of the enemy. Having planted a swivel on an island, at a place below where the bridge was constructing, a fire was commenced from it. Higher up than the bridge, a breast work was raised, over which the matchlock-men fired with great execution. At length Malek Kâsim, with a few men, having defeated a party of the enemy, led away by excess of confidence, pursued them with slaughter up to their camp. The enemy sallied out in great force with an elephant, attacked him, and threw his troops into confusion, driving them back into their boat; and before they could put off, the elephant came up and swamped the boat. Malek Kâsim perished in this affair. For several days, while the bridge was constructing, Ustâd Ali Kûli played his gun remarkably well. The first day, he discharged it eight times; the second day, sixteen times; and for three or four days he continued firing in the same way. The gun which he fired was that called Dig Ghazi2 (or the victorious gun). It was the

The passage of Kinar, it will be recollected, is a kos or two below the junction of the Jumna and the Chambal.

2 Dig is now always applied to a mortar. They seem, like ourselves, to have taken their name for it from the kitchen. The Turki kúsan signifies, like dig, a kettle.