Universal

submission.

Sultan Ali
Mirza put

to death.

Murder of
Khwâjeh
Yahia and

his sons.

Baber

dan. Sheibâni did not give him a very flattering reception; and, as soon as the ceremonies of meeting were over, made him sit down lower than himself. Khwâjeh Yahia, on learning that the Mirza had gone out, was filled with alarm; but, seeing no remedy left, also went out of the town, and waited on Sheibâni Khan, who received him without rising, and said some severe things to him. On his rising to go away, however, Sheibâni Khan behaved more courteously, and rose from his seat. Jân Ali, the son of Khwâjeh Ali Bai, who was in Rabât-Khwâjeh, as soon as he heard that the Mirza had gone out, likewise went and presented himself to Sheibâni Khan; so that the wretched and weak woman, for the sake of getting herself a husband, gave the family and honour of her son to the winds. Nor did Sheibâni Khan mind her a bit, or value her even so much as his other handmaids, concubines, or women. Sultan Ali Mirza was confounded at the condition in which he now found himself, and deeply regretted the step which he had taken. Several young cavaliers about him, perceiving this, formed a plan for escaping with him; but he would not consent. As the hour of fate was at hand, he could not shun it. He had quarters assigned him near Taimur Sultan. Three or four days afterwards, they put him to death in the meadow of Kulbeh. From his over-anxiety to preserve this transitory and mortal life, he left a name of infamy behind him ; and, from following the suggestions of a woman, struck himself out of the list of those who have earned for themselves a glorious name. It is impossible to write any more of the transactions of such a personage, and impossible to listen any farther to the recital of such base and dastardly proceedings.

After the murder of Sultan Ali Mirza, the Khan sent Jân Ali after his prince; and as he entertained suspicions of Khwâjeh Yahîa, banished him, and sent him off for Khorasân, with his two sons, Khwâjeh Muhammed Zakerîa and Khwâjeh Bâki. They were followed by a party of Uzbeks, who martyred the Khwâjeh and both his young sons, in the neighbourhood of Khwâjeh Kardzin. Sheibâni Khan denied all participation in the Khwâjeh's death, alleging that it was the act of Kamber Bî and Kepek Bî. This is only making the matter worse, according to the saying, "the excuse is worse that the fault;" for when Begs presume to perpetrate such deeds without being authorised by their Khan or King, what confidence can be reposed in such a government?

2

No sooner had the Uzbeks taken Samarkand, than we moved away from Kesh toleaves Kesh. wards Hissar. Muhammed Mazîd Terkhân, and some of the other Begs of Samarkand, accompanied me, along with their wives, children, and families. On halting at the Valley of the district of Cheghâniân, Muhammed Mazîd Terkhân, and the Samarkand nobles, separating from me, went and took service with Khosrou Shah, while I, without town or territory, without any spot to which I could go, or in which I could remain, in spite of the miseries which Khosrou Shah had inflicted on my house and family, saw myself compelled to pass through the midst of his territories. I once had

Passes

through Khosrou Shah's territories.

1 The Uzbeks, down to the present time, distinguish the richer and more substantial men of property by the title of Bi, which corresponds very much with master. The Uzbeks were composed of the four tribes of Vigurs, Naimans, Durmans, and Kankerats.-See Astley's Voyages, vol. IV. p. 483.

2 They probably proceeded through the hills of the Derbend or the Kaluga Pass.

3 Auleng, a valley, meadow, or pasture-ground.

a fancy that I might go by way of the country of Karatigîn1 to join my younger maternal uncle Ilcheh Khan, but I did not.. We resolved to go up by the Kamrûd and to cross over the mountain of Sir-e-Tâk.2 By the time we reached the confines of Nowendak, a servant of Khosrou Shah came to me, and, in his master's name, presented me with nine horses, and nine pieces of cloth. When I reached the gorge of Kamrûd, Shir Ali Chehreh deserted from me and joined Wali, the younger brother of Khosrou Shah. The next morning Koch Beg separated from me and went to Hissar. Having entered the Valley of Kamrûd, we went up the river. In these roads, which are extremely dangerous, often overhanging precipices, and in the steep and narrow hill passes and straits which we were obliged to ascend, numbers of our horses and camels failed, and were unable to proceed. After four or five days march, we reached the mountain pass of Sir-e-Tâk. It is a pass, and such a pass! Never did I see one Surmounts so narrow and steep; never were paths so narrow and precipitous traversed by me. Sit-e-Tak We travelled on with incredible fatigue and difficulty, amid dangerous narrows and tremendous gulphs. Having, after a hundred sufferings and losses, at length surmounted these murderous, steep, and narrow defiles, we came down on the confines of Reaches Kân. Among the mountains of Kân there is a large lake, which may be about a kos1 in circumference, and is very beautiful.

the Pass of

Kan.

Terkhan

Here I received information that Ibrâhim Terkhân had thrown himself into the for- Ibrahim tress of Shirâz, which he had put in a state of defence, and that Kamber Ali and Abûl occupies Kâsim Kohbûr, who had been in the fort of Khwâjeh Dîdâr, when the Uzbeks took Yar-ailāk. Samarkand, not believing themselves able to hold out in the place, had repaired to Yâr-ailâk, the fortresses of which district they had occupied and put in a state of defence, and established themselves there.

5

received by

Leaving Kân on the right, we marched towards Keshtûd. The Malek of Kân was Baber is ill renowned for his hospitality, generosity, politeness, and humanity. When Sultan Hus- the Malek sain Mirza came against Hissâr, Sultan Masaûd Mirza fled to his younger brother of Kân. Baiesanghar Mirza at Samarkand, by this road. The Malek of Kân presented him with seventy or eighty horses as a peshkesh, and did him many other services of the like nature. To me he presented a single worthless horse, but did not come himself to greet me: Yet so it was, that those who were famed for generosity, proved niggards when they had to do with me; and those who were so celebrated for their hospitality, quite forgot it when I was concerned. Khosrou Shah too, was one who possessed a high reputation for liberality and generosity, and the services which he rendered to Badîa-ez-zemân Mirza have already been mentioned. He certainly received Bâki

In that case he would probably have passed the hills into the Kashgar territory, and then proceeded to the east of the Ala-tagh mountains, which separated Kashghar and the country of the Moghuls from Ush, Kâsân, &c. The Persian copies read Karatigîn and Alâi.

2 The valley of Kainrud leads up from the low country of Hissâr to Sir-e-Tâk, which seems to be on the summit of the Kara-tagh mountains. On getting across these mountains, Baber came on the country near the source of the Kohik, and on one skirt of Yar-ailâk.

* The Moghuls and Tûrks have a superstitious reverence for the number nine, and presents are generally made by nine or thrice nine pieces of each kind.

About a mile and a half.

' Mr Metcalfe's MS. has Keshbûd, the Persian Kesûd and Kebûd.

Advances to
Keshtud.

Reaches
Yar-ailak.

Resolves to

attempt Sa

markand.

Terkhân and the other Begs with unbounded kindness and liberality. I twice passed through his country. Let it not be told to my peers that the humanity and politeness which he showed to my lowest servants, were not vouchsafed to me; nay that he did not even treat me with so much respect as he did them :—

Turki.-O, my soul! who has ever experienced good treatment from worldlings?
Hope not that those in whom there is no good, can show it to others?

Immediately on leaving Kân, it occurred to me that Keshtûd must certainly be in the possession of the Uzbeks, I made a rapid push towards it, but found the place ruined and desolate, not a man being there. Leaving it behind, I advanced, and halted on the banks of the Kohik. I passed this river by a bridge towards its bend at Yâri, and dispatched Kâsim Beg and some other Begs for the purpose of surprising the fortress of Rabât-Khwâjeh. Passing Yâri and the hill of Shankar-Khaneh,1 we arrived in Yar-ailâk. The Begs who were sent against Rabât-Khwâjeh, at the instant of applying their scaling-ladders, perceiving that the garrison had taken the alarm, and that the attempt had failed, mounted their horses and abandoned the enterprize. Kamber Ali, who was in Sangrâz, came and waited on me. 2 Abûl Kâsim Kohbur and Ibrâhim Terkhân sent some of their confidential servants to pay me their respects, and assure me of their attachment.

From the villages of Yar-ailâk we came to Asfendek. At that time Sheibâni Khan was in the vicinity of Khwâjeh-Dîdâr, accompanied by three or four thousand Uzbeks, and about as many more soldiers who had been collected from various quarters. He had bestowed the Daroghaship of Samarkand on Khan Vafa Mirza, who occupied the place with five or six hundred men. Khamzeh Sultan and Mehdi Sultan, with their adherents and followers, were encamped near Samarkand in the Kurûgh-Budineh. My men, good and bad, amounted only to two hundred and forty. Having consulted with the whole of my Begs and officers, we finally were agreed in opinion, that as Sheibâni Khan had taken Samarkand so recently, the men of the place had probably formed no attachment to him, nor he to them; that if anything was ever to be done, this was the crisis; that could we succeed in scaling the fort by surprise, and making ourselves master of it, the inhabitants of Samarkand would certainly declare in our favour; they had nothing else for it; that if they did not assist me, at least they would not fight for the Uzbeks. At all events, after the city was once taken, whatever God's will might be, be it done. Having come to these conclusions, we mounted and left Yar-ailâk aften noon-tide prayers, and rode rapidly the greater part of the night. By midnight we Fails in one reached Yuret Khan. That night, learning that the garrison were on the alert, we did not venture to approach the place, but returned from Yuret-Khan: and as the morning dawned, we passed the river Kohik a little below Rabât-Khwâjeh, and regained Yarailâk.

attempt.

One day I happened to be in the castle of Asfendek with some of my inferior nobles

1 Hawk-house.

? I know not whether the name of this place, which occurs several times, is Sangrâz or Sangzár, it being written both ways.

and officers, such as Dost Nâsir, Neviân Gokultâsh, Kâsim Gokultâsh, Khan Kuli Kerîmdâd, Sheikh Dervish, Khosrou Gokultâsh, and Mîram Nâsir, who were sitting and conversing around me. The conversation turned at random on a variety of subjects. I happened to say, "Come! let us hit on a lucky guess, and may God accomplish it! When shall we take Samarkand?" Some said, "We shall take it in the spring," (it was then the harvest ;) some said in a month, some in forty days, some in twenty days. Neviân Gokultâsh said, "We shall take it within a fortnight;" and Almighty God verified his words, for we did take it within the fortnight.

dream.

About this time I had a remarkable dream. I thought that the reverend Khwâjeh Baber's Abîd-ûlla had come to visit me. I went out to receive him, and the Khwâjeh came in and sat down. It appeared to me that a table was spread for him, but perhaps not with sufficient attention to neatness, on which account the holy man seemed to be somewhat displeased. Mûlla Bâba observing this, made me a sign. I answered him likewise by signs, that the fault was not mine, but the person's who had spread the tablecloth. The Khwâjeh perceived what passed, and was satisfied with my excuse. When he rose to depart I attended him out. In the hall of the house, however, he seemed to seize me by the right or left arm, and lifted me up so high that one of my feet was raised from the ground, while he said to me in Tûrki, Sheikh Maslehet Berdi, "Your religious instructor has counselled you." A few days after this I took Samarkand.

tempt,

One or two days after seeing this dream, I went from the fort of Asfendek to that Makes anoof Wasmand. Although I had once already set out to surprise Samarkand, and, after ther atreaching the very suburbs, had been obliged to return, from finding the garrison on the alert; nevertheless, placing my confidence in the Almighty, I once more set out from Wasmand on the same enterprize, after mid-day prayers, and pushed on for Samarkand with the greatest expedition. Khwâjeh Abdal Makâram was along with me. At midnight we reached the bridge of the Moghak2 at the Khiawân3 (or public pleasureground), whence I detached forward seventy or eighty of my best men, with instructions to fix their scaling-ladders on the wall opposite to the Lovers' Cave,1 to mount by them and enter the fort; after which they were to proceed immediately against the party who were stationed at the Firôzeh-gate, to take possession of it, and then to apprize me of their success by a messenger. They accordingly went, scaled the walls

opposite to the Lovers' Cave, and entered the place without giving the least alarm. and enters by surprise.

Thence they proceeded to the Firôzeh-gate, where they found Fâzil Terkhân, who was Samarkand not of the Terkhân Begs, but a Terkhân merchant of Tûrkestân, that had served under Sheibâni Khan in Tûrkestân, and had been promoted by him. They instantly fell upon Fâzil Terkhân and put him and a number of his retainers to the sword, broke the lock of the gate with axes, and threw it open. At that very moment I came up to the gate and instantly entered. Abul Kâsim Kohbur did not himself come on this enterprize, but he sent his younger brother Ahmed Kâsim with thirty or forty of his followers.

1 Or rather perhaps, Sheikh Maslehet gives it.

? Or Pul-e-Moghak may be a village near Kûl-e-Moghâk. Moghâk literally means a ditch or hollow. * The Khiawân or Khiabân, as already mentioned, is a park shaded by avenues of trees, under which the town's people went out to divert themselves.

'Moghar-e-Ashikân.

There was no person with me on the part of Ibrâhim Terkhân; but, after I had entered the city, and while I was sitting in the Khanekâh1 (or convent), Ahmed Terkhân, his younger brother, arrived with a party of his retainers. The citizens in general were fast asleep, but the shopkeepers, peeping out of their shops, and discovering what had happened, offered up prayers of thanksgiving. In a short time the rest of the citizens were apprized of the event, when they manifested great joy, and most hearty congratulations passed on both sides between them and my followers. They pursued the And expels Uzbeks in every street and corner with sticks and stones, hunting them down and killing them like mad dogs: they put to death about four or five hundred Uzbeks in this manner. The Governor of the city, Jân Vafâ, was in Khwâjeh Yahîa's house, but contrived to make his escape, and rejoined Sheibâni Khan.

the Uzbeks.

Received

with joy by

tants.

On entering the gate, I had instantly proceeded towards the college and Khanekah, the inhabi and, on reaching the latter, I took my seat under the grand Tâk (or arched hall). Till morning the tumult and war-shouts were heard on every side. Some of the chief people and shopkeepers, on learning what had passed, came with much joy to bid me welcome, bringing me such offerings of food ready dressed as they had at hand, and breathed out prayers for my success.

Encamps

without the town.

Compares

the surprise of Samar kand with

that of Heri.

When it was morning, information was brought that the Uzbeks were in possession of the Iron Gate, and were maintaining themselves in it. I immediately mounted my horse, and galloped to the place, accompanied only by fifteen or twenty men; but the rabble of the town, who were prowling about in every lane and corner, had driven the Uzbeks from the Iron Gate before I could come up.

Sheibâni Khan, on learning what was passing, set out hurriedly, and about sunrise appeared before the Iron Gate, with a hundred or a hundred and fifty horse. It was a noble opportunity; but I had a mere handful of men with me, as has been mentioned. Sheibâni Khan, soon discovering that he could effect nothing, did not stop, but turned back and retired.

2

I now left the town, and encamped at the Bostan-serai. The men of rank and consequence, and all such as were in office in the city, now came out and waited on me, offering me their congratulations. For nearly a hundred and forty years, Samarkand had been the capital of my family. A foreign robber, one knew not whence he came, had seized the kingdom, which dropped from our hands. Almighty God now restored it to me, and gave me back my plundered and pillaged country. Sultan Hussain Mirza had also surprised Heri, much in the same way in which I had now taken Samarkand. But to persons of judgment and discrimination it is evident, and it is clear to every man of candour, that there was a very great difference between the two occurrences. The first distinction is, that Sultan Hussain Mirza was a mighty and powerful sovereign, of great experience, and in the maturity of his years and understanding. The second is, that his opponent, Yâdgâr Muhammed Mirza, was an inexperienced lad of seventeen or eighteen years of age. A third distinction is, that Mîr Ali, the master of horse, who was perfectly acquainted with the whole conduct and

1 The Khanekâh was a convent, with which was connected a caravansera for travellers, an endowment for charitable purposes, and sometimes an establishment for lectures. The extent of the buildings made it convenient for head-quarters.

2 The Garden Palace.