THEMEMOIRS OF BĀBUREVENTS OF THE YEAR A.H. 912
IN the month of Muharrem*I set out for Khorasān, in order to oppose the invasion of theUzbeks, and advanced by way of Ghūrbend and Shibertū. As Jehāngīr Mirza had taken somedisgust and fled from the country of Ghazni, I judged it proper, for the purpose of reducingthe Aimāks to order, and to prevent the disaffected from rising in revolt,*to separate from our baggage and camp-followers in Ushter-sheher,*(leaving Wali Khāzin*and Doulet Kadam to
guard and bring them on,) and to push forward with the great body of the army, in light array,with all practicable speed. That same day we reached the fort of Zahāk. Having proceededthence by the
kotal
or hill pass of Gumbazek, and descended by Saekān,*we surmounted theDandān-shiken*pass, and encamped in the valley of Kahmerd. I sent on Sultan MuhammedDuldāi, and Syed Afzal Khāb-bīn,*with a letter to Sultan Hussain Mirza, to inform him of myapproach from Kābul. Jehāngīr Mirza having lagged behind his men, when he came opposite to Bāmiān, went tosee it, accompanied by twenty-three*attendants. On approaching the place he observed thetents of my household,*which had been left behind, and thinking that I was along with them,set off full speed, returned back to his camp, and without suffering himself to be delayed byany consideration whatever, marched away, never looking behind him till he had reached theterritory of Yake-auleng.*Meanwhile Sheibāni Khan had laid siege to Balkh. Sultan Kalinjāk commanded in the place.Sheibāni Khan sent out two or three Sultans, with three or four thousand men, to plunder thecountry of Badakhshān. At that time Mubārek Shah Wazīr had gone and joined Nāsir Mirza.*Although formerly there had been some discussions and bad blood between them, they hadnow in concert collected an army, and were encamped below Kishem,*in Shakhdān,*when
the Uzbeks,*towards morning, came by surprise on Nāsir Mirza. Nāsir Mirza drew off hismen to the summit of a rising ground, and having rallied his troops, and blown his trumpets,attacked the Uzbeks at the moment they were advancing, and put them to the rout; theKishem river, which they had crossed in their advance, was now swollen. Many of them wereslain by the sword and by arrows, numbers were taken prisoners, and many perished in theriver. Mubārek Shah Wazīr was encamped higher up than the Mirza, towards Kishem. TheUzbeks, who had divided, in order to attack them both at the same time, had put his troops toflight, and forced them to take refuge on a rising ground. When Nāsir Mirza had defeatedthose opposed to him, he learned this situation of things, and marched to attack the otherdivision. The Amirs of the hill-country too, having collected their whole strength of horse andfoot, poured down from above, and joined him. In these circumstances, the Uzbeks foundthemselves unable to stand their ground, and took to flight. Of this body too, many weremade prisoners, many were slain by arrows and the sword, and others perished in the river.Perhaps a thousand or fifteen hundred Uzbeks fell. This was a good exploit of Nāsir Mirza.One of his men brought us the news when we were in the valley of Kahmard.
Babur Nama Vol-II Page 3 of 203
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