908 AH. JULY 7th. 1502 TO JUNE 26th. 1503 AD. 173
(/. Bdbur attempts to clefena hriisi.)
Early one morning, when I was in the Hot-bath, Jahangir Mlrza. came into Akhsl, from Marghlnan, a fugitive from Tambal. We saw one another, Shaikh Bayazid also being present, agitated and afraid. The Mlrza and Ibrahim Beg said, ' Shaikh Bayazid must be made prisoner and we must get the citadel into our hands.' In good sooth, the proposal was wise. Said I, ' Promise has been made; how can we break it ?' Shaikh Bayazid went into the citadel. Men ought to have been posted on the br;dge; not even there did we post any-one! These blunders were the fruit of inexperience. At the top of the morning came Tambal himself with 2 or 3000 men in mail, crossed the bridge and went into the citadel. To begin with I had had rather few men; when I first went into Akhsl some had been sent to other forts and some had been made commandants and summoners all round. Left with me in Akhsl may have been something over 100 men. We had got to horse with these and were posting braves at the top of one lane after another and making ready for the fight, when Shaikh Bayazid and Qambar-'all (the Skinner), and Muhammaddost1 came gallopping from Tambal with talk of peace.
After posting those told off for the fight, each in his appointed place, I dismounted at my father's tomb for a conference, in which I invited Jahangir Mlrza to join. Muhammad-dost went back to Tambal but Qambar-'all and Shaikh Bayazid were present. We sat in the south porch of the tomb and were in consultation when the Mlrza., who must have settled beforehand with Ibrahim Chdpuk to lay hands on those other two, said in my ear, ' They must be made prisoner.' Said I, ' Don't hurry! matters are past making prisoners. See here ! with terms made, the affair might be coaxed into something. For why? Not only are they many and we few, but they with their strength are in the citadel, we with our weakness, in the outer fort.' Shaikh Bayazid and Qambar-'all both being present, Jahangir Mlrza looked at Ibrahim Beg and made him a sign to refrain. Whether he misunderstood to the contrary
1 'Ali-dost's son (f. 796).
