913 AH. MAY 13th 1507 TO MAY 2nd 1508 AD. 341
to Shah Beglm1 and with her approval. He was allowed to go and the honoured Beglm herself started off with him. My honoured matemal-aunt Mihr-nigar Khanlm also wished to go to Badakhshan, notwithstanding that it was more seemly for her to be with me, a blood-relation ; but whatever objection was made, she was not to be dissuaded; she also betook 2 herself to Badakhshan.
(s. Bdbur's second start for Hindustan.)
Under our plan of going to Hindustan, we marched out of Kabul in the month of the first Jumada (September 1507 AD.), taking the road through Little Kabul and going down by Surkh-rabat to Quruq-sal.
The Afghans belonging between Kabul and Lamghan (Ningnahar) are thieves and abettors of thieves even in quiet times ; for just such a happening as this they had prayed in vain. Said they, " He has abandoned Kabul ", and multiplied their misdeeds by ten, changing their very merits for faults. To such lengths did things go that on the morning we marched from Jagdallk, the Afghans located between it and Lamghan, such as the Khizr-khail, Shimu-khail, KhirilchI and KhuglanI, thought of blocking the pass, arrayed on the mountain to the north, and advancing with sound of tambour and flourish of sword, began to shew themselves off. On our mounting I ordered our men to move along the mountain-side, each man from where he had dismounted; 3 off they set at the gallop up every ridge and every valley of the saddle.4 The Afghans stood awhile, but could not let even one arrow fly,5 and betook themselves to flight. While I was on the mountain during the pursuit, I shot one in the hand as he was running back below me. That arrow-stricken man and a few others were brought in ; some were put to death by impalement, as an example.
1 ff. 10b, 11*. Haidar M. writes, " Shah Begim laid claim to Badakhshan, saying, ' It has been our hereditary kingdom for 3000 years ; though I, being a woman, cannot myself attain sovereignty, yet my grandson Mlrza Khan can hold it" (T. R. p. 203).
* tibri&lar. The agitation of mind connoted, with movement, by. this verb may well have been, here, doubt of Babur"s power to protect.
3 tushluq tushdin taghgha yurukdilkr. Cf. 205* for the same phrase, with supposedly different meaning.
* i&ngshar lit. ridge of the nose.
s iir auq ham quia-almadilar (f. 203* note to chdpqun).
