his account than for their own position in Khurasan, their master's position at the time being weakened by ill-success against the Sultan of Rum. To Babur, Shah Beg is written of as though he were an insubordinate vassal whom Babur was reducing to order for the Shah, but when Amir Khan heard that Shah Beg wa? hard pressed,hewas much distressed because he feared avictorious Babur might move on Khurasan. Nothing indicates however that Babur had Khurasan in his thoughts ; Hindustan was his objective, and Qandahar a help on the way ; but as Amir Khan had this fear about him, a probable ground for it is provided by the presence with Babur of Bal-qara exiles whose ambition it must have been to recover their former seat. Whether for Harat, Kabul, or Hindustan, Qandahar was strength. Another matter not fitting the avowed purpose of the diplomatic intervention is the death of Ghiyasu'd-dln because an ally of Babur ; this makes Amir Khan seem to count Babur as Isma'iPs enemy.
Shah Beg's requests for intervention began inQ26AH.(i520AD.), as also did the remonstrance of the Persian officers with Babur ; his couriers followed one another with entreaty that the Amirs would contrive for Babur to retire, with promise of obeisance and of yearly tribute. The Amirs set forth to Babur that though Shah Shuja' Beg had offended and had been deserving of wrath and chastisement, yet, as he was penitent and had promised loyalty and tribute, it was now proper for Babur to raise the siege (of 926 AH.) and go back to Kabul. To this Babur answered that Shah Beg's promise was a vain thing, on which no reliance could be placed ; please God !, said he, he himself would take Qandahar and send Shah Beg a prisoner to Harat; and that he should be ready then to give the keys of the town and the possession of the Garm-slr to any-one appointed to receive them.
This correspondence suits an assumption that Babur acted for Shah Isma'll, a diplomatic assumption merely, the verbal veil, on one side, for anxiety lest Babur or those with him should attack Harat, on the other, for Babur's resolve to hold Qandahar himself.
Amir Khan was not satisfied with Babur's answer, but had his attention distracted by another matter, presumably 'Ubaidu'1-lah Khan's attack on Harat in the spring of the year (March-April
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