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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE.
Here, in all known texts of the Babur-nama there is a break of the narrative between April 2nd and Sep. 18th 1528 AD. Jumada II. 12th 934 AH. and Muharram 3rd 935 AH., which, whether intentional or accidental, is unexplained by Babur's personal circumstances. It is likely to be due to a loss of pages from Babur's autograph manuscript, happening at some time preceding the making of either of the Persian translations of his writings and of the Elphinstone and Haidarabad transcripts. Though such a loss might have occurred easily during the storm chronicled on f. 376^, it seems likely that Babur would then have become aware of it and have made it good. A more probable explanation of the loss is the danger run by Humayun's library during his exile from rule in Hindustan, at which same time may well have occurred the seeming loss of the record of 936 and 937 AH.
a. Transactions of the period of the lacuna.
Mr. Erskine notes (Mews. p.38in.) that he found the gap in all MSS. he saw and that historians of Hindustan throw no light upon the transactions of the period. Much can be gleaned however as to Babur's occupations during the 5 2 months of the lacuna from his chronicle of 935 AH. which makes several references to occurrences of " last year " and also allows several inferences to be drawn. From this source it becomes known that the Afghan campaign the record of which is broken by the gap, was carried on and that in its course Babur was at Jun-pur (f. 365), Chausa "(f. 365^) and Baksara (f. 366-366$); that he swam the Ganges (f.366$), bestowed Sarun on a Farmuli Shaikh-zada (f.374$ and f-377), negociated with Rana Sanga's son Bikramajlt (f. 342$), ordered a Char-bagh laid out (f. 340), and was ill for 40 days (f.346$). It may be inferred too that he visited Dulpur (f. 353$), recalled 'Askarl (f. 339), sent Khwaja Dost-i-khawand on family affairs to Kabul (f. 345$), and was much pre-occupied by the
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