694 TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah Firishta's Tdrikh-i-firishta contains an interesting account of Babur but contributes towards filling the gap in the events of 936-937 AH. little that is not in the earlier sources. In M. Jules Mohl's opinion it was under revision as late as 1623 AD. (1032-3 AH.).
a. Humayun and Badakhshdn.
An occurrence which had important results, was the arrival of Humayun in Agra, unsummoned by his Father, from the outpost station of Badakhshan. It will have occurred early in 936 AH. (autumn 1529 AD.), because he was in Kabul in the first ten days of the last month of 935 AH. {vide post). Curiously enough his half-sister Gul-badan does not mention his coming, whether through avoidance of the topic or from inadvertence; the omission may be due however ±0 the loss of a folio from the only known MS. of her book (that now owned by the British Museum), and this is the more likely that Abu'I-fazl writes, at some length, about the arrival and its motive, what the Begim might have provided, this especially by his attribution of filial affection as Humayun's reason for coming to Agra.
Haidar Mirza is the authority for the Akbar-nama account of Humayun's departure from Qila'-i-zafar and its political and military sequel. He explains the departure by saying that when Babur had subdued Hindustan, his sons Humayun and Kamran were grown-up ; and that wishing to have one of them at hand in case of his own death, he summoned Humayun, leaving Kamran in Qandahar. No doubt these were the contemporary impressions conveyed to Haidar, and strengthened by the accomplished fact before he wrote some 12 years later ; nevertheless there are two clear indications that there was no royal order for Humayun to leave Qila'-i-zafar, viz. that no-one had been appointed to relieve him even when he reached Agra, and that Abu'1-fazl mentions no summons but attributes the Mirza's departure from his post to an overwhelming desire to see his Father. What appears probable is that Malum wrote to her son urging his coming t0 Agra, and that this was represented as Babur's wish. However little weight may be due to the rumour, preserved in anecdotes
recorded long after 935 AH., that any-one, Babur or
Khalifa-
