Page:Babur-nama Vol 1.djvu/127

 901 AH.— SEP. 21ST. 1495 to SEP. 9th. 1496 AD.^

(a. Sultan Husain Mlrzd's campaign against Khusrau Shah).

In the winter of this year, SI. Husain Mirza led his army out of Khurasan against Hisar and went to opposite Tirmiz. SI. Mas'ud Mirza, for his part, brought an army (from Hisar) and sat down over against him in Tirmiz. Khusrau Shah strengthened himself in Qunduz and to help SI. Mas'ud Mirza sent his younger brother, Wall. They (i.e.y the opposed forces) spent most of that winter on the river's banks, no crossing being effected. SI. Husain Mirza was a shrewd and experienced commander ; he marched up the river,^ his face set for Qiinduz and by this having put SI. Mas'ud Mirza off his guard, sent men, down the river to the Kilif ferry. These crossed and had entrenched themselves on the other bank before SI. Mas'ud Mirza had heard of their movement. When he did hear of it, whether because of pressure put upon him by Baqi Chaghdmdni to spite (his half-brother) Wall, or whether from his own want of heart, he did not march against those who had crossed but disregarding Wall's urgency, at once broke up his camp and turned for Hisar. ^
 * Abdu'l-latif Bakhshl (pay-master) with 5 or 600 serviceable

SI. Husain Mirza crossed the river and then sent, (i) against Khusrau Shah, Badi'u'z-zaman Mirza and Ibrahim Husain Mirza with Muhammad Wali Beg and Zii'n-riiin ArghUn, and Fol. 33b

1 Elph. MS. f. 23 ; W.-i-B. I.O. 215 f. 26 and 217 f. 21 ; Mems. p. 35. Babur's own affairs form a small part of this year's record ; the rest is drawn

from the U.S. which in its turn, uses Babur's f. 34 and f. 376. Each author words the shared material in his own style ; one adding magniloquence, the other retracting to plain statement, indeed summarizing at times to obscurity. Each passes his own judgment on events, e.g. here Khwand-amlr's is more favourable to Ilusain Bai-qara's conduct of the Hisar campaign than Babur's. Cf. H.S. ii, 256-60 and 274.

2 This feint would take him from the Oxus.

3 Tirmiz to Ilisar, 96m. (Reclus vi, 255).

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