After a time his Majesty set out for Qilat and Qandahar.  He was victorious at once in Qilat, and went on to Qandahar and kept its garrison shut up for a year and a half.  Then, by the Divine favour and after great fighting and skirmishing, he captured it.  Much gold fell into his hands, and he gave moneys and camels to his soldiers and the people of the army.  Qandahar he bestowed on Mirza Kamran, and himself set off for Kabul.

His advance camp having been set up, he crossed the hill of Yak Langa, and gloriously alighted in the valley of Dih-i-ya'qub on Friday, Safar 1st, 932H. (November 17th, 1525), when the sun was in Sagittarius.  He spent the following day there, and on the next set forth, march by march, for Hindustan.  In the seven or eight years since 925H. (1519) the royal army had several times renewed the attempt on Hindustan.  Each time it used to conquer lands and districts, such as Bhira, Bajaur, Sialkut, Dipalpur, Lahore, etc., up to the fifth time, when on Safar 1st, 932H., his Majesty went, march by march, from his glorious encamping in Dih-i-ya'qub towards Hindustan.  He conquered Lahore and Sirhind, and every country that lay on his path.

On Friday, Rajab 8th, 932H.  (April 20th, 1526), he arrayed battle at Panipat against Sultan Ibrahim, son of Sultan Sikandar, son of Bahlul Lodi.  By God's grace he was victorious, and Sultan Ibrahim was killed in the fight.

His victory was won purely by the Divine grace, for Sultan Ibrahim had a lak [100,000] and 80,000 horse, and as many as 1,500 head of fierce elephants; while his Majesty's army with the traders and goods and all was 12,000 persons and he had, at the outside, 6,000 or 7,000 serviceable men.

The treasures of five kings fell into his hands.  He gave everything away.  The amirs of Hind represented that in Hindustan it was thought disgraceful to expend the treasure of bygone kings, and that people rather added and added to it, while his Majesty, on the contrary, had given all away.

Khwaja Kilan Beg asked leave several times to go to Kabul.  He said:  "My constitution is not fitted for the climate of Hindustan.  If leave were given, I should tarry awhile in Kabul."  His Majesty was not at all, at all willing for him to go, but at last gave permission because he saw him so very urgent.  He said:  "When you go, I shall send some of the valuable presents and curiosities of Hind which fell into our hands through the victory over Sultan Ibrahim, to my elder relations and sisters and each person of the haram.  You take them.  I shall write a list, and you will distribute them according to it.  You will order a tent with a screen to be set up in the Garden of the Audience Hall for each begam, and when a pleasant meeting-place has been arranged, the begams are to make the prostration of thanks for the complete victory which has been brought about.

"To each begam is to be delivered as follows:  one special dancing-girl of the dancing-girls of Sultan Ibrahim, with one gold plate full of jewels—ruby and pearl, cornelian and diamond, emerald and turquoise, topaz and cat's-eye—and two small mother-o'-pearl trays full of ashrafis, and on two other trays shahrukhis,/1/ and all sorts of stuffs by nines—that is, four trays and one plate.  Take a dancing-girl and another plate of jewels, and one each of ashrafis and shahrukhis, and present, in accordance with my directions, to my elder relations the very plate of jewels and the self-same dancing-girl which I have given for them.  I have made other gifts; convey these afterwards.  Let them divide and present jewels and ashrafis and shahrukhis and stuffs to my sisters and children and the larams and kinsmen, and to the begams and aghas and nurses and foster-brethren and ladies, and to all who pray for me.”  The gifts were made according to the list.

Three happy days they remained together in the Audience Hall Garden.  They were uplifted by pride, and recited the fatiha/2/ for the benediction and prosperity of his Majesty, and joyfully made the prostration of thanks. [[93-96]]

After Khwaja Kilan Beg had started for Kabul, the Emperor made gifts in Agra to his Majesty Humayun and to all the mirzas and sultans and amirs.  He sent letters in all directions, urgently saying, "We shall take into full favour all who enter our service, and especially such as served our father and grandfather and ancestors.  If such will come to us, they will receive fitting benefits.  Whoever there may be of the families of Sahib-qiran [Timur] and Chingiz-Khan, let them turn towards our court.  The most High has given us sovereignty in Hindustan; let them come that we may see prosperity together."

Seven daughters of Sultan Abu-sa'id came (to Hindustan):  Guhar-shad Begam, and Fakhr-jahan Begam, and Khadija Sultan Begam, and Badi'u-l-jamal Begam, and Aq Begam, and Sultan Bakht Begam.

(Also) Zainab Sultan Khanam, daughter of his Majesty's maternal uncle, Sultan Mahmud Khan, and Muhibb Sultan Khanam, daughter of Ilacha Khan, his Majesty's younger maternal uncle.

In short, all the begams and khanams went, ninety-six persons in all, and all received houses and lands and gifts to their heart's desire.

All through the four years that (my father) was in Agra he used to go on Fridays to see his paternal aunts.  One day it was extremely hot, and her Highness my lady said, "The wind is very hot, indeed; how would it be if you did not go this one Friday?  The begams would not be vexed."  His Majesty said, "Maham!  It is astonishing that you should say such things!  The daughters of Abu-sa'id Sultan Mirza, who have been deprived of father and brothers!  If I do not cheer them, how will it be done?"

To the architect, Khwaja Qasim, his Majesty gave the following order:  "We command a piece of good service from you.  It is this:  whatever work, even if it be on a great scale, our paternal aunts may order done in their palace, give it precedence, and carry it out with might and main."

He commanded buildings to be put up in Agra on the other side of the river, and a stone palace to be built for himself between the haram and the garden.  He also had one built in the audience court, with a reservoir in the middle and four chambers in the four towers.  On the river's bank he had a chaukandi/3/ built.

He ordered a tank made in Dholpur, ten by ten, out of a single mass of rock, and used to say, "When it is finished, I will fill it with wine."  But as he had given up wine before the fight with Rana Sanga, he filled it with lemonade. [[96-98]]

N O T E S

/1/Shahrukhis and ashrafis are coins.
/2/ The first chapter of the Quran.
/3/ A building on the roof which has a door on each of the four sides.