899 AH.— OCT. 12th. 1493 TO OCT. 2ND. 1494 37
Khan-zada Begim, of the Tirmiz Khans, was another. He had just taken her when I went, at five years old, to Samar- kand; her face was still veiled and, as is the Turki custom, they told me to uncover it.^
Latif Begim was another, a daughter's child of Ahmad Haji Beg Duldai (Barlas). After the Mirza's death, Hamza SI. took her and she had three sons by him. They with other sultans' children, fell into my hands when I took Hisar (916 AH.-1510 AD.) after defeating Hamza Sultan and Timur Sultan. I set all free.
Habiba-sultan Begim was another, a daughter of the brother of SI. Husain Arghun.
t. His amirs.
Jani Beg Duldai {Barlas) was a younger brother of SI. Malik Kdshghari. SI. Abu-sa'id Mirza gave him the Government of Samarkand and SI. Ahmad Mirza gave him the control of his own Gate.2 He must have had singular habits and Fol. 21. manners; 3 many strange stories are told about him. One is this : — While he was Governor in Samarkand, an envoy came to him from the Auzbegs renowned, as it would seem, for his strength. An Auzbeg, is said to call a strong man a bull {bukuh). " Are you a bukuh ?" said Jani Beg to the envoy, " If you are, come, let's have a friendly wrestle together (kurashaling) Whatever objections the envoy raised, he refused to accept. They wrestled and Jani Beg gave the fall. He was a brave man.
Ahmad Haji (Duldai Barlas) was another, a son of SI. Malik Kashghari. SI. Abu-sa'id Mirza gave him the Government of Hiri (Harat) for a time but sent him when his uncle, Jani Beg
1 It is customary amongst Turks for a bride, even amongst her own family, to remain veiled for some time after marriage ; a child is then told to pluck off the veil and run away, this tending, it is fancied, to the child's own success in marriage. (Erskine.)
2 Babur's anecdote about Jani Beg well illustrates his caution as a narrator. He appears to tell it as one who knowing the point of a story, leads up to it. He does not affirm that Jani Beg's habits were strange or that the envoy was an athlete but that both things must have been {ikan dur) from what he had heard or to suit the point of the anecdote. Nor does he affirm as of his own knowledge that Auzbegs calls a strong man (his zor kishi) a bukuh (bull) but says it is so understood {dlr imish).
3 C/.f. 170.
