133 ART. VI.—The Life of Baber, Emperor of Hindostan. By R. M. CALDECOTT, Esq. London: Darling. 1845. BABER was the first Great Mogul, the chief warrior and statesman of the East in the sixteenth century, and the conqueror of Hindostan. His life, written by himself, says the Preface, ' has always been received as genuine, and no one who reads it 'can doubt his sincerity. The chief portion of it was translated by Dr. Leyden, and the remainder by William Erskine, Esq.' The value of this autobiography is, of course, principally that of a literary curiosity. A quaintness, however, runs through it, which comes out at times in the shape of amusing descriptions of characters and persons. Baber generally appends some short description to each name of an Ameer, or court officer, that he introduces; and the book furnishes, in this way, a curious picture of an Eastern court or camp and its satellites. He is something of a satirist, but makes his comments always with true Eastern gravity; and the fact that one Ameer was too fond of dancing, and another of drinking, and that another was an excellent man, only that he liked his hawks better than his own children, and that another was a first-rate poet, though his person was covered with boils in consequence of the riotous life he led, is given, in each case, in the same dry, succinct, narrative style. Baber himself appears to be a mixture of the soldier, man of business, and literary man; perfectly hard and solid; entirely unscrupulous when it served his turn, but most exact and conscientious in observing different religious rites and rules, and punctilious about the faith. He seems to pride himself on his own unrivalled Mahometan orthodoxy, and to consider his own theological opinions and state of mind to be unique and incomparable. If it was not for this, we should really admire him on several occasions, and feel a respect less adulterated than that to which the following passage excites. E. g. : 'On the 8th of December I was in a boat on the river with 'several who were ready at making verses, Sheikh Zin, Mulla 'Ali Jan, and others. A verse of Salikh being quoted, it was agreed that every one should make an extempore couplet to 'the same rhyme and measure. As we had been very merry at 'the expense of Mulla Ali Jan, I repeated the following 6 verses: 'What can one do with a drunken sot like you? "When I had composed these lines my mind was led to reflection, ' and I was struck with regret that a tongue which could repeat 'the most sublime productions should bestow any trouble on 'such unworthy verses; that a heart elevated to noble conceptions should occupy itself with these contemptible fancies. From that time forward I religiously abstained from satirical poetry. On the 9th of December we were at Ali Mesjed, where, on account of the small extent of ground for an encampment, I always 'took up my quarters on an eminence. The view of all the fires blazing in the camp below was very brilliant. below was very brilliant. It was certainly owing to this beautiful spectacle that every time I halted in this spot 6 I drank wine.' Why the spectacle of the fires is made to bear the whole blame of his drinking wine, is not very easy to see. He gives, with his usual coolness, in another passage, his first introduction to the forbidden pleasures of wine. After talking about the Koran, he proceeds :- 6 6 ... Soon after my arrival I was invited to dine with Mozaffer ' in the White Garden. After dinner Khadijeh Begum carried ' him and me to the palace of Terebkhena, "the Pleasure House,' 'a delightful edifice in which there were paintings representing 'the battles of Abusaid Mirza. Mozaffer placed me above himself, I being his guest; and, he having filled a glass of 'welcome, the cup-bearers began to supply all the party with 'unmixed wine, which they quaffed as if it had been the water ' of life. As the spirit mounted into their heads, they took a fancy to make me drink with them. Till that time I had never been guilty of drinking wine. Whenever Whenever my father ' asked me I made an excuse. After his death, by the guardian 'care of the reverend Khwajeh Kazi, I remained pure and un'defiled. I was ignorant of the sensations which wine produces, yet I had a lurking inclination for it; and, being then in the refined city of Heri, I thought it was the time to regale myself; and therefore, when they pressed me to drink, I was on the point of complying; but it occurred to me that, [observe the reason!] since I had refused wine from the hand of Badia ez Zeman, the elder brother, he might take umbrage. In consequence it was agreed that I should take wine the next time we met at the 'palace of the Sultan. . . . . . 6 6 Kasim Beg, hearing that I had been urged to drink wine, remonstrated with Zulnun Beg, and he reprimanded the Mirzas severely; so that they did not press me again on the subject. My courtiers were bound by my example not to drink wine. If they desired to indulge at any time,-perhaps once in a month or forty days, they used to shut their doors, and sit 'down to drink in great apprehension of being discovered. 'Badia ez Zeman, hearing of the banquet given by Mozaffer, 'sent an invitation to me and to several nobles of my retinue. On that occasion, when by any chance I appeared to be inattentive, they would hide the goblets in their hands and take a draught in a hurry; although there was no necessity for such caution, since it was allowable at an entertainment for every one to follow the common usage. There was a roast goose set before me, which I left untouched; not knowing how to carve ' it. The Mirza asked me if I did not like it; upon which I 'told him my reason for not partaking of it, and he immediately 6 6 cut up the goose into thin slices for me. No man was superior ' to him in attentions of this kind. At the end of the feast he 'presented me with an enamelled dagger, a kerchief of golden cloth, and a Tipchak horse.' Does any one want to know what the lions of Heri were three centuries ago? 6 During my sojourn of twenty days at Heri I saw every thing worthy of notice except the Khanekah, or convent of Hussain Mirza. There was the Bleaching Ground, the Paper Mills, 'the Park, the Fishpond, the College of Guher-shad-begum, ' her Tomb, and her Grand Mosque, the Raven Garden, the Warrior's Seat, the Kiosk and Mansion of Enjoyment, the 'Lily Place, the Twelve Towers, the Irak Gate, and the Kipchak Gate, the College of Badia ez Zeman, the Mosque of Ali Shir, his College and Convent, which is called the Pure, and 'his Baths and Hospital.' We have another wine scene, followed by a military one of a very different character. The same imperturbable coolness pervades both descriptions: 'On that day, being with some friends in a tent near the gate ' of the Charbagh, I desired them to drink freely, in order that I 'might observe the gradual effect of wine upon them, while I abstained from it myself, being still unwell. Ghiâs the Buffoon made his appearance, but was turned out again several times in sport, until, with much wrangling and jesting, he forced his way into the party. While we were there I composed and sent to Shah Hassan the following verses: '(TOORKI.) My friends, enjoy the rose-garden of beauty in this banquet, 'While I am deprived of the delights of their society; 'Yet, since the charms of social bliss are theirs, 'I breathe a hundred prayers that no evil may betide them. 'Between noon-day and afternoon prayers the party got drunk, and began to be guilty of fooleries. On the 28th of 'June, Ali Rikabdar having swum across the water in the Gar'den of the Plane Tree a hundred times, I presented him with a 'dress of honour and a saddled horse. About the same time I sent these verses to Polad Sultan, at Samarcand: 'O Zephyr, if thou enter the sanctuary of that cypress, The Abdalrahman Afghans did not pay their taxes, and mo'lested the caravans. Therefore I went in July to chastise them, ' and sent predatory parties to scour the country. One of these 'detachments was in the dale to the east of Gerdez, when forty or fifty Afghans came in sight. Before I could ride up Hus'sain Hassan rashly spurred his horse into the midst of them, ' and was laying about him right and left, when, his horse being wounded, threw him, and he was quickly cut in pieces by the Afghans. The Ameers stopped short, and calmly looked on 'without rendering him any assistance. When I arrived with 'some choice troops, we cut down all the Afghans, and made a 'tower of their skulls.' 6 Now for some descriptions of character. The first we have is that of his own father, Omar Sheikh : ' world. 6 · -- 'Omar Sheikh was always bent on some scheme of conquest. 'Several times he led an army against his brother at Samarcand, but without success. In the year 1494, Ahmed Mirza formed a league with Mahmud Khan, and they marched on each side ' of the Sihoon against him. At this juncture, being in the fort ' of Akshi, he was precipitated from the edge of the steep rock 'with his pigeons and pigeon-house, and departed to the other (The Mahometan Princes in the east have often 'been fond of pigeons. Those of the Emperor Akbar were 'trained to perform many fantastic movements. Each of them, 'before receiving the daily allowance of food, made fifteen 'circular flights and seventy tumbles. Among the Ottoman Sultan's household there were formerly the Bulbulji Bashi, 'first nightingale-keeper, and Tutuji Bashi, first parrot-keeper.) • Omar Sheikh Mirza was of low stature. He was very corpu'lent, and wore his tunic extremely tight. He was not fanciful, ' either in his food or dress. His turban was without folds, and 'he allowed the end to hang down. During the heats, when out ' of the diwan, he usually had a Mogul cap. He was of the Hanifah sect, and strict in his belief. He never omitted the 'five daily prayers, and during his whole life he rigidly performed the Kaza, or retributory prayers and fasts. (The 'Mahometans, when sick, or on a journey, or in war, are not 'bound to observe the stated prayers and fasts, but are enjoined 'to make up for the omission afterwards.-W. E.) Much of his 'time was spent in reading the Koran. He was an affectionate 6 6 6 disciple of the venerable Khwajeh Obeidullah of Samarcand. He read the mystical poems, especially the Shah Nameh (the 'Book of Kings, a poetical history of ancient Persia, in 120,000 ' verses, composed in the eleventh century by Ferdausi). He was so just, that, when a caravan from China (Khita) lay 'buried in snow among the eastern hills, although he was then ' in straitened circumstances, yet he caused all the effects to be preserved until the heirs came from the western cities, in the following year, to claim them. He was of an excellent temper, 'affable, eloquent, and sweet in his conversation, yet brave ' withal and manly. Twice he advanced in front of his army, ' and displayed his prowess in combat. He was a middling shot with the bow. He had uncommon strength in his fists, and ' never hit a man without knocking him down. In his youth he was very fond of talar and buzeh, an intoxicating liquor made ' of millet. Latterly he indulged himself with a drinking party once or twice a-week, and he was much addicted to the use of maajun, inebriating comfits prepared with bang, which brought on a feverish irritability. He often played at backgammon, and sometimes at games of chance with the dice. (According to the commentaries on the Koran, all games of chance are for'bidden.) He fought three great battles; one with his father'in-law, Yunis Khan, on the Sirr, at a place called the Goat's Leap, where he was defeated. Another with the Uzbeks, near 'the river Aras. They were returning with plunder from the 'territory of Samarcand, when he crossed the Aras, then frozen over, and routed them. In his third battle, in which he was opposed to Sultan Ahmed, his eldest brother, he was over'thrown.' 6 6 6 6 : A truly Asiatic career! out of the three great battles of Omar Sheikh's life, one being fought against his father-in-law, and another against his brother! Omar's Ameers then follow :... .. Sheikh Mazid Beg, who was first appointed to be my 6 governor. His arrangements and discipline were excellent. No man stood higher in the esteem of Omar Sheikh Mirza. 'Nevertheless he was a man of gross habits, and given to unna'tural practices. After his death the Ameer Baba Kuli was my governor. He kept his troops in good order; but he neither prayed nor fasted, and was like an infidel in his whole deport'ment. 6 6 The Ameer Hassan Yakub, "the handsome Jacob," was a frank, clever, and good-tempered man, an excellent archer, and 'distinguished for his skill at leap-frog. On the death of Omar Sheikh, he became Master of my household, i.e. Prime Minister. 'He was, however, a narrow-minded man, and a promoter of 'dissension. |