470 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIV, 
not appear on the Turki or Persian Waqiat. I allude to the 
Fragments published by Ilminsky at the end of his edition of 
bur’s Memoirs, and which have been translated by Pavet de 
But he may well have roused himself to record what he mus 
have regarded as his supreme act of abnegation. If Babur did 
not record the incident himself, where did Abul Fagl get it‘ 
He cannot have got it from Gulbadan Begam’s Memoirs for she 
lation, is merely that her father implored the intercession of 
‘Ali,! the Prophet’s son-in-law, and said that if the life could be 
given for another, he was willing to give his for Humayu ’S. 
I may remark on passing that Babur’s special application 
for help from ‘Ali is rather curious in one who regar ed 
himself as a strict Sunni. 1t seems to show that Babur still 
retained some Shia proclivities, though it was necessary for politi- 
cal reasons that he professed Shiaism when he was an ally of 
Ismail Safavi. The great Bairam was suspected of similar a 
oO 
p- 42, is 
incorrect, or at least misleading. The precedence about which 
is possible that Abul Fazl got the story from one of his many 
interviews with Akbar. As he says himself in his account of 
the pains he took to get full information [p. 32 of translation] : 
‘‘ By repeated interviews I arrived at correctness, and erased 
1 The reference to a person named Karimu-l-lah in note, P- 105, is & 
mistake. Thename ‘ Karimu-l-lah” which follows ‘* Murtaza ‘Ali o (P- 105 
1. 106 of the translation) is also a mistake. The text has ays lt Toad il 
e4>9 al} which should be translated as ‘‘ Murtaza ‘Ali’”, may Allah honour 
his face! &gay al) oS (May Allah honour his face) is @ phrase wie 
w 
follows the mention of ‘Ali’s name like the phrase ple y eade alli sl 
which is peculiar to the name of the Prophet. 
(Note by Phil. Secretary) 
