220 Shaikh Zain, the historian of Bdhar^s reign, [Nov. 



" Of the men of learning whom his late Majesty, the emperor Babar, 

 honored witli his personal friendship, were the following — (1) Mir Abul 

 Baqa, who reached a high degree of knowledge in philology and philosophy. 

 (2) Shaikh Zain Cadr, great-grandson of Shaikh Zainuddfn Kha- 

 wafi,* who was well up in science, a smart critic, acquainted with poetry 

 and prose writing. He was always in the emperor's company, and was 

 raised by the emperor Humayan to the rank of Amir. (3) Abul Wajid, 

 poetically styled ' Farighi,' the maternal uncle (Jdial) of Shaikh Zain, an 

 agreeable and humorous companion, fond of making verses. . (4) Sultan 

 Muhammad Kosah ('the bald'), witty, and well acquainted with poetry, 

 who had been a companion of the renowned Mir 'Ali Sher. (5) Maulana 

 Shihab, the riddle writer, poetically styled ' Haqiri,' well acquainted with 

 science, and no mean poet. (6) Maulana Yusuf Tabib, whom the emperor 

 called from Khurasan, an excellent man. (7) Surkh Widai Kuhnah, a 

 little known poet, who wrote poems in Turkish and Persian. (8) Mulla 

 Baqai, a distinguished poet, who wrote in honor of Babar a Masnawi 

 in the metre in which Nizami had written his ' Makhzan.' (9) Khwajah 

 Nizamuddin 'Ali Khalifah,t a wise counsellor and faithful friend, 

 well acquainted with medicine. (10) Mh' Darwish Muhammad Sar- 

 ban, the pupil and favourite of Nayiruddin Khwajah Ahrar, a much-liked com- 

 panion and confidant of the emperor. (11) K h w a n d Mi r, the historian, 

 learned and agreeable, and famous for his historical works, as the ' Habib 

 ussiyar,' the' KhulaQat ul-Akhbar,'the' Dastur ul-Wuzara,' &c. (12) Khwa- 

 jah Kalan Beg, a great Amir and friend of the emperor, a man of great tact 

 and eminent acquirements. His brother Kichak Khwajah was holder of 

 the signet and a confidant of the emperor. (13) Sultan Muhammad, of the 

 Duldai clan, a great Amir and a pleasant companion." 



Of greater importance is the following passage which I translate 

 from Badaoni (I, p. 471) : — 



" Another (man of renown) was Wafai, the nom-de-plume of the well- 

 known Shaikh Zainuddin Khafi, who held the post of padr under 

 Babar. He huilt a Mosque in A!grah and a Madrasah, which lie on the other 

 side of the Jamund. He was a talented man, and eminent in riddles, history, 

 extemporaneous verse making, in poetry, all other minor branches of poetry 

 and prose, and in letter writing. * * * * He wrote a history on the con- 

 quest of Hindustan (by Babar) and the extraordinary circumstances that 

 accompanied it. He displays in it his power over the language. He died „ 

 in the neighbourhood of Chanar in 940 [A. D. 1533-34], and was buried in 1 

 the Madrasah he had built." 



The History written by Zainuddin Khafi is mentioned by Prof. Dowson 

 in Elliot's Historians, No. V, pp. 288 to 292. Badaoni's remark proves 



* Regarding him vide A'ln Translation, 1, p. 592». 

 f Vide A'in Translation, Vol. I, p. 420. 



