TIMUR BEG. 
135 
driven from these provinces, he formed an alliance with 
a Moghul nobleman of great influence, and with his 
aid finally obtained possession of all the country from 
the Straits of Derhend to the Belut mountains. Ulug 
Beg Mirza, another of Abusaid’s sons, obtained the 
government of Cabul and Ghizni ; and Omer Sheikh 
Mirza, his fourth son, father of the illustrious Baber, 
held the sovereignty of Ferghana. 
Sultan Hussyn Mirza being, by the death of Abusaid, 
released from an enemy whom he feared to encounter, 
immediately marched into Khorassan, which he soon 
subdued, and put to death Prince Yadgar Mirza, 
who had been raised to the throne of that country by 
Uzun Hassan. 
Omer Sheikh Mirza retained only at his death, 
which happened in 1494, the sovereignty of Ferghana, 
which he left to his eldest son Baber, who at the time 
of his accession to the throne was only eleven years old. 
The Moghul Chronicle, as quoted by Father Catrou, 
gives the following account of Omer Sheikh’s death : — 
“ Almost the only diversion in which this good prince 
indulged was that of rearing pigeons, and teaching them 
to engage in certain combats. Two dove-houses had 
been constructed in the harams at the two extremities 
of a terrace ; upon these the king was accustomed to 
assemble the birds, which gathered about him at the 
slightest signal. At times he made use of a long 
cane, to which was attached a sort of standard com- 
posed of white satin. All the pigeons of one of the 
dove-houses would collect around the flag, and accom- 
pany the monarch, who led them to the attack of the 
opposite dove-house. These animals, notwithstanding 
