630 The VOYAGES 
[pent aim oft his whole Life in Arms, proved more than 
a Balance to their Numbers. He made choice of a Jmali 
Plain cut of which there was a narrow Paffage, between two 
high Mountains, for the Field of Battle, in which he 
drew up about a third Part of his Army ; the reft he drew 
up in two Bodies, which he potted behind thofe Moun- 
tains, and as foon as the Indian Army advanced, his 
Horfe, that were drawn up in the Plain, as if ftruck with 
a fudden Panicky fled thro’ the narrow Pafs, and were fol- 
lowed by the Indians , who thought that the very Sight of 
their Army had defeated their Enemies ; but they foon 
found their Miftake, for they no fooner entered the great 
Plain behind the Mountains, than the two Bodies of Horfe 
attacked them in Flank and Rear with the utmoft Fury. 
This Engagement proved decifive, and Timur, by this An- 
gle Vidlory, became Matter of the Indies ; that is to fay, 
he put Tartar Garrifons into rnoft of the Fortrefles, left a 
confidepble Army at Dehly , the Capital of the Country, 
and having received the Homage of moft of the Rajahs, 
or petty Princes, returned in Triumph to Samarcand , 
which he made choice of for the Capital of liis Empire, laden 
with the Spoil of the Indies. He had not been long re- 
turned, before he had Advice, that Achmet , whom i'ome 
Years before he had driven from Bagdat , was come back 
thither. This News foon drew him into the Field again, 
and his Enemy retired at his Approach. This War was 
fucceeded by another of much greater Confequence, and to 
which he chiefly owes his Fame in this Part of the World. 
Bajazet , Emperor of the Turks , one of the greateft Mo- 
narchy of that Age, and withal, one of the braveft and 
beft Captains, gave him feme Caufe of Provocation. Ti- 
mur march’d againft him with his victorious Army, and 
not only defeated and difpofleflfed him of his Dominions, 
but made him Prifoner alfo, and afterwards put him to 
Death. On his Return, after this Victory, to Samarcand, 
he formed a new Defign of reducing China , out of which, 
at this Juncture, the Tartars were expelled. He marched 
for this Purpofe with a moft puiflant Army, and being 
encamped at Otrar , was there feized by a Diftemper which 
put an End to his Conquefts, and his Life, in the thirty-fe- 
venth Year of his Reign, and in the fixty-fixth of his Age, 
in the Year of the Hegira 807, and A. D. 1605. 
3. The great Empire of Timur- Be c, or Tamerlane , funk 
almoft as foon as it rofe. He divided his Dominions 
amongft his Children, and, according to his Will, the 
Eaftern Part of Perjia , together with Cahuliftan and Indof- 
ian , fell to the Share of Miracha , his third Son. He was 
a Prince of conftderable Courage, and did not want Capa- 
city ; but, during his Father’s Life-time, had been ex- 
freamly unfortunate, infomuch, that he was once in Dan- 
ger of lofing that Share of the Empire, which had been 
afligned him. At the Time of that Monarch’s Deceafe, 
Miracha did not find himfelf ftrong enough to eftablifli 
himfelf abfolutely in the Indies , he therefore made choice 
of the City of Her at % in the Province of Chorajfan , for 
its Capital, which was indeed very conveniently feated for 
that Purpofe, as being almoft in the Centre of his Domi- 
nions. He marched from thence annually, at the Head of 
a confiderable Army, into Cahuliftan and Indoftan , in order 
to levy the Tribute which his Father had impofed, and 
which the Indian Rajahs rather chofe to pay, than to run 
the Hazard of a War. 
The King of Cafcar was the only Prince that refufed to 
acknowledge him as his Sovereign, or to pay him any 
Tribute. Againft him therefore [Miracha made a long 
and cruel War, in which however he was at firft very un- 
juccefsful, his Forces being abfolutely defeated, and him- 
felf taken Prifoner by the Indian Prince. That Monarch, 
by a Stroke of extraordinary Generofity, took no other 
Advantage of his Vi&ory, than to engage Miracha to 
quit all claim to Tribute, and thereupon reftored him to 
and TRAVELS Book I. 
Liberty. This Treaty however was but indifferently kept, 
for when the Tartar Prince had recruited his Army, he, 
without Scruple, renewed the War, in which he was fo 
fortunate, as to defeat his Enemy, and make the King of 
Cafcar Prifoner, in his turn. He did not however behave 
as Gratitude, or even as Humanity required •, but barba- 
roufly ordered the Eyes of that Prince to be put out, 
over-run his Dominions, and kept himfelf, during his 
whole Life, a Prifoner. 
_ This bafe Action, however, drew upon him that Pu- 
nifirment which it fo well deferved. His Tartar Soldiers 
exercifed before him every Day, and hearing a Difcourfe 
amongft them, of the great Dexterity of the King of Caf- 
car, notwithftanding he was blind, he thought fit to en- 
quire into it, and being told, that this Prince fhot with 
the greateft Truth to any Corner where he heard the leaft 
Noife, he refolved to make the Experiment, conceiving 
in himfelf, that the thing was abfolutely impoflibfo 
When the Queftion came to be decided, the captive Kino- 
declared, that he would not difeharge an Arrow at the Com- 
mand of any other Perfon than the Emperor. He accord- 
ingly gave the Word, which fcarce had efcaped his Lips, 
before the Rajah let fly a poifoned Arrow, which ftruck 
him through the Body •, at the Sight of which, his Guards 
cut the unfortunate Indian Prince to Pieces. 
Such was then the End of Miracha , after he had reign- 
ed forty-fix Years. Lie is juftly efteemed the firft of the 
Mogul Emperors j for tho’ the Country was conquered by 
his Father, yet it made only a Province of his Dominions, 
whereas it was, ftriblly fpeaking, the Main of this Mo- 
narch’s Poffeffions, as well as his peculiar Share of his Fa- 
ther’s Empire, and as fuch was tranfmitted by him to his 
Pofterity. 
4. He was fucceeded in his T hrone by his Son Ahouchaid , 
or Ahufcyd, in the Year of the Hegira 855, A. D. 1451. 
But this Prince neither refembled his Father or his Grandfa- 
ther, for he was lazy and luxurious to the laft Degree, 
and withal exceflively cruel, which irritated the Rajahs 
to fuch a Degree, that they refolved to depofe him, and to 
fet his younger Brother on the Throne, which they ac- 
cordingly did, but had very foon Reafon to repent of the 
Exchange. Ahouchaid , on lofing his Crown, took the 
Flabit of a Faquir b , and in it travelled through the In- 
dies. His Subjects foon found him out, though he took 
all imaginable Pains to conceal himfelf, and they no fooner 
difeovered him, than as they had forced him to refign the 
royal Robes for the Habit of a Monk, they now with 
like Paffion obliged him to a contrary Exchange. He no 
fooner appeared, than he faw his Brother totally abandon- 
ed, by which he was peaceably reftored to his Dignity ; 
but that he might be fafe from future Affronts, he order- 
ed his Brother’s Head to be ftruck off, as the Punifliment 
of his Tyranny, as he pretended ; but in reality, to pre- 
vent a fecond Ufurpation. 
His Government was now precifely the reverfe of what 
it had been before, for he ftudied nothing but the Art of 
pleafmg his People; and tho’ he did not, and perhaps 
could not, change his Temper, yet he difieinbled it lo 
well, that with refpetft to his Subjedts, his Hypocrify had 
the fame good Confequences as if he had adted from real 
Virtue. Flis Depofition however was not the laft Misfor- 
tune of his Life, for while he was engaged in War againft 
the Khan of Samarcand , one of the young Princeflfes in his 
Seraglio, fet up a new Prince, whofe Name was Ibraim , 
who bid fair for depriving Ahouchaid of his Dominions ; 
but at laft he was defeated, and on the firft News of this, 
the Prince fs, who had raifed him to the Throne, firft mur- 
dered the Son fhe had by him, at the Breaft, and then de- 
ftroyed herfelf, by a Dofe of Poifon, which for that Pur- 
pofe fhe had concealed in her Locket. Ahouchaid return- 
ing in Triumph to Herat , reigned for fome Time with 
a This City of Herat is fituated in the fouthern Part of the Province of Chorajfan, in the Lat. of 34 0 . It is now the fined, and moft beautiful City in 
thofe Parts, fmee the Ujbeck Tartars deftroyed Mefched ; and the Inhabitants are very rich, chiefly through the Trade they carry on with the Subjects of 
the Great Mogul. It is in this City that the fineft’ Carpets in Perfia are made, and the fineft Brocades alfo ; but the greateft Advantage it enjoys is, the 
being a convenient Stage, in the direft Road from Ifpaban to Candahar ; fo that the Magazines of this City are not better fupplied with their own 
M anufa&ures, than witii the choiceft and moft valuable Merchandize of the Indies. 
b This is an Arab Word, and fignifies the fame thing with the Tuikijh Word Dervijh, that is, a mendicant Monk, one who has made a Vow of 
Poverty, and travels through the Country without Food, Raiment or Shelter, but what is afforded him out of Charity. They are generally ef* 
teemed facred in Mshammedatt Countries, and every body is willing to contribute whatever Meceflaries they want. 
great 
