305 
1898.] H. Beveridge — Memoirs of Bayazid ( Bajazet ) Biyat. 
would tell the truth, and that the Khwaja was the most honest of his 
countrymen. On this Khwaja Bagh gave him the disinterested advice 
to cut off the heads of all his prisoners including himself. Humayun’s 
answer was that they were all Musulmans and that he could not put to 
death so many of his co-religionists. The Khwaja then proposed a treaty 
with Pir Muhammad, but Humayun also rejected this suggestion. He 
then continued his march via Khulm to Balkh. At first his enterprise 
seemed likely to be successful, but his soldiers got discouraged by the 
continued absence of Kamran and apprehended that Kamran would 
attack Kabul in their absence, and get possession of their families 
who had been left behind in that city. So when victory was 
apparently within their grasp the invaders retreated southwards to 
Hera Graz. The attempt to execute a change of position in the face 
of an enemy had the same disastrous effect that followed a similar 
manoeuvre before the battle of Qanauj. The retreat became a flight, 
and Humayun had much difficulty in effecting his escape. The hard¬ 
ships he encountered on the way back to Kabul are minutely described 
by Bayazid, but he has not the descriptive power of Babar or even of 
Jauhar, and he seems too anxious to magnify his own performances. 
As Erskine remarks in his MS. translation, (p. 47), Bayazid is much 
the hero of his own tale. One extract, p. 496, may however be given. 
“ When we came to the foot of the Sih Paj Pass, which is one 
of the passes in the Hindu Kush, his Majesty halted and said that for 
some days he had not slept. He then laid his blessed head on Madar 1 
Sultan’s knees and told him to sing him to sleep by repeating anything 
he knew. Madar begged that Bayazid might be ordered to join his 
voice, and Bayazid did so. As his Majesty had represented that he was 
hungry, Bayazid endeavoured to get him some food. There was a 
shield which had been cast aside as out of repair. It had a steel boss 
and Bayazid made ready on it some horse-flesh and a stew and 
presented it to his Majesty when he awoke. He partook of it and 
often said afterwards in Kabul that he had never eaten anything 
so delicious as that dish (ash).” Humayun returned to Kabul on 1st 
Ramazan, 956, (23rd September, 1549), in time to save the city from 
being taken by Kamran. With this event Bayazid concludes the second 
chapter of his Memoirs. 
The third chapter begins with an account of the defeat of 
Humayun by Kamran in the Qipcaq Valley. Humayun was wounded 
in this engagement and had to retire to the hills, while Kamran followed 
l Erskine renders this “ mother of Sultln,” but it is hardly likely that any 
women were with the party. 
J. i. 39 
