38 FARGHANA
died, to Samarkand with his uncle's appointments. He was pleasant-natured and brave. Wafa'i was his pen-name and he put together a diwan in verse not bad. This couplet is his :
" I am drunk, Inspector, to-day keep your hand off me, " Inspect me on the day you catch me sober,"
MirAAli-sher Nawa'i when he went from Hiri to Samarkand, was with Ahmad Haji Beg but he went back to Hiri when SI. Husain Mirza (Bai-qara) became supreme (873 AH. -1460 AH.) and he there received exceeding favour. Foi. 21b. Ahmad Haji Beg kept and rode excellent tipuchaqs^ mostly of his own breeding." Brave he was but his power to com- mand did not match his courage ; he was careless and what was necessary in his affairs, his retainers and followers put through. He fell into SI. 'Ali Mirza's hands when the Mirza defeated Bai-sunghar Mirza in Bukhara (90i AH.), and was then put to a dishonourable death on the charge of the blood of Darwesh Muhammad Tarkhan.^
Darwesh Muhammad Tarkhan (Arghun) was another, the son of Aurdu-bugha Tarkhan and full-brother of the mother of SI. Ahmad Mirza and SI. Mahmud Mirza.^ Of all begs in SI. Ahmad Mirza's presence, he was the greatest and most honoured. He was an orthodox Believer, kindly and darwesh- like, and was a constant transcriber of the Qu'ran.'4 He played chess often and well, thoroughly understood the science of fowling and flew his birds admirably. He died in the height of his greatness, with a bad name, during the troubles between Sl. 'Ali Mirza and Bai-sunghar Mirza.^
'Abdu'l-'ali Tarkhan was another, a near relation of Darwesh Muhammad Tarkhan, possessor also of his younger sister,6 that is to say, Baqi Tarkhan's mother. Though both by the Mughul rule {tura) and by his rank, Darwesh Muhammad
1 The points of a tipuchaq are variously stated. If the root notion of the name be movement [tip), Erskine's observation, that these horses are taught special paces, is to the point. To the verb tipramaq dictionaries assign the meaning of movement with agitation of mind, an explanation fully illustrated in the B.N. The verb describes fittingly the dainty, nervous action of some trained horses. Other meanings assigned to tupuchaq are roadster, round- bodied and swift.
2 Cf. f. 376. 3 (Cf. f. 6b and note. 4 mashaf kitabat qilur idi.
5 Cf. f. 36 and II .S. ii. 271. 6 sinkilisi ham munda Idi.
