Mughals And Chagatai Turkish

The Mughals descended from a line of Turkic peoples. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, was born in Farghana and spoke Chaghtai Turkish as his mother tongue. Although, like much of the Turkic world, Persian served as the language of the court while Arabic was the language of religion, Turkish continued to be used by the Mughals until the 17th century, particularly for memoirs and poetry.

Notable examples include the Baburnama, written entirely in Turkish and later translated into Persian during the reign of Akbar; the Diwan of Kamran Mirza; Humayun's Turkish poetry; and, most significantly, the Diwan of Bairam Khan Khan-i-Khanan, the celebrated Mughal commander and father of Rahim.

Zahiruddin Babur was born in Farghana, in modern-day Uzbekistan, into a noble family of warlords. His initial plan was to invade and plunder the Indian subcontinent, but he eventually settled there and longed deeply for his homeland. This may explain why he chose to write his autobiography entirely in Turkish. The original manuscripts are now preserved at the Raza Library in Rampur. A few extracts from this autobiography are reproduced below.

Babur, the first Mughal Emperor

The opening passage of Tuzuk-i-Baburi (The Memoirs of Babur):

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم  رمضان آیی تاریخ سیکیز یوز توقسان توقوزدا فرغانہ والایتی دہ، اون ایکی یاشتہ بادشاہ بولدوم،فرغانہ ولایتی بیشینجی اقلیم،دین دور معمورہ نینک کنارہ سی دہ واقع بولوبتور شرق کاشغار غربی، سمرقند جنوبی بدخشاننینک سرحدی تاغلاری و شمالیدا اکرچہ بورون شھرلار بار ایکاندور مثال المالیغ بیتیرلار، موغول و اوزبک جھتی دین بو تاریخ دا بوزولوبتور اصلا معمورہ قالمایدور،غربی طرفی دا کیم سمرقند و خجند بولغای تاغ یوقتور اوشبو، جائب تین ،اوزکا ھیچ جانب تین قیش یاغی کیلا الماس سیحون دریاسی کیم خجند سویی غہ،مشہوردور شرق و شمال طرفتین کیلیب بو ولایت نینک ایچی بیلا قوتوں.

English Translation:

The country of Ferghana belongs to the fifth clime. It is situated on the edge of the settled world. To its east is Kashgar; to its west, Samarqand; to its south, the border mountains of Badakhshan; and to the north, although they say there used to be cities there, such as Almaligh, Almaty, and Yangi, which is written as "Utrar" in the books, they were destroyed in this age by the Mongols and Uzbeks. Not a trace of their habitation remains.

It is a small country. Its foodstuffs and fruit are abundant. Mountains surround it on all sides. To the west, where Samarqand and Khojand lie, there are no mountains. Winter rains cannot come from any direction except this one.

The Jaxartes (Sayhun) River, known as the Khojand River, comes from the east and north. It passes through this country.

Babur's Poetry in Chaghatai Turkish

Yod etmas emish kishini g’urbatda kishi Shod etmas emish ko’nglini mehnatda kishi. Ko’nglum bu g’ariblikda shod o’lmadi, oh, G’urbatda sevunmas emish, albatta, kishi 

English Translation:

No one remembers the one in exile No solace is found in labour for men Away in exile, my heart finds no happiness, alas Of course, no one truly loves exile.

Another Couplet by Babur says:

Charxning men ko’rmagan javr-u jafosi qoldimu?! Xasta ko’nglum chekmagan dard-u balosi qoldimu?!

English Translation:

No hardship remains that the heavens have not bestowed upon me No pain or tragedy remains that my poor heart has not endured.

Kamran Mirza

Kamran Mirza's writings in Chaghatai Turkish

A Couplet in Praise of God:

İkki cihān häleti peydā sanga Bolmadı idrāk şināsā sanga

English Translation:

You created the two realms, Yet found no intellect capable of understanding You.

It might be difficult to believe, but the man seems to have been a hopeless romantic.

barca suretde kilip cilve i husn husni yuz vech ile konglumni alip

English Translation:

Beauty radiates across your face Your grace and beauty steal away my heart

Ghazal

isk ara divane bolsam ni aceb akldin bigane bolsam ne aceb ol perivaska bolup min asina kamran divane bolsam ni aceb

English Translation

Enchanted by love I become, what surprise is that? Estranged from reason I become, what surprise is that? If I become acquainted with a fairy-faced beauty, If Kamran becomes enchanted by her, what surprise is that?

Bairam Khan-i-Khanan

Bairam Khan-i-Khanan and his Turkish Diwan

Rubai

بیرام خان خان خاناں  نی دین غمیدیں دمی پریشاں دورمین نی کفر ھجومیدن ھراساں دور مین  بتخانہ و مسجد منکا یکساں کرونور  گویا کہ نی کافر نی مسلماں دور مین 

English Translation:

Neither am I troubled by the struggles of religion, Nor harassed by the crowds of unbelievers. The temple and the mosque appear the same to me, As though I am neither a Kafir nor a Muslim.

Rubai

اول مینی خدمتینکا محرم قیلدینک  بزمینک آرا ہمزبان و ہمدم قیلدینک  اخرینہ التفات نی کم قیلدینک  رسوای تمام اہل عالم قیلدینک 

English Translation:

At first, You made me a companion in Your service In Your gathering, You made me an intimate friend Then You lessened Your favour towards me, Leaving me dishonoured before the entire world.

Couplet

جان تاپار یوز مسیح لعلینگ دین  لب لعلینگ کجا مسیح کجا 

English Translation

A hundred Messiahs derive life from the redness of your lips, What comparison can there be between your crimson lips and the Messiah?

Couplet:

فغانیمدین قولاغ اغریب مودور آرام جانیمغہ  یوق ایرسہ نی ایچون یا رب قولاق سالماس فغانییمہ 

English Translation:

Have the ears of my beloved become deaf to my cries? If not, O God, why do they not heed my lament?

Couplet:

چون ترک ایلادی نظر لطف عادتیں  بیرمنی قیلدی غم بیلہ معتاد کوزلارینگ 

English Translation:

Having deprived me of their favour as though it were their habit, The beauties have made Bairam himself accustomed to sorrow.

Turkish in the 18th-Century Mughal Empire

By the end of the 16th century, Turkish had almost become extinct at the Mughal court. After Jahangir, no Mughal emperor learnt Turkish. This period is often referred to as the end of Dor-e Turani. Nevertheless, a small number of people, particularly those who arrived with the army of Nadir Shah in the 18th century, still knew Chaghtai Turkish.

Among them were the fathers of Inshallah Khan Insha and Saadat Ali Yar Khan Rangeen. The two later became close acquaintances and were regarded as masters of Urdu poetry. More experimental than many of their contemporaries, both also composed poetry in Chaghtai Turkish.

A few couplets from their works are reproduced below.

Saadat Ali Khan Rangeen

ترک جتنے ہیں تجھے ترکی میں وہ کہتے ہیں یوں  ساقلہ سوں تنکری سنین بارچہ مناہے دین بری 

English Translation

All Turks say to you in Turkish: May God keep you safe from every hardship.

الیبدین بس کہ سین اچپدینگ شراب  کویدی کونکم الدی بغرم کباب 

English Translation:

My beloved drank wine with my rival; Thus my heart and liver burned like kebabs.

Inshallah Khan Insha

Not only did he write poetry, but he also wrote riddles. This particular one appears to be about sulphur in Turkish.

چیستان گوگرد  سوز قل الحوال بار بو عربے  نہ بولار گارسے سی دی قارداش  برج کونکلی ایچون شفا شود در  اول قیزال کیلسہ قولمیز ایکاش انعون بے واغی قایعونلار  اوج تبلیغہ لغز چیقار چو قوباش 

Couplet:

رحم قیل تینگری ایچون یاشیمہ  از در خویش مگردان مایوس 

English Translation:

Be merciful to my life, for God's sake. For I have friends, but all have disappointed me

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All translations by the writer, Inayat Raza Zaidi, except the opening passage from the Baburnama.