Introduction

Babur (born Zahir-ud-din Muhammad; February 14, 1483 - December 26, 1530) was the founder of the Mughal Empire in India. His descendants, the Mughal emperors, formed a long-lasting empire covering most of the continent until 1868, which continues to build Indian culture to this day. Babur itself had good blood; on his father's side, he was Timurid, a Persian Turk born in Timur the Lame, and his mother was a descendant of Genghis Khan.


Early Days of Life

Zahir-ud-din Muhammad, nicknamed "Babur" or "Lion," was born into the Timurid royal family in Andijan, now in Uzbekistan, on February 14, 1483. His father, Umar Sheikh Mirza, was the Emir of Ferghana; His mother Qutlaq Nigar Khanum was the daughter of Moghuli king Yunus Khan. By the time Babur was born, a remnant of the Mongols in western Central Asia had intermarried with Turks and Persians and adopted local customs. They were heavily influenced by Persia (using Persian as their official language of the court), and they had converted to Islam. The most popular is the mysterious Sufism style of Sunni Islam.

Taking the Throne

In 1494, Emir of Ferghana died suddenly, and 11-year-old Babur ascended from his father's throne. His seat was unsafe, but many uncles and cousins ​​wanted to replace him. Apparently knowing that a good offense is the best way to protect oneself, the young emir began to increase his capture.


In 1497, he conquered the Silk Road oasis in Samarkand. At that time, his uncles and other officials rebelled against Andijan. When Babur turned to defending his base, he again lost control of Samarkand, and young Emir recaptured both cities in 1501, but Uzbek Emperor Shaibani Khan threw him to Samarkand and confronted Babur. This marked the end of Babur's rule in what is now Uzbekistan.

Exile to Afghanistan

For three years, the homeless prince wandered around Central Asia, trying to lure his followers to his throne. Finally, in 1504, he and his small force turned southeast, marching on the icy Hindu Kush mountains to Afghanistan. Babur, now 21, besieged and conquered Kabul, laying the foundation for his new empire. Hoping, Babur will join forces with the rulers of Herat and Persia and will try to bring back Fergana from 1510 to 1511. However, the Uzbeks completely defeated Mughul's army, bringing them back to Afghanistan. Paralyzed, Babur began to look south again.

Invitation to Replace Lodi

In 1521, a great opportunity for growth in the south came to Babur. The governor of Delhi Sultanate, Ibrahim Lodi, was hated and insulted by his citizens. He had mobilized the military and the judiciary by replacing his old guard with his own body and ruling the dictatorship in a repressive and dictatorial manner. After only four years of Lodi's reign, Afghan officials had so severely tested him that they invited Timurid Babur to come to Delhi Sultanate to oust him. Naturally, Babur was very happy to go along with this. He mobilized the army and began to besiege Kandahar. The Kandahar Citadel has held for much longer than Babur had expected. As the siege continued, however, important dignitaries and military personnel from Delhi Sultanate such as Ibrahim Lodi's uncle, Alam Khan, and the governor of Punjab allied themselves with Babur.

First Battle of Panipat

Five years after his first invasion of the continent, Babur finally attacked the Delhi Sultanate and Ibrahim Lodi in April 1526. In the Punjab plains, Babur's army of 24,000 - mostly cavalry - rode Sultan Ibrahim, with 100,000 men and 1,000 elephants. Although Babur seemed to be going through a terrible ordeal, he had something Lodi didn't have - guns.


The ensuing battle, now known as the First Battle of Panipat, marked the fall of the Delhi Sultanate. With advanced tactics and fire-fighting power, Babur overthrew Lodi's army, killing the Sultan and his 20,000 men. Lodi's fall marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire (also known as the Timurid Empire) in India.

Rajput Wars

Babur had defeated his fellow Muslims in the Delhi Sultanate (and, of course, the majority were happy to accept his rule), but Hindu Rajput officials were not easily defeated. Unlike his ancestor Timur, Babur was committed to the idea of ​​building an eternal empire in India - he was not just an invader. He has decided to build his capital in Agra. The Rajputs, however, built a strong defense against this new Muslim and he would become king from the north. Knowing that Mughal's army was weak in the battle of Panipat, Rajputana officials mobilized a larger army than Lodi and marched on the battlefield after Rana Sangam of Mewar. In March 1527 at the Battle of Khanwa, Babur's army was able to confront the Rajputs with great defeat. The Rajputs were courageous, however, and wars and fighting continued throughout the northern and eastern parts of the Babur empire for the next few years.

Death

In the fall of 1530, Babur became ill. His brother-in-law conspired with some of the Mughal court officials to seize the throne after Babur's death, surpassing Humayun, Babur's eldest son and appointing an heir. Humayun rushed to Agra to defend his royal claim but soon became seriously ill. Historically, Babur cried out to God to save Humayun's life and to give himself up. On December 26, 1530, Babur died at the age of 47. Humayun, a 22-year-old man, inherited a violent empire, attacked by internal and external enemies. Like his father, Humayun will lose power and be forced into exile, only when he returns and lodges his claim in India. By the end of his life, he had consolidated and expanded the empire, which would reach its heights under his son Akbar the Great.