Babur
Umar Shaikh Mirza II died in 1494 while tending pigeons in an ill-constructed dovecote that toppled into the ravine below the palace. His twelve-year-old son Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad ascended the throne of Fergana in its capital Akhsikath that same year. Two hostile uncles from neighboring kingdoms and a group of nobles who wanted his younger brother Jahangir to be ruler immediately threatened his succession. Babur secured his position mainly through help from his maternal grandmother, Aisan Daulat Begum, though some luck was involved as well.
Most territories around his kingdom were ruled by relatives who were descendants of either Timur or Genghis Khan. They were constantly in conflict with one another. Rival princes fought over the city of Samarkand to the west, which was ruled by his paternal cousin. Babur had a great ambition to capture this city. He besieged Samarkand for seven months before eventually gaining control over it in 1497. He was fifteen years old during this campaign, which he considered a huge achievement at the time.
Babur held Samarkand for only 100 days before falling seriously ill. Meanwhile, a rebellion back home robbed him of Fergana while he was marching to recover it. He left Samarkand to Sultan Mahmud Mirza, leaving himself with neither territory in possession. For three years, he concentrated on building a strong army, recruiting widely amongst the Tajiks of Badakhshan in particular. In 1500, 1501, he again laid siege to Samarkand and took the city briefly. He was in turn besieged by Muhammad Shaybani, Khan of the Uzbeks, his most formidable rival.
The situation became so dire that Babur was compelled to give his sister, Khanzada, to Shaybani in marriage as part of the peace settlement. Only after this were Babur and his troops allowed to depart the city in safety. He then tried to reclaim Fergana but lost the battle there also. Escaping with a small band of followers, he wandered the mountains of central Asia and took refuge with hill tribes. By 1502, he had resigned all hopes of recovering Fergana. He was left with nothing and forced to try his luck elsewhere.
Kabul was ruled by Babur's paternal uncle Ulugh Beg II, who died leaving only an infant as heir. The city was claimed by Mukin Begh, considered a usurper and opposed by the local populace. In October 1504, Babur crossed the snowy Hindu Kush mountains and captured Kabul from the remaining Arghun chieftains. They were forced to retreat to Kandahar. With this move, he gained a new kingdom and re-established his fortunes. He would remain its ruler until 1526.
In 1505, because of low revenue generated by his mountain kingdom, Babur began his first expedition to India. His memoirs state: My desire for Hindustan had been constant. It was in the month of Shaban, the Sun being in Aquarius, that we rode out of Kabul for Hindustan. This was a brief raid across the Khyber Pass. Later, when Shaybani was defeated and killed by Ismail I, Shah of Shia Safavid Persia, in 1510, Babur used this opportunity to reconquer ancestral territories with the help of Shah Ismail.
Babur reached Panipat on the 20th of April 1526 and there met Ibrahim Lodi's numerically superior army of about 100,000 soldiers and 1000 elephants. The battle began on the following day. Babur used the tactic of Tulugma, encircling Ibrahim Lodi's army and forcing it to face artillery fire directly. He also frightened the war elephants with gunfire. Ibrahim Lodi died during the battle, thus ending the Lodi dynasty.
After the battle, Babur occupied Delhi, Gwalior and Agra, took the throne of Lodi, and laid the foundation for Mughal rule in India. Before he became North India's ruler, he had to fend off challengers such as Rana Sanga. Many of his men allegedly wanted to leave India due to its harsh climate, but Babur motivated them to stay and expand his empire. Many retainers returned to Kabul including his close friend Khwaja Kalan.
The Battle of Khanwa was fought between Babur and the Rajput ruler of Mewar, Rana Sanga, on the 16th of March 1527. Rana Sanga wanted to overthrow Babur, whom he considered a foreigner ruling in India, and extend Rajput territories by annexing Delhi and Agra. He was supported by a mixed group of Afghan chiefs composed of former Lodi loyalists and local warlords. Upon receiving news of Rana Sangha's advance towards Agra, Babur took a defensive position at Khanwa from where he hoped to launch a counterattack later.
Babur won the battle because of superior generalship and modern tactics. The battle was one of the first in India that featured cannons and muskets. Rao also notes that Rana Sanga faced treachery when the Hindu chief Silhadi joined Babur's army with a garrison of 6,000 soldiers. The Battle of Chanderi took place the year after Khanwa. On the 20th of January 1528, Babur offered Shamsabad to Medini Rai in exchange for Chanderi as a peace overture, but the offer was rejected.
Babur authored his famous memoir the Bāburnāma, written in the Chagatai language and later translated into Persian during the rule of emperor Akbar. His Turkic prose in Bāburnāma is already highly Persianized in its sentence structure, vocabulary, and morphology. It consists of several phrases and minor poems in Persian. Even though he died aged 47, Babur left a rich literary and scientific heritage. He wrote treatises on Muslim jurisprudence, poetics, music, and a special calligraphy known as khatt-i Baburi.
His library was one of his most beloved possessions that he always carried around with him. Books were treasures he searched for in new conquered lands. In his memoirs, when he listed sovereigns and nobles of a conquered land, he also mentioned poets, musicians and other educated people. One of the enduring features of Babur's life was leaving behind this lively and well-written autobiography. Stanley Lane-Poole quotes Henry Beveridge regarding its significance.
Babur started his life as a staunch Sunni Muslim but underwent significant evolution as he conquered new territories and grew older. He became more tolerant, allowing other religions to peacefully coexist in his empire and at his court. Records from Sikh literature of the 16th century include those recorded by Guru Nanak, who commented upon violence witnessed in the 1520s in four hymns. Historians suggest early Mughal period religious violence contributed to introspection and transformation in Sikhism from pacifism to militancy for self-defense.
In Babur's secret will, dated 935AH or 1529 AD, he advised Humayun to administer justice according to the ways of every religion. He instructed his son to avoid sacrifice of the cow, not ruin temples and shrines of any law-obeying community, and overlook dissensions between Shias and Sunnis. His religious and philosophical stances are characterized as humanistic, earning him frequent association with representatives of the Timurid Renaissance.
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Common questions
When did Babur die and how old was he?
Babur died aged 47. He authored his famous memoir the Bāburnāma before passing away.
What date did Babur capture Samarkand for the first time?
Babur gained control over Samarkand in 1497 after besieging it for seven months. He held the city for only 100 days before falling seriously ill.
On what date did Babur win the Battle of Khanwa against Rana Sanga?
The Battle of Khanwa took place on the 16th of March 1527 between Babur and the Rajput ruler of Mewar, Rana Sanga. Babur won this battle due to superior generalship and modern tactics involving cannons and muskets.
Which year did Babur cross the Hindu Kush mountains to capture Kabul?
In October 1504, Babur crossed the snowy Hindu Kush mountains and captured Kabul from the remaining Arghun chieftains. This move allowed him to gain a new kingdom and re-establish his fortunes until 1526.
When was Babur's secret will written and what did it instruct Humayun to do?
Babur wrote his secret will dated 935AH or 1529 AD. In this document he advised Humayun to administer justice according to the ways of every religion and avoid sacrificing cows or ruining temples.