Babur – Founder of the Mughal Empire
Written by Administrator
Friday, 06 January 2012 03:42
The Mughal (Moghul) Empire was established in the Indian subcontinent around 1526 AD. It
was founded by Emperor Babur, who was a descendant of the Timurids (from father’s side) and
also Genghis Khan (from mother’s side). His full name was Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur and
he was originally the ruler of the Ferghana valley in Central Asia (modern day Uzbekistan).
Although Babur hailed from the Barlas tribe which was of Mongol (Moghul in Persian) origin, his
tribe had embraced the Persian culture and language, and converted to Islam.
Babur encountered a series of setbacks during is reign of Ferghana and after losing his
principality there, he wandered towards the Indian subcontinent in hopes of acquiring territories
in Hindustan. He raided Kabul in 1504 and started to move southwards with the establishment
of a base camp in Peshawar in 1524. In 1526, after his fifth attempt, Babur defeated Ibrahim
Shah Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans and annexed Delhi and Agra. This fight is called the
First Battle of Panipat.
Upon conquering Delhi and Agra, Babur summoned his son Humayun to secure the treasures
and resources looted during the battle. Humayun found that the family of the Raja of Gwalior
was seeking shelter in Agra after the Raja himself had died at Panipat. He guaranteed their
safety in return for the family's most valuable jewel, a very large diamond, called the Koh-i-Noor
or "Mountain of Light'. The conquests of Delhi and Agra were followed by a fight with the
formidable Rajputs Rana Sanga of Chittor and Raja Hasan Khan Mewatpati. This fight is
popularly known as the Battle of Khanwa in which the Rajputs were defeated and the foundation
for the Mughal empire was laid by Babur.
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Babur – Founder of the Mughal Empire
Written by Administrator
Friday, 06 January 2012 03:42
Soon thereafter, Babur fell seriously ill. Humayun, his son, was told of a plot by the senior
nobles of Babur's court to bypass him and appoint Mahdi Khwaja, Babur's sister's husband, as
his successor. He rushed to Agra and arrived there to see that his father was well again. But
Mahdi Khwaja had lost all hope of succession to Babur after arrogantly exceeding his authority
during Babur's illness. Upon his arrival in Agra it was Humayun himself who fell ill, and was
close to dying. Legend says that Babur is said to have circled the sick-bed, crying to God to
take his life and not his son's. Babur soon fell ill with a fever and Humayun began to recover.
Babur’s last words were apparently said to his son, Humayun, "Do nothing against your
brothers, even though they may deserve it."
Babur died at the age of 47 in 1531 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Humayun. Though
he wished to be buried in his favorite garden in Kabul, a city he had always loved, he was first
buried in a Mausoleum in the capital city of Agra. Roughly nine years later his wishes were
fulfilled and Babur was buried in Bagh-e-Babur (Babur Gardens) in Kabul, Afghanistan. The
inscription on his tomb reads – If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.
Babur wrote his memoirs in a book called Baburnama and this work is considered the first true
autobiography in Islamic literature. Babur travelled the country, taking in much of the land and
its scenery, and began building a series of structures which mixed the pre-existing Hindu
intricacies of carved detail with the traditional Muslim designs used by Persians and Turks. To
remind himself of the lands he had left behind, Babur began building exquisite gardens in every
palace and province, where he would often sit shaded from the fierce Indian sun. He tried to
recreate the gardens of Kabul, which he believed were the most beautiful in the world. Babur is
popularly believed to have built the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. However, from the three
inscriptions which once adorned the surface of the mosque it becomes apparent that the
mosque was constructed during his reign on the orders of Mir Baqi, who was one of the
generals of Babur's forces sent towards this region.
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