Babur

Lore & Background

Babur was born in Andijan in the Fergana Valley, the eldest son of Umar Shaikh Mirza II, a Timurid governor, and a descendant of Genghis Khan through his mother. He ascended the throne of Fergana at age twelve in 1494. He conquered Samarkand two years later but lost both Fergana and Samarkand after a defeat by the Uzbek prince Muhammad Shaybani. After losing Samarkand for the third time, he turned his attention to India. With aid from the Safavid and Ottoman empires, he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, Sultan of Delhi, at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, founding the Mughal Empire. He then defeated a coalition led by Rana Sanga of Mewar at the Battle of Khanwa, a decisive event in the Mughal conquest of northern India.

Reader's Guide

Babur's significance lies in founding the Mughal Empire, which would dominate South Asia for centuries. His military victories at Panipat and Khanwa, aided by gunpowder and tactical skill, ended the declining Delhi Sultanate and established Mughal rule. Religiously, he began as a staunch Sunni Muslim but became more tolerant over time, allowing other religions to coexist at his court. He promoted theology, poetry, geography, history, and biology, and is associated with the Timurid Renaissance. His memoirs, the Baburnama, written in Chaghatai Turkic and later translated into Persian under his grandson Akbar, are a key historical source. He is also credited with introducing the formal charbagh garden to northern India. Babur died in Agra in 1530 and was later reburied in Kabul as per his wishes. He is regarded as a national hero in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Did You Know?

• Babur's nickname means 'tiger' or 'panther' in Persian, borrowed into Turkic languages.
• He wrote the Baburnama in Chaghatai Turkic; it was translated into Persian during the reign of his grandson Akbar.
• He was first buried in Agra, but his remains were moved to Kabul and reburied as per his wishes.
• Babur is credited with introducing the formal charbagh garden to the plains of northern India.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"My own soul is my most faithful friend. My own heart, my truest confidant." — Babur "Babur-Nama, translated into English by A.S. Beveridge, New Delhi reprint, 1979, pp. 370-71." — Babur "Babur writing about the battle against the Rajput Confederacy led by Maharana Sangram Singh of Mewar. In Babur-Nama, translated into English by A.S. Beveridge, New Delhi reprint, 1979, pp. 547-572." — Babur "Most of the inhabitants of Hindustan are pagans ; they call a pagan a Hindu. Most Hindus believe in the transmigration of souls. All artisans, wage-earners, and officials are Hindus." — Babur