Babur
Founder of the Mughal Empire and author of the Baburnama.
Babur, born Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad on 14 February 1483 in Andijan in the Fergana Valley (modern Uzbekistan), was the eldest son of Umar Shaikh Mirza II, the Timurid governor of Fergana. Through his father, he was a great-great-great-grandson of Timur, and through his mother, a descendant of Genghis Khan. At the age of twelve, following his father’s death, Babur ascended the throne of Fergana from its capital, Akhsikath, and immediately had to suppress a rebellion. He conquered Samarkand two years later but soon lost Fergana; in attempting to reclaim it, he also lost Samarkand. In 1501, he briefly recaptured both, but the Uzbek prince Muhammad Shaybani defeated him, forcing Babur into exile. In 1504, he conquered Kabul, then under the nominal rule of an infant heir. Forming an alliance with the Safavid emperor Ismail I, Babur reconquered parts of Turkestan, including Samarkand, in 1511, only to lose them again to the Shaybanids. Turning his attention to India, he secured aid from the Safavids and Ottomans and defeated Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, founding the Mughal Empire. The Delhi Sultanate was already in decline. Rana Sanga of Mewar then led a coalition of Rajput and Afghan forces against Babur at the Battle of Khanwa, where Babur’s skillful troop positioning and use of gunpowder secured a decisive victory, a watershed in the Mughal conquest of northern India. Religiously, Babur began as a staunch Sunni Muslim but grew more tolerant over time, allowing other faiths to coexist at his court. He promoted theology, poetry, geography, history, and biology, reflecting the Timurid Renaissance, and his views are characterized as humanistic. He married several times; notable children included Humayun, Kamran Mirza, Hindal Mirza, Masuma Sultan Begum, and the author Gulbadan Begum. Babur died in Agra in 1530 and was succeeded by Humayun. Initially buried in Agra, his remains were later moved to Kabul per his wishes. He is regarded as a national hero in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. He wrote the *Baburnama* in Chaghatai Turkic, later translated into Persian under his grandson Akbar. Many of his poems became folk songs, and he is credited with introducing the formal charbagh garden to northern India.
- born
- 14 February 1483, Andijan, Fergana Valley (now Uzbekistan)
- died
- 26 December 1530, Agra
- field
- Founder of the Mughal Empire
- nationality
- Timurid (Central Asian Turco-Mongol)
- known_for
- Founding the Mughal Empire; defeating Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat (1526); author of the Baburnama
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
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