Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire in India. He was born in 1483 in modern-day Uzbekistan and was a descendant of both Timur and Genghis Khan. After losing his ancestral lands, Babur invaded northern India starting in 1519, seeking to establish a new kingdom. He defeated the Lodi dynasty sultan Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, founding the Mughal Empire. Babur went on to defeat a Rajput-Afghan alliance led by Rana Sanga of Mewar at the Battle of Khanwa in 1527, solidifying Mughal control of northern India.

1. BABUR
Prepared By Dr. Rao
Faculty of History
seesrirao@gmail.com

2. 1500 AD

4. Babur, 1526- 1530
• Babur was the founder of Mughal rule in India
• Babur was born on 14 February 1483 in the town of
Andijan in the Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan
• He was a descendant of Timur (on his father’s side)
and Genghis Khan (on his Mother’s side).
• In 1494 at the age of 11.6, Babur became the ruler
of Farghana (at present in Chinese Turkistan)
succeeding Umar Shaikh Mirza, his father.
(Capital Akhsikent)

5. Source:https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/babur/babur1.html#depart
Transoxiana is an ancient name referring to a region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to modern-day
eastern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kazakhstan and southern Kyrgyzstan.

6. Source:https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/babur/babur1.html#depart

7. • 1497- He defeated Baisunqur Mirza and captured
Samarkand
• 1498 - He lost Fargana and recovered in 1500
• 1501- He was defeated by Shaibani Khan and
compelled to give his sister Khanzada Begum in
marriage and lost everything
• In 1501 he had lost Andijan and Ferghana to his
rebel minister Sultan Ahmed Tambol
• lost Samarkand to Muhammad Shaybani Khan of
the Khanate of Bukhara
• 1503-Battle of Archiyan/Akhsi (possibly a town a few
miles away from Namangan) he fled to the hills to the
south of Ferghana
• 1504- He crossed Hindukush

8. Source:https://dome.mit.edu/handle/1721.3/33581

9. • 1505- he set out by Khyber pass for
Peshawar and reached Kohat
• 1507- Babur crossed Indus advanced as
far as Mandrawar in Lamghan; in the
meantime Shaibani Khan retired from
Qandhar and Babur got title of Mirza
(Prince) and styled himself as Badshah of
Kabul
• Babar become active in 1518

10. Reasons for Babur’s Indian Expeditions
• The root of Mughal was Central Asia
• They ruled central Asia 13 decades
• The ottomans defeated the Safavids and Uzbegs
controlled Transoxiana (Transoxiana is an ancient name referring to a region and civilization
located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to modern-day eastern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kazakhstan and
southern Kyrgyzstan) forcing Babur’s imperial impulses towards
India
• Meagre income of Kabul (Gandahara region)
• Desire to emulate Timur
• Punjab was part of the Timurid province and hence was
considered a legal Patrimony of the Timurids
• Apprehension of Uzbeg attacks at Dik Khat, Babur
heard an eye witness account of Timur’s invasion of
India from 111 years old women.

11. Babar Expeditions
1. 1519- Battle of Bhira- he conquered Bhira –
Gunpowder was used for the first time.
The first attack of Babur in India was on Bajaur
in 1519 with 2000 horsemen. It was followed by
capture of Bhira on Jhelum River in Punjab.
Babur claimed this land in right of his great Grandson
Timur's conquest a century ago.
But he was repelled by the Hindus and Babur's
occupation was nothing but a fleeting raid

12. Bajaur Massacre: On 7 January 1519, Babur wrote: "As
the Bajauris were rebels and at enmity with the
people of Islam, and as, by reason of the heathenish
and hostile customs prevailing in their midst, the very
name of Islam was rooted out from their tribe, they
were put to general massacre and their wives and
children were made captive. At a guess more than
3,000 men went to their death; as the fight did not
reach to the eastern side of the fort, a few got away
there.
• He seized Bajaur – first real Indian invasion
• Captured Peshawar, defeated Yusufai Afghans
• As part of a peace treaty with Yusufzai Pashtuns, Babur
married Bibi Mubarika, daughter of Yusufzai chief Shah
Mansur, on 30 January 1519

13. 2. 1519 defeated Khizrkhail Afghans and acquired
control over Peshawar
The news of revolt in Badakhshan and this compelled
him to return back
3. 1520- he occupied Bajaur, Bhera and Sialkot but the
revolt in Kandhar revolt once again compelled him
to return back
• Kandhar was the bone of contention between
Babur and Persia

14. 4. 1524- Daulat Khan Lodhi welcomed and sent his
son Dilawar Khan and Alam Khan Lodhi joined
Babur
Daulat Khan Lodi was the governor of Lahore during
the reign of Ibrahim Lodi
Daulat Khan sent his son, Ghazi Khan Lodi, to Delhi to
learn more about the state of affairs in the
government. On his return, Ghazi Khan warned his
father that Ibrahim Lodi was planning to remove his
governorship. In response, Daulat Khan sent
messengers to Babur in Kabul, offering his
allegiance
1525- Babur had to return back because of the Uzbek
rebellion

15. Battle of Panipat- 1526
• In the 7th attempt on 27th April 1526, first battle of
Panipat
• In this war
Babur took position in centre,
Right Centre- Chin Taimur Sultan
Left Centre- Mir Ali Khalifa,
• Humayun
• Khvajakilan Ibrahim Lodhi had 1 Lakh men and 1000
elephants white Babur had 24000 men.

16. • On 27th April 1526, the Khutba was read in his name
in Jami Masjid
• Agra was captured by Humayun
• Humayun welcomed Babur and gave Kohinoor to
him, which was captured from late Raja Vikramjit of
Gwalior
• Humayun captured Jaunpur, Gazipur, Kalpi
• Defeated Ibrahim Lodhi and founded Mughal
Empire in India
• Here he adopted a new strategy , also adopted in
the 1st battle of Panipat TULGAM ( The centre has a
week section, while the sides have a stronger one)

17. Source:https://rumachak.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/the-first-battle-of-panipath-21st-april-1526/

18. • Doe the first time Artillery was used by babur in
India in this war.
• His artillery commanders were Ustad Ali & Mustafa
• Babur in Dec, 1926, narrow escaped death from
poison mixed in his food by Sultan Ibrahim’s mother
through royal servants

19. The Mughal flag or alam

20. Battle of Khanwa- 1527
• Babur had raided Punjab in 1504 and 1518. In
1519 he tried to invade Punjab but had to
return to Kabul due to complications there. In
1520-21 Babur again ventured to conquer
Punjab, he easily captured Bhira and Sialkot
which were known as the "twin gateways to
Hindustan
• The Battle of Khanwa was fought near the
village of Khanwa, of Rajasthan, on March 16,
1527

21. Rajput-Afghan alliance against Babur
• Rana Sanga had built a formidable military alliance
against Babur
• Rana Sanga joined by virtually all the leading Rajput
kings from Rajasthan of Harauti, Jalor, Sirohi,
Dungarpur, and Dhundhar.
• Rao Ganga of Marwar did not join personally but sent
a contingent on his behalf led by his son Maldev
Rathore.
• Rao Medini Rai of Chanderi in Malwa also joined the
alliance
• Mahamud Lodhi, Ibrahim Lodhi
• Khanzada Hasan Khan Mewati, the ruler of Mewat

22. • Rana Sanga wanted to overthrow Babur, because he
considered him to be a foreigner ruling in India and
also to extend his territories by
annexing Delhi and Agra
• Babur soldiers- Asked to return to Kabul-
An Astrologer named Mohammad Sharif prophecited
about the defeat of Babur
“If you win, you shall get a kingdom,
and if you die, you shall get heaven”

23. Babur tried to boost low morals of his
army- he declared
1. Would not drink wine
2. Broke all wine vessels and destroyed
wine stocks
3. He banned sale and purchase of wine
4. He abolished Tamgha (stamp duty,
custom tax) on Muslim
5. He declared the war against Sanga as
Jihad

24. • Finally on 17th March, 1527, in the battle of
Khanua, village some 37 miles west from
Agra, Rana Sanga was defeated
• Babur again adopted the Tulughma tactics
and at the hour of crisis the Silhadi left the
Rana and joined Babur
• After Khanua , Babur assumed title Ghazi
• On 7th April,1527, he went to Mewat’s
capital Alwar
• Sangha escaped and tried to revive but was
poisoned by his own nobles after two years

25. • The Battle of Chanderi took place in the aftermath
of the Battle of Khanwa
• Battle was fought for supremacy of Northern
India between Rajputs and Mughals
• On receiving news that Rana Sanga had renewed
war preparations
• Babur decided to isolate the Rana by inflicting a
military defeat on one of his vassals Medini Rai who
was the ruler of Malwa
• Declared a Jihad again for political reasons
Battle of Chanderi- 1528

26. https://www.examrace.com/Study-Material/History/Mughal-Emipire/Empire-of-Babur-and-Humayun.html

27. • Babur marched to the fortress of Chanderi in
Malwa which was the capital of the kingdom
of Malwa against Medini Rai and captured
parts of Chanderi
• on 20 January 1528, Babur offered
Shamsabad to Medini Rao in exchange for
Chanderi as a peace overture but the offer
was rejected by Rai
• On 2nd Feb 1528, he send an expedition under
VIVAN who captured Ayodhya and Lucknow and
turned to Kanauj

28. Battle of Ghagra-1529
• Afghans were powerful in UP
• the Afghans were regrouping under Sultan Mahmud
Lodhi (the brother of Ibrahim Lodhi) and Sultan Nusrat
Lodhi of Bengal
• Babur set out on his campaign to subjugate the Afghans
in early 1529. He marched towards Bengal
• It was behind one of them – the Ghaghra River, that the
Afghan Army was deployed
• Mahmood Lodhi, the younger brother of sultan
Ibrahim Lodhi and supported by Nusrat shah, the ruler
of…….
• On 6th May 1529, battle of Ghhagra (Battle of Ganga)
• Babur could not win a decisive victory & he had to
patch an agreement with them

29. Source:https://www.ajaysinghindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GHAGHRA-map.jpg

30. Babur Significance
• After the Kushanas he was the first to bring
Kabul and Kandhar into the Indian Empire
(Little India)
• Babur and his successors safeguarded India
from foreign invasion for 200 years
• The rulers of Turan, Iran, Ottoman Turkey and
others kept close diplomatic contact with
India and also sought its support on occasions
• A new phase began in Indian foreign policy

31. • Control over Kabul and Qandhar
strengthened foreign trade
• The introduction of cannon muskets in
India has generally been ascribed to
Babur
• Introduced new military tactics –
borrowing from Ottomans and Uzbeks
• Babur treated Uzbegs well – consults in
taking important decisions- liberal in
grant of stipends and gifts to them

32. • There are no reference to Babur having
destroyed temples
• Muthura was near Agra and Babur passed it a
number of times, no temples were broken
there
• Visited royal buildings and temples in the fort
of Gwalior, but no effort was made to damage
• Urwa valley – The Jain deities were ordered to
be destroyed because they were completely
naked

33. • At Sambhal and Ayodhya which were
provincial headquarters, mosques were built
by destroying Hindu temples at the instance
of Babur- the inscriptions at both the places
give the credit to local governors Mir Hindu
beg at Sambha and Mir Baqi at Ayodhya
• The mosques may have existed earlier, but
may have only been repaired and modified by
Babur govt.

34. • This leaves open question when and by whom the
earlier Hindu or Buddhist temples were destroyed.
• Babur was a moderate in religion affairs and had no
prejudice against the Hindus is also reflected in his
attitude towards the autonomous Hindu rajas
• He introduced a new concept of the state resting on
the Turk-Mongol theory of suzerainty, based on
strength and prestige, absence of religion and
sectarian bigotry
• Promoted fine arts- Ustat Mausuid &
• Gardens with running water

35. • Babur sent Humayun to Samarkand
• Babur become ill and retired to his Jagir at Sambhal and
on 26th Dec , 1530, he died in Agra at the age of 48
• His body was sent to Kabul and buried in ARAM-BAGH
• His autobiography TUZUK-I-BABURI was written in
Turkish
• He wrote Diwan in Turkish and collection of Masnawis
called MUBAYYAN written on law
• He invented MUBIYAN a new style of verse in Persian
• Babur’s cousin Mirza Haider in his book Tarikh-i-Rashidi
described the personality of Babur
• He was one of the finest calligrapher and painter

36. Babur’s Description of Hindustan
• It has been accepted meritorious work both from
the point of view of literature and history
• Payanda Khan and Abdur Rahim Khan- i- Khana
translated it in Persian during Akbar’s time.
• In 1826, it was translated into French and English.
The English translation was done by Mrs. Beveridge
from the original work in Turki
• Translated into several European languages
• Babur could not add to his biography between the
year 1508- 1519, 1520, 1525 and 1529-1530

37. • The description of Babur is clear, impressive and
quite near the truth. Of course, he misunderstood
many things particularly in case of India and
therefore, has given wrong versions but the
attempt was not deliberate
• Lane-Poole regards it as an important historical
document. He says- “If ever there was a case,
when the testimony of a single historical
document, unsupported by other evidence
should be accepted as sufficient proof, it is the
case with Babur’s Memoirs.”
• Elphinstone has also remarked about it thus-
“Almost the only piece of real history in Asia.”

38. • He wrote- “Hindustan is situated in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
climates. No part of it is in the 4th.” (4 main types of climate the
Mediterranean climate, oceanic climate, humid continental climate, and subarctic climate)
• “Once you cross the river Indus the country, the trees, the
stones, the people and their customs are all Indian.”
• “Hindustan is a country of a few charms. Its people have no
good looks, no good manners, no genius or capacity. There
are no good horses, no good dogs, no grapes, muskmelons or
good fruits, no ice or cold water, no bread or cooked food in
the markets, no hot baths, no colleges, no candles, torches or
candle sticks. In places of candle and torch they keep lamp-
men to carry oil-lamps from place to place. There are no
running waters in their gardens or residences. Their
residences have no charm, air, regularity or symmetry.
Peasants and poor people move about mostly naked. The
males use mostly languta and the females covered their body
only with one cloth.”

39. • “Pleasant things of Hindustan are that it
is a large country and has masses of gold
and silver.”
• Babur liked the rainy season in India very
much- “Its air in the rain is very fine.
Sometimes it rains 10, 15 or 20 times a
day; torrents pour down all at once and
rivers flow where there had been no
water.”

40. • He wrote- “Another good thing in
Hindustan is that it has numberless
workers of every kind. There is a fixed
caste for every sort of work and for
everything. Six hundred and eighty men
worked daily on my buildings in Agra
while 1491 stone-cutters worked daily on
my buildings in Agra, Sikri, Bayana,
Dholpur, Gwalior and Koil. In the same
way there are numberless artisans and
workmen of every sort in Hindustan.”

41. • Describing the political condition of
India he wrote- “The capital of India
is Delhi . . . when I conquered that
country there were five Muslim and
two Hindu rulers there.” -also
described about the kingdoms of
Malwa, Gujarat, Bahamani kingdom,
Mewar, Vijayanagra- states of Orissa,
Khandesh, Sindh and Kashmir in his
Memoirs.

42. • It cannot be believed that the Indian
people lacked culture at the time of his
invasion. Thus, the description of
Hindustan by Babur, certainly, provides us
useful historical source material yet, it is
neither possible nor desirable to accept it
as it is. We have to be watchful in
assessing the judgement which he passed
about the Indian people and their
culture.

43. References
• Satish Chandra : Medieval India From Sultanate to the Mughals
Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)
• Satish Chandra : Medieval India From Sultanate to the Mughals
Delhi Sultanate (1526-1748)
• R.P. Tripati : Rise and Fall of the Mughal Empire –Vol I
• Dr. IswariPrasad : The Mughal Empire
• JadunathSarkar : A Short History of Aurangazeb.
• Dr.Tarachand : Influence of Islam on Indian Culture.
• I.H. Qureshi : Administration of the Mughal Empire
• Yasuf Hussain : Indo –Muslim Polity.
• A.L.Srivastava: The Mughal Empire.
• J-L-Mehta: Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India :
Volume II Mughal Empire
• SAA Rizvi : The Wonder That Was India: Volume II