Lakshmi Rameshwar Rao, Hyderabad
The founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent, Babur was born Mīrzā Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan. He was given the posthumous name of Firdaws Makani (‘Dwelling in Paradise’).
Babur wrote his autobiography titled Tuzk-i-Baburi (titled Baburnama in Persian) in his mother-tongue Turki. He wrote, “In the month of Ramzan of the year 899 (Hijra), in the twelfth year of my age, I became ruler in the country of Farghana.”
Babur’ is a Turkish word which means a tiger. Baburnama, Babur’s autobiography was written in his mother tongue, Chagatai Turkic.
Babur died in 1530 in Agra and Humayun succeeded him. Babur was first buried in Agra but, as per his wishes, his remains were moved to Kabul and reburied
Babur ascended the throne of Fergana in its capital Akhsikent in 1494 when the Emir of Ferghana died suddenly at the age of twelve and faced rebellion. The young emir set out to expand his holdings. By 1497, he had conquered the famous Silk Road oasis city of Samarkand.
He conquered Samarkand two years later, only to lose Fergana soon after. In his attempt to reconquer Fergana, he lost control of Samarkand. After losing Samarkand three times, Babur turned his attention to India. He defeated Ibrahim Lodi, Sultan of Delhi, at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 CE and founded the Mughal Empire.
Trying to attract followers to help him retake his father’s throne the homeless prince wandered Central Asia for three years. Babar had come to India originally from Farghana.
The determined young emir, Babur, had regained both cities by 1501, but the Uzbek ruler Shaibani Khan challenged him over Samarkand and dealt Babur’s forces a crushing defeat. This marked the end of Babur’s rule in what is now Uzbekistan.
For three years, the homeless prince wandered Central Asia, trying to attract followers to help him retake his father’s throne. Four years after Ibrahim Lodi’s rule, the Afghan nobility invited the Timurid Babur to come to the Delhi Sultanate and depose him.
Babur gathered an army and launched a siege on Kandahar. The Kandahar Citadel held out for much longer than Babur had anticipated. Important nobles and military men from the Delhi Sultanate such as Ibrahim Lodi’s uncle, Alam Khan, and the governor of Punjab allied themselves with Babur.
Babar fought three important battles in India — the battles of Panipat, Khanwa and Ghaghara and won all of them.
Babur’s army of 24,000—mostly cavalry—rode out against Sultan Ibrahim, who had 100,000 men and 1,000 war elephants. Babur had something that Lodi did not—guns. With superior tactics and firepower, Babur crushed Lodi’s army, killing the sultan and 20,000 of his men. Lodi’s fall signaled the beginning of the Mughal Empire (also known as the Timurid Empire) in India.
The First Battle of Panipat marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire in India. Consequent of the Battle of Panipat in 1526, Babur became the ruler of Delhi and Agra. The battles of Panipat and Khanwa had cemented Babur’s position as Delhi’s indisputable monarch, but he had had to face the remaining Afghan leaders. After his brother, Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, was killed in the 2nd Battle of Panipat in 1526, Mahmud Lodi crowned himself the true Sultan of Delhi.
The Rajputs put up a spirited defense against this new Muslim. But Babur soon faced opposition from Rana Sanga of Mewar who considered Babur a foreigner and challenged him. Babur successfully defeated the Rana at the Battle of Khanwa. Bihar was also conquered by his forces.
The Battle of Khanua was fought between Babur and the Rajput kings who rallied behind Rana Sangha, the ruler of Mewad. Babur, with the help of artillery, decimated his opponents and expanded his territories. After his defeat and flight in the Battle of Khanwa in 1527, his title was jeopardized. Mahmud Lodi asked his Afghan kin in the east for help.
Ghaghara is a town in Bihar named after the Ghaghara River, which runs through the state. Shortly after the Battle of Panipat (1526) and the Battle of Khanwa (1527) The Battle of Ghagra was fought between Babur and the Afghans in 1529 AD.
The battle of Ghaghara was Babur’s last. He strengthened his control and established an administrative structure in his new Empire employing jagirs (Estates) to give to loyal nobles and associates.
Apart from being a gifted poet and a lover of nature, Babur was ambitious ruler. It is said that he was so strong and fit that he could carry two men, one on each of his shoulders, and then climb slopes on the run.
Although physically fit and strong, he died at an early age of 47 in 1530. His eldest son, Humayun succeeded him. Babur’s death at such an early age is a mystery and there are multiple theories about his death. Also he was first buried in Agra but, as per his wishes, his mortal remains were moved to Kabul and reburied in Bagh-e Babur in Kabul sometime between 1539 and 1544.
Humayun was very dear to Babur. Once he fell severely ill and his health worsened. He did all that was within his might to try to cure his son but there was no progress in his condition. Finally, people suggested that he should seek the help of god. “Offer something to the god in return for the life of his son”, they told.
Babur didn’t want to see his son dying in front of him. He loved his son so much that he decided to offer his life instead. According to Humayun’s sister Gulbadan Begum, after taking three circles of the bed, Humayun’s health started to get better. But at the other end, the health of Babur started to deteriorate.
Over the next few weeks, Humayun started to restore his health while Babur who was completely sound, his health started deteriorating. It went from bad to worse and he eventually died on December 26, 1530.
One theory about Babur’s death is that Dilawar Begum, Lodi’s mother poisoned Babur to avenge the death of her son. Babur had not killed Dilawar Begum. He had spared her life and let her stay in his own palace.
(The writer has a Masters in Adult Education from Jamia Milia Islamia. She has many years teaching experience at the school level as also ten years of experience in book publishing and some published writing in newspapers and more students’ books. Lakshmi has retired and lives in Hyderabad.)
