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Babur|FounderoftheMughalDynasty

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Babur, Founder of the Mughal Empire

ByKallieSzczepanski

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UpdatedDecember16,2014.

WhenBabursweptdownoutofthe
valleysofCentralAsiatoconquerIndia,
hewasonlyoneofalonglineofsuch
conquerorsthroughhistory.However,his
descendants,theMughalemperors,built
alonglastingempirethatruledmuchof
thesubcontinentuntil1868,andthat
continuestoimpactthecultureofIndiato
thisday.
Itseemsappropriatethatthefounderof
suchamightydynastywouldhimselfbe
descendedfromgreatbloodlines.Babur's
pedigreeseemstohavebeenspecifically
designedforthejob.Onhisfather'sside,
hewasaTimurid,aPersianizedTurk
descendedfromTimurtheLame.Onhis
mother'sside,Baburwasdescendedfrom
GenghisKhan.

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Childhood:

TheEmperorBabur,whofoundedtheMughal
DynastyinIndia.viaWikipedia

AboutToday

ZahiruddinMuhammad,nicknamed
"Babur"or"Lion,"wasbornintothe
TimuridroyalfamilyinAndijan,nowinUzbekistan,onFebruary23,1483.
Hisfather,UmarSheikhMirza,wastheEmirofFerghanahismother,
QutlaqNigarKhanum,wastheMoghulikingYunusKhan'sdaughter.
BythetimeofBabur'sbirth,theremainingMongoldescendantsinwestern
CentralAsiahadintermarriedwithTurkicandPersianpeoples,and
assimilatedintolocalculture.

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TheywerestronglyinfluencedbyPersia(usingFarsiastheirofficialcourt
language),andtheyhadconvertedtoIslam.Mostfavoredthemystic
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SufisminfusedstyleofSunniIslam.
BaburTakestheThrone:
In1494,theEmirofFerghanadiedsuddenly,and11yearoldBabur
ascendedhisfather'sthrone.Hisseatwasanythingbutsecure,however,
withnumerousunclesandcousinsplottingtoreplacehim.
Evidentlyawarethatagoodoffenseisthebestdefense,theyoungemirset
outtoexpandhisholdings.By1497,hehadconqueredthefamousSilk
RoadoasiscityofSamarkand.Whilehewasthusengaged,however,his
unclesandothernoblesroseinrebellionbackinAndijan.WhenBabur
turnedtodefendhisbase,heonceagainlostcontrolofSamarkand.
Thedeterminedyoungemirhadregainedbothcitiesby1501,buttheUzbek
rulerShaibaniKhanchallengedhimoverSamarkand,anddealtBabur's
forcesacrushingdefeat.ThismarkedtheendofBabur'sruleinwhatisnow
Uzbekistan.
ExileinAfghanistan:
Forthreeyears,thehomelessprincewanderedCentralAsia,tryingto
attractfollowerstohelphimretakehisfather'sthrone.Finally,in1504,he
andhissmallarmylookedtothesoutheastinstead,marchingoverthe
snowboundHinduKushmountainsintoAfghanistan.Babur,now21years
old,besiegedandconqueredKabul,creatingabaseforhisnewkingdom.
Everoptimistic,BaburwouldallyhimselfwiththerulersofHeratandPersia,
andtrytotakebackFerganain15101511.Oncemore,however,the
UzbeksutterlydefeatedtheMoghularmy,drivingthembacktoAfghanistan.
Thwarted,Baburbegantolooksouthoncemore.
InvitationtoReplaceLodi:
In1521,aperfectopportunityforsouthernexpansionpresenteditselfto
Babur.ThesultanoftheDelhiSultanate,IbrahimLodi,washatedand
reviledbyhisordinarycitizensandthenobilityalike.Hehadshakenupthe
militaryandcourtranks,installinghisownfollowersinplaceoftheold
guard,andruledthelowerclasseswithanarbitraryandtyrannicalstyle.
AfterjustfouryearsofLodi'srule,theAfghannobilityweresofedupwith
himthattheyinvitedtheTimuridBaburtocometotheDelhiSultanateand
deposeIbrahimLodi.
Naturally,Baburwasquitehappytocomply.Hegatheredanarmy,and
launchedasiegeonKandahar.TheKandaharCitadel,however,heldoutfor
muchlongerthanBaburhadanticipated.Asthesiegedraggedon,however,
importantnoblesandmilitarymenfromtheDelhiSultanatesuchasIbrahim
Lodi'suncle,AlamKhan,andthegovernorofPunjaballiedthemselveswith
Babur.
FirstBattleofPanipat:
Fiveyearsafterhisinitialinvitationintothesubcontinent,Baburfinally
launchedanalloutassaultontheDelhiSultanateandIbrahimLodiinApril
of1526.OntheplainsofPunjab,Babur'sarmyof24,000,mostlyhorse
cavalry,rodeoutagainstSultanIbrahim,whohad100,000menand1,000
warelephants.AlthoughBaburappearedtobeterriblyoutmatched,hehad
afarmorecohesivecommand...andguns.IbrahimLodihadnone.
Thebattlethatfollowed,nowcalledtheFirstBattleofPanipat,markedthe
falloftheDelhiSultanate.Withsuperiortacticsandfirepower,Babur
crushedLodi'sarmy,killingthesultanand20,000ofhismen.Lodi'sfall
signalledthebeginningoftheMughalEmpire(alsoknownastheTimurid
Empire)inIndia.
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RajputWars:
1

Babur|FounderoftheMughalDynasty

Babur,Founderofthe
TheFirstBattleof
TheMughalEmpire
2 Panipat
3 inIndia
BaburhadovercomehisfellowMuslimsintheDelhiSultanate(andof
MughalEmpire

TimurorTamerlane

TimelineofIndia's
MughalEmpire

course,mostwerehappytoacknowledgehisrule),butthemainlyHindu
Rajputprinceswerenotsoeasilyconquered.Unlikehisancestor,Timur,
BaburwasdedicatedtotheideaofbuildingapermanentempireinIndia
hewasnomereraider.HedecidedtobuildhiscapitalatAgra.TheRajputs,
however,putupaspiriteddefenseagainstthisnew,Muslim,wouldbe
overlordfromthenorth.
KnowingthattheMughalarmywasweakenedaftertheBattleofPanipat,
theprincesofRajputanagatheredanarmyevenlargerthanLodi'shad
been,andwenttowarbehindRanaSangamofMewar.InMarchof1527,at
theBattleofKhanwa,Babur'sarmymanagedtodealtheRajputsahuge
defeat.TheRajputswereundaunted,however,andbattlesandskirmishes
continuedalloverthenorthernandeasternsectionsofBabur'sempirefor
thenextseveralyears.
DeathofBabur:
Intheautumnof1530,Baburfellill.Hisbrotherinlawconspiredwithsome
oftheMughalcourtnoblestoseizethethroneafterBabur'sdeath,by
passingHumayun,Babur'seldestsonandappointedheir.Humayunhurried
toAgratodefendhisclaimtothethrone,butsoonfellgravelyillhimself.
Accordingtolegend,BaburcriedouttoGodtospareHumayun'slife,
offeringhisowninreturn.Soon,theemperoroncemoregrewweak.
OnJanuary5,1531,Baburdiedattheageofjust47.Humayun,22years
old,inheritedaricketyempire,besetbyinternalandexternalenemies.Like
hisfather,Humayunwouldlosepowerandbeforcedintoexile,onlyto
returnandrestakehisclaimtoIndia.Bytheendofhislife,hehad
consolidatedandexpandedtheempire,whichwouldreachitsheightunder
hisson,AkbartheGreat.
Baburlivedadifficultlife,alwaysbattlingtomakeaplaceforhimself.Inthe
end,however,heplantedtheseedononeoftheworld'sgreatempires.
Himselfadevoteeofpoetryandgardens,Babur'sdescendantswouldraise
allkindsofartstotheirapogeeduringtheirlongreign.TheMughalEmpire
lasteduntil1868,whenitfelltothecolonialBritishRaj.

Related
HorsesorElephants:WhoWontheFirstBattleofPanipat?
LearnAboutMughalRuleinIndiaover300Years
HistoryoftheDelhiSultanates
3GunpowderEmpiresofAsia|Ottoman,Safavid,andMughalDynasties

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AsianHistory

TheHistoryofWarinAsia

The First Battle of Panipat

April21,1526

ByKallieSzczepanski
UpdatedJune11,2015.

Trumpeting,theireyeswidewithpanic,
theelephantsturnedbackandcharged
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Babur|FounderoftheMughalDynasty

intotheirowntroops,crushingscoresof
menunderfoot.Theiropponentshad
broughtaterrifyingnewtechnologyto
bearsomethingtheelephantslikelyhad
neverheardbefore...

BackgroundtotheFirstBattleof
Panipat
India'sinvader,Babur,wasthescionof
thegreatCentralAsianconqueror
familieshisfatherwasadescendantof
Timur,whilehismother'sfamilytracedits
rootsbacktoGenghisKhan.

ThebattleofPanipat,ThebattleofPanipat
betweenthearmiesofBaburandIbrahimLodi
(1526).Anillustrationtothememoirsofthe
EmperorBabur.ImagetakenfromVaqi'atiBaburi.
Originallypublished/producedinIndia,c.1590.
AuthorBabur,IllustratedbyDeoGujarati.British
Library/RobanaviaGettyImages

Hisfatherdiedin1494,andthe11year
oldBaburbecametherulerofFarghana
(Fergana),inwhatisnowtheborderarea
betweenAfghanistanandUzbekistan.
However,hisunclesandcousinsfought
Baburforthethrone,forcinghimto
abdicatetwice.Unabletoholdonto
FarghanaortakeSamarkand,theyoung
princegaveuponthefamilyseat,turning
southtocaptureKabulinsteadin1504.
Baburwasnotsatisfiedforlongwithruling
overKabulandthesurroundingdistricts
alone,however.

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Throughouttheearlysixteenthcentury,hemadeseveralincursions
northwardintohisancestrallands,butneverwasabletoholdthemforlong.
Discouraged,by1521,hehadsethissightsonlandsfurthertothesouth
instead:Hindustan(India),whichwasundertheruleoftheDelhiSultanate
andSultanIbrahimLodi.
TheLodidynastywasactuallythefifthandfinaloftheDelhiSultanate's
rulingfamiliesduringthelatemedievalperiod.TheLodifamilywereethnic
PashtunswhotookcontroloveralargesectionofnorthernIndiain1451,
reunifyingtheareaafterTimur'sdevastatinginvasionin1398.
IbrahimLodiwasaweakandtyrannicalruler,dislikedbythenobilityand
commonersalike.Infact,thenoblefamiliesoftheDelhiSultanante
despisedhimtosuchadegreethattheyactuallyinvitedBaburtoinvade!
TheLodirulerwouldhavetroublepreventinghistroopsfromdefectingto
Babur'ssideduringthefighting,aswell.
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BattleForcesandTactics
Babur'sMughalforcesconsistedofbetween13,000and15,000men,
mostlyhorsecavalry.Hissecretweaponwas20to24piecesoffield
artillery,arelativelyrecentinnovationinwarfare.
ArrayedagainsttheMughalswereIbrahimLodi's30,000to40,000soldiers,
plustensofthousandsofcampfollowers.Lodi'sprimaryweaponofshock
andawewashistroopofwarelephantsnumberinganywherefrom100to
1,000trainedandbattlehardenedpachyderms,accordingtodifferent
sources.
IbrahimLodiwasnotacticianhisarmysimplymarchedoutina
disorganizedblock,relyingonsheernumbersandtheaforementioned
elephantstooverwhelmtheenemy.Babur,however,employedtwotactics
unfamiliartoLodi,whichturnedthetideofthebattle.
Thefirstwastulughma,dividingasmallerforceintoforwardleft,rearleft,
forwardright,rearright,andcenterdivisions.Thehighlymobilerightandleft
divisionspeeledoutandsurroundedthelargerenemyforce,drivingthem
towardsthecenter.Atthecenter,Baburarrayedhiscannons.Thesecond
tacticalinnovationwasBabur'suseofcarts,calledaraba.Hisartilleryforces
wereshieldedbehindarowofcartswhichweretidetogetherwithleather
ropes,topreventtheenemyfromgettingbetweenthemandattackingthe
artillerymen.ThistacticwasborrowedfromtheOttomanTurks.

TheBattleofPanipat
AfterconqueringthePunjabregion(whichtodayisdividedbetween
northernIndiaandPakistan),BaburdroveontowardDelhi.Earlyonthe
morningofApril21,1526,hisarmymettheDelhisultan'satPanipat,nowin
HaryanaState,about90kilometersnorthofDelhi.
Usinghistulughmaformation,BaburtrappedtheLodiarmyinapincher
motion.HethenusedhiscannonstogreateffecttheDelhiwarelephants
hadneverheardsuchaloudandterriblenoise,andthespookedanimals
turnedaroundandranthroughtheirownlines,crushingLodi'ssoldiersas
theyran.Despitetheseadvantages,thebattlewasaclosecontestgiventhe
DelhiSultanate'soverwhelmingnumericalsuperiority.
Asthebloodyencounterdraggedontowardmidday,however,moreand
moreofLodi'ssoldiersdefectedtoBabur'sside.Finally,thetyrannical
sultanofDelhiwasabandonedbyhissurvivingofficers,andlefttodieon
thebattlefieldfromhiswounds.TheMughalupstartfromKabulhad
prevailed.

TheAftermathoftheBattle
AccordingtotheBaburnama,EmperorBabur'sautobiography,theMughals
killed15,000to16,000oftheDelhisoldiers.Otherlocalaccountsputthe
totallossesatcloserto40,000or50,000.OfBabur'sowntroops,some
4,000werekilledinthebattle.Thereisnorecordoftheelephants'fate.
TheFirstBattleofPanipatisacrucialturningpointinthehistoryofIndia.
AlthoughitwouldtaketimeforBaburandhissuccessorstoconsolidate
controloverthecountry,thedefeatoftheDelhiSultanatewasamajorstep
towardstheestablishmentoftheMughalEmpire,whichwouldruleIndia
untilitwasdefeatedinturnbytheBritishRajin1868.
TheMughalpathtoempirewasnotsmooth.Indeed,Babur'ssonHumayan
losttheentirekingdomduringhisreign,butwasabletoregainsome
territorybeforehisdeath.TheempirewastrulysolidifiedbyBabur's
grandson,AkbartheGreatlatersuccessorsincludedtheruthless
AurangzebandShahJahan,thecreatoroftheTajMahal.
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Sources:
Babur,EmperorofHindustan,trans.WheelerM.Thackston.The
Baburnama:MemoirsofBabur,PrinceandEmperor,NewYork:Random
House,2002.
Davis,PaulK.100DecisiveBattles:FromAncientTimestothePresent,
Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.
Roy,Kaushik.India'sHistoricBattles:FromAlexandertheGreattoKargil,
Hyderabad:OrientBlackSwanPublishing,2004.

Related
Babur,FounderoftheMughalEmpire
HistoryoftheDelhiSultanates
LearnAboutMughalRuleinIndiaover300Years
3GunpowderEmpiresofAsia|Ottoman,Safavid,andMughalDynasties

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