Babur - The Mughal Empire's Architect

the man immortalized in history as Babor was born on 15th of February 1483 in the principality of fana he was the creator and Emperor of the northern Indian mugal Dynasty Babor was a military Explorer a distinguished Soldier a brilliant poet and diarist a Statesman and a descendant of both the turky conqueror Timo Taman and the Mongol conqueror gengis Khan Babor came from the baras tribe of Mongol origin but isolated members of the tribe considered themselves Turks in language and Customs through long residence in Turkish regions hence Babor though called a mugal Drew most of his support from Turks and the Empire he founded was Turkish his family had become members of the chagatai clan by which name they are known he was fifth in male succession from Timur and 13th through the female line from genis Khan babur's father Umar shikh murza ruled the small principality of fan to the north of the Hindu Kush mountain range because there was no fixed law of succession among the Turks every prince of the IDS considered it his right to rule the whole of timor's dominions those territories were vast and hence the prince's claims led to unending Wars the timid princes moreover considered themselves Kings by profession their business being to rule others without observing too precisely whether any particular region had formed a part of timur's Empire babur's father true to that tradition spent his life trying to recover timur's old capital of Samar cand now in usbekistan and babur followed in his footsteps the qualities needed to succeed in that dynastic Warfare were the ability to inspire loyalty and Devotion to manage the turbulent factions often caused by Family feuds and to draw revenue from the trading and agricultural classes babour eventually mastered them all but he was also a commander of genius for 10 years 1494 1504 Babor sought to recover samarcand and twice occupied it briefly in 1497 and 1501 but Muhammad Shaban Khan a descendant of Genghis Khan and ruler of the USCS beyond the jatis river had an opponent more powerful than even his closest relatives in 1501 babo was decisively defeated at sari pole and within 3 years had lost both Sam arand and his Prin IP ality of ferana there was always hope at that time however for a prince with engaging qualities and strong leadership abilities in 1504 babo seized Cal with his followers maintaining himself there against all rebellions and intrigues his last unsuccessful attempt on Samaran 1511 to2 induced him to give up a futile Quest and concentrate on expansion elsewhere in 1522 when he was already turning his attention to Sy now a province in Pakistan and India he finally secured Kandahar a strategic site on the road to sind when Babor made his first raid into India in 1519 the Punjab region was part of the dominions of Sultan Ibraham lder of Delhi but the governor daat Khan LOD resented Ibraham attempts to diminish his authority by 1524 babour had invaded the Punjab three more times but was unable to master the Tangled course of Punjab and Delhi politics sufficiently enough to achieve a firm foothold yet it was clear that the Delhi sultanate was involved in contentious quarreling and ripe for overthrow after mounting a fullscale attack there Babor was recalled by an USC attack on his cabul kingdom but a joint request for help from Alam Khan Ibraham uncle and daet Khan encouraged Babor to attempt his Fifth and first successful raid setting out in November 1525 Babor met Ibraham at pan P 80 km north of Delhi on April 21st 1526 babu's Army was estimated at no more than 12,000 but they were seasoned followers Adept at Cavalry tactics and were aided by new artillery acquired from the ottoman Turks Ibraham Army was said to number 100,000 with 100 elephants but its tactics were Antiquated and it was dissentious babua won the battle by coolness Under Fire his use of artillery and effective Turkish Wheeling tactics on a divided dispirited enemy Ibraham was killed in battle with his usual speed Babor occupied Delhi 3 days later and reached Agra on May 4th his first action there was to lay out a garden now known as the ram bag by the yamuna river that brilliant success must have seemed at the time to be of little difference from one of his former forays on samand his small Force burdened by the oppressive weather and located 1300 km from their base at Kabal was surrounded by powerful foes all down the Ganges River Valley were militant Afghan Chiefs in disarray but with formidable military potential to the South were the kingdoms of malwa and Gujarat both with extensive resources while in rajastan Rana of mayir was head of a powerful Confederacy threatening the whole Muslim position in Northern India babur's first problem was that his followers suffering from the Heat and disheartened by the Hostile surroundings wished to return home as timour had done by employing threats reproaches promises and appeals vividly described in his Memoirs Babor diverted them he then dealt with Rana s who when he found that Babu was not retiring as his Turkish ancestor had done Advanced with an estimated 100,000 horses and 500 elephants with most of the neighboring strongholds still held by his foes Babor was was virtually surrounded he sought Divine favor by abjuring liquor breaking the wine vessels and pouring the wine down a well his followers responded both to that act and his stirring exhortations and stood their ground at carua 60 km west of Agra on March 16th 1527 Babor used his customary tactics a barrier of wagons for his center with gaps for the artillery and for Cavalry sallyes and Wheeling Cavalry Charges on the wings the artillery stampeded the elephants and the flank charges bewildered The rajputs Who after 10 hours broke never to Rally under a single leader again babour now had to deal with the defiant Afghans to the east who had captured luau while he was facing Rana other Afghans had rallied to Sultan ibrahim's brother Mahmud LOD who had occupied Bihar there were also rajput Chiefs still defying him principally the ruler of chander after capturing that Fortress in Janu ar ar 1528 Babor turned to the east crossing the Ganges he drove the Afghan captor of luau into Bengal he then turned on Mahmud ladu whose Army was scattered in babur's third great victory that of the gagara where that River joins the Ganges on May 6th 1529 artillery was again decisive helped by the skillful handling of boats Babor dominions were now secure from Kandahar to the borders of Bengal with a Southern limit marked by the rajut desert and the forts of ranmore guia and chander within that great area however there was no settled Administration only a conju of quarreling chiefs an Empire had been gained but still had to be pacified and organized it was thus a precarious Heritage that Babor passed on to his son humayun in 1530 when humayun became deathly ill babour is said to have offered his life to God in exchange for humayun walking seven times around the bed to complete The Vow humayun recovered babur's Health declined and Babor died the same year