Zahir ud Din Muhammad Babur

BABUR ( 1483 – 1530)

Early career :-

Zahir ud Din Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughal rule in India was born of February 14, 1483 at Farghana. He was a direct descendent of Timur who had invaded India in 1398 while through his mother he was connected with the great Mongol conquerer Chingiz Khan. He inherited from his father the small principality of Farghana when he was only eleven years old. His early life was full of difficulties which however proved to be blessing in disguise by training him adequately to fight in future life. Samarqand the capital of Timur had great fascination for Babur but his two attempts to take possession of imself n in 1497 and 1503 ended in failure. He even lost farghana and had to spend his days as homeless wanderer for about a year. Taking advantage of political chaos in imse he occupied it in 1504 AD. With the help of shah of Persia ( Ismail Safavi) Babur once again tried to occupy Samarq and in 1511 but failed. Bein thus un-successful in all his attempts in the North West he thought of imself n his ambitions in the South East but he had to wait for 12 years before he could find a proper opportunity to give effect to his scheme. 

Conquest of India :- 

Being an ambitious man Babur could not remain contented with the kingdom of imse for long. He led as many as five expeditions to India. It was the fifth expedition that brought him luck. 

Babur led his first expedition in January 1519. He besieged and took the Indian town of Bajaur in the Frontier. 

In September 1519 Babur again turned towards India, acquired control over Peshwar and converted it into base camp for onward march. 

In 1520 Babur undertook his third expedition to India and occupied Sialkot without much difficulty. During the next two years he engaged himself in an enterprises against Shah Beg Arghun and in 1522 succeeded in acquiring the fort of Kandhar. Babur now felt secure as the Fort of Kandhar was in his possession. 

At this time opportunity came to Babur when he was invited to India by discontented party, Daulat Khan Lodhi the most powerful noble of the Punjab and Alam Khan an uncle of Ibrahim Khan Lodhi sought Babur to help to fight against Ibrahim Lodhi. India was then distracted by ambitions, rivalries and dis-affection of nobles and the Delhi sultanate existed only in name. 

Babur, a man of adventurous spirit at once responded to the call which presented him an excellent opportunity for giving effect to his long cherished ambition. This was his fourth expedition in which he occupied Lahore in 1524 such occupation was not what Daulat Khan desired. He had hoped that Babur would retire after a raid leaving the field clear for him and so he turned against him. Alam Khan also joined hands with him. Babur had to retire to Kabul to collect re-enforcements. 

Fifth expedition (1525-1526) :- 

Determinded to strike once more Babur issued fourth from Kabul in November 1525 and soon re-occupied the Punjab. Daulat Khan Lodhi submitted to Babur. The conquest of Delhi was however, a more difficult task. Most of the soldiers and officers of Daulat Khan Lodhi joined the ranks of Babur. Babur got rid of all the selfseeking afghan nobles of the Punjab. He received messages of support from disaffected and opportunists nobles of Ibrahim’s court. About this time Rana Sangha of Mewar is also said to have sent him an invitation for a joint invasion of Delhi. Babur felt encouraged to receive such message. Ibrahim Lodhi was also preparing himself to meet the challenge. 

The Battle of Panipat :- (21 April,1526) :- 

Babur marched upon Delhi via Sirhind and reached Panipat a village near Delhi Where the fate of India has been thrice decided. He took up a position which was stragically highly advantegous. 

Sultan Ibrahim also reached panipat at the head of a large Army. Babur had an army of 12000 men while the forces of Ibrahim were immensely superior in number one lakh according to Babur’s extimate. 

The two armies faced each other for eight days but neither side took the offensive. At last Babur’s patience was tired out and he resolved on prompt action. During the night of the 20th April Babur sent out 4 to 5 thousand of his men to night attack on the afghan camp which failed in its object but provoked Ibrahim Lodhi. 

He ordered his army to advance for an attack. On approaching close to Babur’s lines he found the enemy entrenched, showing no sign of movement. He suddenly grew nervous and ordered his army to halt; this created confusion in his ranks. Babur took advantage of the confusion and took up the offensive. The battle was thus joined on April 21st 1526. Ibrahim’s soldiers fought valiantly but stood no chance of success in the face of Babur’s artillery and superior war tactics. Within a few hours about 15 to 16 thousand soldiers lay dead along with their leader ibrahim Lodhi. 

The results :- The first battle of Panipat occupies a place of great important in the history of medieval India. The military power of the Lodhis was completedly shattered. It led to the foundation of the Mughal empire in India. As far as Babur was concerned Panipat marks the end of the second stage of his project of the conquest of Northern India. Though after his victory he became king of Delhi and Agra yet his real work was to begin after Panipat. He had to encounter a few formidable enemies before he could become king of Hindustan but Panipat gave him a valid claim to its sovereignity. 

Causes of Babur’s success:- 

Causes of Babur’s success in the battle are not far to seek. Babur was seasoned General whereas Ibrahim was a head strong, inexperienced youth. As Babur remarks he was ‘an inexperienced man, careless in his movements, who marched without order, halted or retired without method and engaged without foresight.’ 

Babur was the master of a highly evolved system of warfare which was the result of a scientific synthesis of the tactics of the several Central Asian people. While Ibrahim fought according to the old system then in existence in the country. 

Babur had a park of artillery consisting of big guns and small muskets while Ibrahim’s soldiers were absolutely innocent of its use. 

Ibrahim did not get the backing of his people which weakened his power. Moreover his army was organised on clannish basis. The troops lacked the qualities of trained and skilful soldiers. Babur was right when he recorded in his diary that the Indian soldiers knew how to die and not how to fight. On the other hand Babur’s army was well trained and disciplined and shared the ambition of conquering rich Hindustan. 

Post Panipat Problems :- 

The victory at Panipat was quickly followed by Babur’s  occupation of Delhi and Agra. On 27th April 1526 Kutba was read in the name of Babur in Delhi and alms were distributed to the poors and the needy. Offerings were sent to the holy places in Mecca, Medina and Samarqand. But Babur’s real task began after Panipat. Taking advantage of the confusion that followed Ibrahim’s death many Afghan chiefs established them selves independent. Moreover as Babur proceeded towards Agra the people in the country side fied in fear and he could get provisions for his men and fodder for his animals with great difficulty. The soldiers and peasantry ran away in fear. People were busy in imself ng defences every where. Babur’s main task was to restore confidence among the people. Some of his own followers began to desert him on account of the hot climate of country. Babur showed his usual patience and strength of character and made it clear to them that he was determined to stay in India. With the result that most of them decided to sink of swim with their leader. The determination of Babur to stay In India was bound to bring him into conflict with the greatest Rajput ruler Rana Sangha of Mewar. 

Conflict with the Rajputs :- The Battle of Kanwah (March 16, 1527) 

The battle of Panipat had no doubt broken the back bone of the Afghan power in India yet a large number of the turk Afghan nobles were still at large. Bihar had become the centre of their power. But nearer the capital Babur had to face another threat to his newly conquered kingdom. This threat was posed by the Rajputs under their gallant leader Rana Sangha. He had once defeated the forces of Ibrahim Lodhi and was desirous of establishing Hindu rule in the country. On the eye of the battle of Panipat he had sent greetings to Babur but Babur’s decision to settle down in India dashed his hopes to ground and he began to prepare himself for a contest with the Mughals. 

Rana Sangha marched to Bayana. He was joined by some muslim supporters of the Lodhi dynasty. But all the afghan chiefs could not combine under the Rajputs and this made Babur’s task easy. The course of history might have taken a different turn if he had to encounter the united strength of the Hindus and the Muslims in India. Rana sangha was certainly a more formidable enemy than Ibrahim Lodhi. Babur as Lanepoole points out “was now to meet warriors of a higher type than any he had encountered. The Rajputs energetic, Chivalrous, fond of battle and bloodshed, animated by strong national spirit were ready to meet face to face boldest veterans of the camp and were at all times prepared to lay down their lives for their honour ,” 

Babur advanced to Sikri. The advance guard of Babur was defeated by the Rajputs and Babur’s small army was struck with terror. But Babur was indomitable and he atonce infused fresh courage and enthusiasm into the hearts of his soldiers. He broke his drinking cups, poured out all the liquor that he had with him on the ground and promised to give up wine for the rest of his life. He made a heroic appeal to them to fight together with faith in victory and god. This had its desired effect. All the officers swore by the Holy Quran to stand firm in this contest. The decisive battle was fought at Kanawha a village near Agra on 16th March, 1527. Once again by the use of similar tactics as at Panipat Babur won a decisive victory over the Rajputs. The Rana escaped but died broken hearted after about two years. 

Importance of the Battle of Kanwah :- 

This battle supplemented Babur’s work at panipat and it was certainly more decisive in its results. The defeat of the Rajputs deprived them of the opportunity to regain political ascendancy in the country for ever and facilitated Babur’s task in India and made possible the foundation of a new foreign rule. Rushbrook William is right when he says that before the battle Kanwah “the occupation of Hindustan might have looked upon as mere episode in Babur’s career of adventure; but from henceforth it becomes the keynote of his activities for the remainder of his life. His days of wandering in search of fortune are now passed away; the fortune is his and he has but to show himself worthy of it. And it is also significant of Babur’s grasp of vital issues that from henceforth the centre of gravity of his power is shifted from Kabul to Hindistan,” 

Thus within a year Babur had struck two decisive blows which shattered the powers of two great organised forces. The battle of Panipat had utterly ruined the Afghan power in India, the battle of Kanawha crushed the great Rajputs. 

Medini Rai the Rajput chief of Chanderi and a close associate of Rana Sangha had escaped from Kanawha. He took shelter in the fort of Chanderi with a contingent of about 5 thousand Rajputs. Babur besieged the fort and conquered it in January 1528. 

The Battle Of Gogra, May 1529 :- 

We have already noted that Babur had hurried to meet the Rajputs and thus had left the task of thorough subjugation of the Afghans incomplete. Now he was free to settle his scores with them, the Afghans of Bihar were led by Mahmud Lodhi, the younger brother of Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi, Babur met the Afghans in the battle of Gogra (near Patna) in may 1529 and wan an easy victory. 

Thus in these battles Babur had reduced Norther India to submission and became the ruler of a territory extending from Oxus to the Gogra and from Himalayas to Gwalior. 

But he was not destined to enjoy his hard won empire for long. The strain of continuous warfare, administrative liabilities and excessive drinking till the battle of Kanawha had bad effect on his health. He passed away on 26th December,1530 at the age of 47. His body was taken to Kabul and buried in one of his favorite gardens. 

Estimate of Babur :- 

Babur is one of the most interesting figures in the whole range of medieval history. V. A. Smith called him “the most brilliant Asiatic prince of his age and worthy of a high place among the sovereigns of any age or country………..” 

All his life he was struggling for glory and ultimately got the same. He possessed an indomitable will. As Lanepcole observes “He is a link between Central Asia and India, Between predatory hordes and imperial Government between Timur and Akbar.” He was a born leader of men and he enjoyed love and confidence of his soldiers. He maintained strong discipline in his ranks. 

Babur was a great empire builder as well. He had won an extensive empire by his own military prowess. His Indian possessions extended from the Himalayas in the North to Gwalior in the south and from Khyber pass in the North west to frontiers of Bengal in the East. 

During the four years that Babur spent in India he was busy only in conquest which alone are not sufficient to establish an empire. Administrative measures are necessary for consolidation of empire. Babur had hardly any time to enact new laws. Each kingdom, province, district and village was governed by its peculiar customs. There was no regular court of low for administration of justice. He accepted the existing decaded system and divided the country into fiefs which he distributed among the jagir-dars dependent upon himself. He could not build a sound financial system. Rushbrook William has rightly remarked Babur “ bequeathed to his son a monarchy which in times of peace was weak, structure less and invertebrate.” 

Babur himself was conscious of this shortcoming and the recorded in his Memoirs that he had no time to send proper persons to occupy and protect the different parganas and stations. Therefore it is as conqueror and not as an administrator that Babur may be considered to have laid the foundation of the Mughal empire in India. Lanepoole opines that Babur was only “a soldier of fortune and no architect of empire he yet laid the first stone of the splendid fabric which his grand son Akbar completed.” 

Babur was also a great scholar. He could write with ease both in Persian and Turki and like all cultured men of east practiced calligraphy. He has immortalized himself in his celebrated Memoirs. His Memois are first rate authority on his own career and history of his times. He would have been remembered in the world of letters and biography even if he had failed to conquer Hindustan.” Babur is “ as Lamepool observes,” perhaps the most captivating personality in oriental history and the fact that he is able to impart this charm to his own Memoirs is not the least of his titles to fame……….his place in biography and in literature is determined rather by his daring advertures and persevering efforts in his earlist days and by the delightful Memoirs in which he has related them. In his Memiors he has made a delightful record of his activity which is full of lifelike description of the countries he visited, their scenery, climate, conditions of people and accounts of even birds, animals, followers and fruits, Babur has been rightly called the prince of autobiographers. His Memoirs which occupy a high place in the history of World’s literature were translated into Persia during the reign of Akbar in 1590. It had been translated into several European languages particularly French and English.