Babur Biography

He was born as Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur on February 14, 1483, in the city of Andijan, Andijan Province, Fergana Valley, contemporary Uzbekistan, as the eldest son of Umar Sheikh Mirza, ruler of the Fergana Valley, and his wife Qutlugh Nigar Khanum.

Babur proved to be an ambitious young man and nurtured a desire to capture the city of Samarkand to the west. He besieged Samarkand in 1497, and eventually gained control over it. He was just 15, at the time of this conquest. However, due to continued rebellions and conflicts, he lost control over Samarkand after just 100 days and also lost Fergana.

He laid siege on Samarkand again in 1501, but was defeated by his most formidable rival, Muhammad Shaybani, khan of the Uzbeks. Unable to attain Samarkand, he then attempted to reclaim Fergana but again met with failure. He somehow escaped with his life and took refuge with hill tribes, living in exile for some time.

By 1505, he had set his eyes upon conquering territories in India. However, it would take him several more years before he was able to build a formidable army and finally launch an attack on the Delhi Sultanate.

He marched into Delhi via Sirhind in early 1526, and reached Panipat in April the same year. There he was confronted by Ibrahim Lodi’s army of about 100,000 soldiers and 100 elephants which outnumbered his own. A shrewd and skilled warrior, Babur utilized the tactic of “Tulugma”, encircling Ibrahim Lodi's army and forcing it to face artillery fire directly.

The Rajput ruler Rana Sanga considered Babur to be a foreigner and challenged his rule in India. This led to the Battle of Khanwa which was fought between Babur and Rana Sanga in March 1527. Rana Sanga was supported by Afghan chiefs in his opposition and fought bravely, but Babur went on to win the battle because of his superior generalship and use of modern warfare.

The First Battle of Panipat was the biggest battle that Babur fought. It started in April 1526, when Babur’s forces invaded the Lodi Empire in north India. This was one of the earliest battles involving gunpowder firearms and field artillery. The battle led to the death of Ibrahim Lodi and resulted in a decisive victory for Babur, enabling him to initiate the establishment of the Mughal Empire.

The Battle of Khanwa, which was fought near the village of Khanwa, was another one of Babur’s major battles. Rajput ruler Rana Sanga considered Babur to be a foreigner and opposed his rule in India. Thus he decided to drive out Babur and extend his own territories by annexing Delhi and Agra. However Rana’s plans failed miserably and his army was crushed by Babur’s forces.

He suffered from ill health during the last years of his life and died at the age of 47, on December 26, 1530. He was succeeded by his son, Humayun.