New Delhi: Babur was a warrior and a ruler who came from the distant Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley to India and changed the history of the subcontinent forever. He founded the Mughal Empire which changed the socio-economic fabric of India and left a lasting impact on the culture and heritage of this land.
The establishment of the empire was undoubtedly one of the key events in the history of our country, and the man who started it all died on December 26, 1530. Apart from founding the Mughal Empire, Babur also played a key role in introducing the firearms-related warfare in India, changing the dynamics of battles in this country.
Babur: The man who changed the narrative of Indian history
The life of Babur before coming to India was one of losses frequented by occasional gains and years in wilderness. Born as Zahir ud-Din Muhammad on February 14, 1483, in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley, Babur was the great-great-great-grandson of Timur. He lost his father at the age of 12 and became the ruler of Fergana. Two years later, he invaded Samarkand but soon lost Fergana. He tried to regain Fergana but lost Samarkhand and in 1501, failed to recapture both the regions. He conquered Kabul in 1504 and with the help of Safavid emperor Ismail I, he reconquered parts of Turkestan, including Samarkand but lost it again.
The establishment of Mughal Empire and change in mode of warfare in India
Losing Samarkhand forced Babur to turn his attention to India and he was invited by some of the officials of Ibrahim Lodi, who was the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate at that time to invade this country. Babur marched to India and entered via Punjab. On April 20, 1526, he and his army reached Panipat where the forces of Ibrahim Lodi was waiting for them.
With about 100,000 soldiers and 100 elephants, the army of the Delhi Sultan was far superior compared to that of Babur’s army. But Babur had one weapon up his sleeves which decided the outcome of the war: Cannons. The forces of Babur employed gunpowder firearms and cannons, sending the war elephants of Lodi on a rampage and winning the war decisively. In the Indian subcontinent, this was one of the earliest battles involving gunpowder arms, and was reportedly the first time when cannons were used in a battle in India. The use of gunpowder changed the complexion of battles in our country in subsequent years. By defeating Ibrahim Lodi, Babur established the Mughal Empire in India, which would last for more than 200 years and change the narrative of the Indian history.
Babur, a Timurid prince from Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley, founded the Mughal Empire in India. After a tumultuous early life marked by territorial conflicts, he decisively won the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, utilizing innovative gunpowder weaponry. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
