Mughal Empire Part 1 (Babar, Humayun and entry of Sher Shah)

THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

The founder of Mughal Empire was Babar. He was a Turk and Sunni Muslim. He was a descendant of Taimur (from father’s side) and Changez Khan (from mother’s side). Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the first Battle of Panipat on april 21, 1526 and established the Mughal Dynasty.

Babar (1526-1530)

• Babar was born in 1483AD.
• His father, Umar Sheikh Mirza was a ruler of a small state called Fargana.
• Babar ascended the throne in 1494AD.
• Babar adopted the title of Badsha in 1507AD.
• Babar had 4 sons: Humayun, Kamran, Askari & Hindal.
• Babar invaded India Five times.
• First attack of Babar in India was against Yusufzai in 1519AD.
• Babar was invited to attack India by Daulat Khan Lodi (chief opponent of Ibrahim Lodi) and Rana Sanga.
• In the first Battle of Panipat Babar first adopted the system of Tuglama War and Topkhana.
• Babar was called Kalandar for his honesty.

Details of Some war fought by Babar

War	Year	Between	Result
1st Battle of Panipat	21st April, 1526	Ibrahim Lodi & Babar	Babar got Victory
Khanwa War	1527	Rana Sanga & Babar	Babar got Victory
Chanderi War	1528	Medini Ray & Babar	Babar got Victory
Ghaghra War	1529	Afghan & Babar	Babar got Victory

• After getting victory in Khanwa war Babar adopted the title of Ghazi.
• Babar died in 1530AD in Agra and was buried at Aram bag in Agra later his body was taken to Kabul and buried there.
• Babar wrote Autobiography Tuzk-e-Babri in Turki. It was translated in Persian by Abdur Rahim Khan-e-khana which was named Babarnama.
• He compiled 2 anthologies of poems;

1. Diwan (in Turki)
2. Mubaiyan (in Persian)

Humayun

• Nassir-Uddin-Humayun after his father (Babar) death in 1530 ascended the throne at the age of 23.
• After his father’s order he divided the whole empire into 4 divisions and distributed within his brothers.
• In 1533 Humayun founded a new city, Din Panah, on the bank of Yamuna River.
• In 1539 War of Chausa was fought between Sher Khan and Humayun where Humayun was defeated by Sher Khan.
• After this war Sher Khan adopted the title of Sher Shah.
• Bilgram (or Kannauj) war was fought in 1540 between Sher Khan & Humayun. Humayun was defeated again. After this war Humayun fled to sind in 1540 and passed nearly 15 years (1540-1555) in exile.
• Sher Shah easily captured Delhi and Agra.
• Humayun married Hamida Banu Begam in 1541.
• In 1551 Humayun defeated Suri ruler Sikandar and ascended the throne of Delhi.
• 4 battles were fought by Humayun:

1. Devra (1531AD)
2. Chausa(1539AD)
3. Bilgram(1540AD)
4. Sarhind(1555AD)

• He died in 1556AD, after falling from the staircase of his library in Dinpanha.
• Humayun Nama, the biography of Humayun was written by Gulbadan Begam.
• Humayun believed in Astrology.

Sher Shah (1540-1555)

• Sher Shah was the founder of Sur dynasty.
• Sher Shah was born in 1472 in Bajwara (Hoshiarpur).
• During childhood his name was Farid Khan.
• His father Hasan Khan was the Jamindar of Sasaram and belonged to the state of Jainpur, Bihar.
• Once Farid killed a mature tiger by a sword. Impressed by the valor of young Farid, Bahar Khan Lodi gave him the title of Sher Khan.
• Sher Shah ascended the throne of Delhi after the victory in Bilgram war in 1540.
• Sher Shah died in Kalinjar fort (Qila) in 1545 in an accidental gunpowder explosion while operating a weapon ‘Ukka’ during the fight against Chandel Rajputs.
• His tomb is situated at Sasaram (Bihar).
• Rohtasgadh Qila and Qila-E-Kuhna both Mosques were established by Sher Shah.
• He built Purana Qila in Delhi.
• He started the Kabuliyat and Patta system.
• He reconstructed Pataliputra (presently Patna) in 1541.
• He built the Grand Trunk Road (G.T.Road) from Calcutta to Peshawar.
• Sher Shah Suri was succeeded by his son, Jalal Khan who took the title of Islam Shah Suri.