Around the turn of the sixteenth century,the Islamic World looked very different than it had in the days of the Golden Age. The Abbasid Caliphate had declined and beendestroyed by the Mongols. Muslim Spain existed only in memory as thelast Muslim stronghold of Granada fell a century earlier. Egypt was no longer the home of the Fatimids,it was now controlled by a slave soldier dynasty called the Mamluks. Constantinople had fallen to the Ottomanswho had broken into Eastern Europe.
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Babur, the Founder of the Mughal Empire |
Iran had just come under the control of aShia dynasty known as the Safavids. However, our story starts a bit north of Iranin a remote valley called Fergana where a Timurid prince, who felt down on his luck,was unaware of where that luck would take him.
Timur’s great and vast empire had declinedreally quickly after his death. His former empire had broken into many pieces,most of which were picked up by the Safavids who formed their heartland in Iran. There were still a bunch of Timurid princeslurking around ruling a city or two.
One of those princes was Umar Sheikh MirzaII who ruled over the Fergana Valley. Ruled is a very generous term here. Still, he wasn’t half bad but his luck,as it turns out, was pretty bad. He died in an accident in 1494 leaving hisrealm to his eleven-year-old son, Zahir ad-Din Muhammad Babur. Babur was born around 1483 and was a descendant,like mentioned, of Timur on his father’s side but he was also a descendant of GenghisKhan on his mother’s side. However, this wonderful pedigree didn’tdo him much good at the time. At first, it seemed that Babur had been servedmore than he could handle.
He was, after all, merely a child. He still seemed too eager to rule and hisrelatives including his uncles began plotting against him to install his younger more-controllablebrother on the throne. Eager to prove himself, Zahir invaded andcaptured Samarkand when he was only fifteen. Samarkand was the great capital of the TimuridEmpire so this was indeed a great victory. However, it was short-lived. While at Samarkand, one of his rivals madea bid for Fergana and snatched it. When he went to confront him, Samarkand wasconquered by another rival. Babur became homeless and wandered aroundlooking for supporters. He made another attempt at capturing Samarkandbut was pushed back by Shaybani Khan, the Uzbek conqueror who was quickly uniting CentralAsia under his rule.
It’s said that Babur’s situation was sodire that wandering through the mountains, he and his 300 men only had one tent whichwas used by his mother. Babur found a little luck when he wanderedinto modern-day Afghanistan. Kabul was a rather important city but it wasruled by a very unpopular and weak usurper. Babur found his opening and attacked the city. He was able to capture it rather easily. From Kabul, he was able to build an army. Kabul was the link between North India andthe rest of the world. Many commodities, especially war horses fromCentral Asia, traveled to India THROUGH Kabul so, Babur was in a very advantageous position. In 1505, he led his first raid into Indiawhich found quite a bit of success. North India, at the time, was ruled by theAfghan Lodi dynasty.
It would prove to be the last of the DelhiSultanate dynasties. Sultan Sikander Lodi was a rather effectiveruler and a direct confrontation with him could have ended Babur’s ambitious Timuridkingdom at Kabul. Hence, Babur preoccupied himself with CentralAsian affairs. Herat had been a vital city for the Timuridsand a Timurid prince did control it but in 1506, the last Timurid ruler of Herat diedand Shaybani Khan of the Uzbeks invaded. Babur’s sister, and only full sibling, Khanzadawas in the city at the time. Shaybani took her prisoner and forced herto marry him. This was insulting to the Timurids.
Babur was now the last ruling Timurid prince. All the deposed princes now united behindBabur, seeing him as the only way to survive. Babur was so proud of his recent achievementsin Kabul and India that he took the Persian title of Padishah, the Supreme Ruler. Meanwhile, the conquest of Herat by Shaybanihad made Shah Ismail of the Safavids worry. This resulted in a clash between the two giantsin 1510. The Safavids came out on top and Shaybaniended up in the ground. Ismail took Herat and rescued Babur’s sister. Babur was grateful to the Safavid Shah andsaw a lot of potential in an alliance.
However, Ismail, being the more powerful ofthe two, demanded subservience and at least apparent conversion to Shi’ism by Babur. Babur did both, even though he was humiliated. Ismail helped him take Samarkand but its peoplerejected Babur on account of him, apparently, being Shia. Babur gave up on his ambition to unite CentralAsia and started looking, again, to India.
This time, his intention wasn’t to plunderbut rather conquer. He began gathering resources and men. In 1517, Sultan Sikander Lodi died and hisunpopular son Ibrahim Lodi ascended to the throne. Ibrahim quickly alienated the old establishmentand replaced them with younger but loyal men. This old establishment invited Babur to invade. Babur, seeing this as a golden opportunity,invaded India in 1525 at the age of forty-two.
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