Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
Naming of the Mughal Dynasty
Babur (Zahiruddin Muhammad)
• Founder of the Mughal Empire
• A descendant of two of the most famous warriors of Asia,
1. Timur from his father's side
2. Genghis Khan through his mother.
• Mughals called themselves Timurids.
• Europeans called them Mughals (word comes from Mongol)
Babur
• 1494: Babur became ruler of Farghana (in Uzbekistan) at age
12.
• He twice captured Samarqand but lost it to the Uzbek chief
Shaibani Khan.
• 1504: Babur moved to Kabul and spent 14 years trying to
reclaim his homeland.
• With Central Asia firmly under Uzbek control, Babur turned
his attention to India.
• Emergence of three dynasties in Central Asia and West Asia:
1. Uzbeks: Central Asia
2. Safavids: Iran
3. Ottomans: West Asia
Political situation in India favoured Babur's entry
• Lack of Political Unity
• Discontent of Afghans and Rajputs
• Rise of Regional Kigdom
Conquest of India
1518-19
• Babur conquered Bhira (Punjab)
• When Babur returned to Kabul, Daulat Khan occupied Bhira
and expelled Babur's agents posted there.
1520-21
• Babur captured Bhira and Sialkot
• Revolt at Qandhar forced Babur to return.
Invitations from India
• Babur received an embassy from Daulat Khan Lodi inviting
him to invade India and overthrow the unpopular Ibrahim
Lodi.
• A similar invitation likely came from
1. Rana Sanga (King of Mewar)
2. Alam Khan (Uncle of Ibrahim Lodi)
Master of Punjab
• In 1525, while at Peshawar, Babur learned that Daulat Khan
had switched sides.
• Babur defeated Daulat Khan and became the master of
Punjab.
First Battle of Panipat (1526)
• Ibrahim Lodi met Babur at Panipat.
• On 21 April 1526, Babur defeated the formidable forces of
Ibrahim Lodi with a numerically inferior army.
• Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodi, declared himself ruler and
started the Mughal Empire in India.
• Babur won this battle because of:
1. Tactics: Strategic positioning of his force
2. Technology: Effective use of artillery
Technology: Field artillery
• Sound of the cannon frightened Lodi’s elephants, causing
them to trample Lodi’s own men.
Tactics: Tulghuma and Araba
Tulghuma
• Dividing the whole army into various units, viz. Left, Right and
Centre.
• Through this, a small army could be used to surround the
enemy from all sides.
Araba
• Araba means cart
• The centre division was then provided with carts
(araba)nand tied to each other with ropes.
• Cannons were placed behind carts
• Soldiers with firearm were placed either on the flanks or
between the carts and provided continuous fire
• The guns and cannons could be fired without any fear of
being hit, as they were shielded by carts
Two Major Challenges
• Rana Sanga: Rajput ruler of Mewar
• Afghans (Afghan Chiefs): Eastern India
Battle of Khanwa (1527)
• Khanwa, near Agra
• Babur defeated Rana Sanga’s forces.
• During this battle, Rana Sanga's early victories demoralised
Babur's troops.
• To boost their morale, Babur declared the war a jihad.
• Babur assumed the title of Ghazi after the victory.
Battle of Chanderi (1528)
• Babur further strengthened his position by conquering forts
such as Gwalior and Dholpur and annexing parts of Alwar.
• In 1528, Babur defeated Medini Rai at Chanderi.
Battle of Ghagra (1529)
• Mahmud Lodi: Ibrahim Lodi’s brother
• Nusrat Shah: Ruler of Bengal and son-in-law of Ibrahim Lodi
• Conspired against Babur.
• Babur faced the combined forces of the Afghans and Nusrat
Shah of Bengal at the crossing of the river Ghagra in Bihar.
• Babur forced the Bengal and Afghan armies to retreat, but
couldn't secure a decisive victory.
• Babur made peace, claiming suzerainty over Bihar while
leaving it under Afghan chiefs.
• Shortly afterwards, Babur died near Lahore while on his way
to Kabul.
Architecture and Literature
Char Bagh
• Babur introduced the chahar bagh (char bagh)
• A Persian-style garden layout divided into four symmetrical
sections by artificial water channels.
Two Mosque
• Babur ordered the construction of the two mosques
1. Kabuli Bagh Mosque in Panipat
2. Sambhat Mosque in Rohilkhand
Babri Masjid:
• A mosque in Ayodhya was built in 1528 by Mir Baqi, a
commander of the Mughal emperor Babur.
Babur Nama
• Babur wrote his memoir, Tuzuk-i-Babri, in Turkish.
• Tuzuk-i-Babri was translated into the Persian Babur Nama by
Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan
Humayun (1530 – 1540 CE, 1555 – 1556)
Humayun (1530 – 1540 CE, 1555 – 1556)
• Humayun, the eldest son of Babur, succeeded Babur 1530
• Babur asked Humayun to treat his brothers kindly
• Humayun divided the empire among his brothers:
❖ Kamran was given Kabul and Kandahar
❖ Askari was given Sambhal
❖ Hindal was given Alwar and Mewat
Problems Faced by Humayun
• The administration was still unstable
• Finances were weak
• Hostile Brothers
• Strong Opposition of Sher Khan and Bahadur Shah
Hostile Brothers
Kamran
• Humayun gave Kabul and Qandhar to Kamran.
• Kamran was unsatisfied and seized Lahore and Multan.
Hindal
• Declared himself emperor when Humayun was in Bengal
Strong Opposition of Sher Khan and Bahadur Shah
Sher Khan
• Powerful Afghan chief from Bihar
• Challenging Mughal’s power in the region
• Fort of Chunar was in possession
Siege of Chunar
• Alarmed by power of Sher Khan
• 1532: Humayun besieged the powerful fort of Chunar.
• After four months, Humayun, decided to compromise rather
than fight
• Humayun allowed Sher Khan to rule over the land east of
Banaras
• Sher Khan accepted Humayun’s suzerainty
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
• When Humayun was fighting Sher Khan, Bahadur Shah of
Gujarat conquered Malwa and Rajasthan.
• Humayun marched against him.
• Humayun captured Gujarat and Malwa and left them under
the control of his brother Askari.
• Humayun fled and took protection of Portuguese
• With the help of Portuguese, Bahadur Shah recovered
Gujarat and Malwa from Askari.
• Later, Bahadur Shah was assassinated by the Portuguese
aboard a ship.
Battle of Chausa (1539)
• Sher Khan strengthened himself by defeating the ruler of
Bengal.
• 1539: Humayun marched to Bengal to confront Sher Khan.
• Hindal declared himself emperor at Agra.
• Humayun proceeded to Agra to quell the rebellion.
• Sher Khan blocked his way at Chausa near Buxar
• Sher Khan won the Battle due to his superior political and
military skills.
• Humayun suffered a defeat and had to flee for his life by
swimming across the Ganga.
Battle of Kanauj (1540)
• After the Battle of Chausa, Humayun:
Arrived at Agra
Assembled his army
Reached Kanauj to fight against Sher Kan
• The army hastily assembled by Humayun at Agra was no
match against Sher Khan, who defeated Humayun.
• Sher Kan declared himself the ruler of Delhi
• Humayun left India and remained in exile for 15 years
Architecture and Literature
• Humayun built a new city in Delhi, Dinpanah.
Humayun’s Tomb
• The tomb of Humayun was built by his widow, Biga Begum
(Hajji Begum), in 1569-70, 14 years after his death.
• The architect was Mirak Mirza Ghiyath.
Humayun Nama
• Humayun Nama was written by Gulbadan Begum, the
daughter of Babur, Humayun's sister and Akbar's aunt.