Ferghana, Samarkand and Kabul
Born into the Timurid family in Ferghana in 1483, Babur inherited his father’s position in 1494, aged eleven. Relatives and neighbouring rulers contested his lands. He repeatedly sought Samarkand, lost cities and followers, and faced the expanding Uzbek power of Shaybani Khan.
His seizure of Kabul in 1504 created a new base for troops, revenue and campaigning. He later returned to Samarkand with Safavid assistance but could not retain it. The turn towards northern India developed through these changing circumstances rather than a fixed youthful programme.
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Conquest and the problems of rule
At Panipat in 1526 he defeated Ibrahim Lodi. His account describes artillery, flanking movements and coordination between units. Detachments then secured Delhi, Agra and their treasuries. Victory established a new ruling power without immediately bringing the subcontinent under its control.
The memoir also records local hostility, fleeing inhabitants, shortages of grain and fodder, and soldiers wishing to return to Kabul. Babur defeated Rana Sanga’s coalition in 1527 and continued fighting Afghan chiefs. He died at Agra in 1530, leaving Humayun a still-fragile political inheritance.
Writing, gardens and dynastic memory
Writing memoirs and poetry in Chaghatay within a Persianate cultural world, he described relatives, officials, plants, fruit, waterworks and crafts as well as campaigns. His comparisons reveal personal preferences and prejudices alongside close observation.
He laid out gardens in Kabul and northern India, organizing water, planting and geometric spaces. His literary and horticultural interests became part of Mughal dynastic culture. Akbar later sponsored a Persian translation of the memoirs, extending the founder’s account to a new court readership.