Babur

The founder of the Mughal dynasty, Babur traced his descent from a Mongol khan and one side and Timur the Lame on the other. Most of his followers were Turkic or of mixed nomadic descent. His motives for conquest were not due to religion. He raided the fertile and populous plains of North India in order to gain booty for his intended goal of winning back his lost kingdom of Ferghana. Babur cared little for the green and plentiful Indian subcontinent. He wished to control the central Asian steppes of his birthplace. However, after several defeats, Babur was forced to give up this dream. Within two year of turning and concentrating his efforts in India, Babur's armies had conquered large portions of the Indus and Gangetic plains. Overall, Babur was an excellent military strategist and fierce soldier. He also harbored a liking for music and art. Babur was responsible for writing one of the greatest histories of India. He was a fine musician and constructed beautiful gardens in his Delhi capital. However, Babur did very little to reform the Lodi bureaucracy that he had conquered. In 1530, he died at age 48 and left the empire to his son Humayan.

Created by Becca Ellison December 7, 2008 Edited by Hampton Webb on December 11, 2008

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