What was the history of Mughal Emperor Babur ?

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Textile manufacturing, particularly for cotton, became a major component of the Mughal Empire. Cotton production flourished in the Empire due to innovations like the gear worm cotton gin, which is thought to have originated during the Delhi Sultanate era. Other innovations like the addition of a crank handle to the cotton gin and the use of the spinning wheel further grew the Mughal cotton industry and allowing them to export the important fabric all across the world.

One of the enduring legacies of the Mughal Empire is its influence on the cuisine of South Asia. The Mughal Era ushered in Central Asian and Persian traditions such as the use of fragrant spices like cinnamon and saffron and the use of dairy products like cream and butter in rich curries. Popular South Asian dishes that have Mughal roots include biryani, a fragrant dish of rice and meat flavored with spices, the yogurt based curry known as korma, and kulfi, a dense ice cream-like frozen dessert. These dishes are all part of what today is called Mughlai cuisine.

Babur, the founder of the largest dynasty India has ever seen-- the Mughals, was born on February 14, 1483 . Considered as one of the finest Mughal emperors, Babur succeeded in securing the dynasty's position in Delhi after a series of sultanates failed to consolidate their seats and his empire went on to rule for over 300 years in India. He passed away on December 26 in 1530. He was 48.

The Emperor Babur established the Mughal Empire in 1526. Babur was born in what is now Uzbekistan and was a descendant of the Emperor Timur of the Timurid dynasty, also known as Tamerlane. Seeking to establish his own royal imprint on history, Babur ventured east and initially conquered Kabul, in Afghanistan, before going to Delhi where he defeated Ibrahim Lodi of the ruling Delhi Sultanate in the Battle of Panipat. His victory would mark the start of the Mughal Empire.

His actual name was Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur. His name is derived from the Persian word 'Babr', which means Tiger.

Holding onto their newly acquired lands proved to be quite the challenge for the Mughals. After victory at Panipat, Babur had to contend with the Rajputs, who he defeated in the Battle of Khanwa. Following Babur’s death, his son Humayun ascended to the throne, but his reign was marked with instability. The forces of what would become the Sur Empire defeated Humayan and the Mughals. Humayun was exiled to Persia for over a decade, but with the help of the ruling Safavid dynasty, Humayun was eventually able to reclaim his empire. What, you thought the Mughals were done that quick?

He was the eldest son of Umar Sheikh Mirza, a direct descendant of Turk-Mongol conqueror Timur, also known as Tamurlane. His mother was a direct descendant of Asia's conqueror Genghis Khan.

The Mughal Empire can trace its lineage to two of history’s most powerful rulers. Babur, the empire’s founder, is the descendant of both Timur of the Timurid Dynasty and Genghis Khan of the Mongol Empire. The first two Mughal rulers were of Central Asian descent, with large Mongol ancestry with strong Turkic influences, such as the adoption of Islam as their religion. As a result, the Mughal Empire is often said to have Turco-Mongol roots.

He ascended the throne of Fergana (now in Uzbekistan) in 1495, at the age of 12. In 1504, he conquered Kabul, which was an important citadel in Central Asia.

The official language of the empire was Persian. However, over the years and decades of their rule, Persian words and phrases were heavily adopted into the native languages of the conquered lands. The Persian influence is most pronounced in the language of Urdu, the national language of Pakistan and one of the official languages of India. While Urdu is virtually the same as Hindi (together they are often referred to as Hindi-Urdu or Hindustani), Urdu is distinct for using a script that’s based on the Persian alphabet, whereas Hindi uses a Devanagari script derived from the ancient Sanskrit language.

Babur was invited by Daulat Khan Lodi, a rebel of the Lodi dynasty, in 1524, to invade North India and fight the dynasty and their enemies in Rajputana. Rajputana was ruled by a Hindu Rajput confederacy, led by Mewar king Rana Sanga.

In 1526, Babur won the Battle of Panipat against Ibrahim Lodi, the Lodi king. He captured Delhi and founded the greatest dynasty of North India -- the Mughal Empire.

He also defeated Rana Sanga, who considered Babur as a foreign invader, in the Battle of Khanwa. Rajputana became a subjugated ally of the Mughals since then.

The architecture of the Mughals is perhaps one of the most visible testaments of their power, wealth, and great artistic sensibilities. Mughal architecture is characterized by the use of vaulted entryways, large bulbous domes, and ornate decorations that were influenced by Turkic, Persian, and Indian architecture traditions. Mughal buildings that are still intact today are some of South Asia’s most popular tourist attractions.

There is confusion about Babur's ethnicity. Being a descendant of Timur, he considered himself as a Timurid of Turk. However, Uzbek history suggests that Babur was an ethnic Uzbek.

The most iconic example of Mughal architecture is the Taj Mahal. Located in Agra, India, the Taj Mahal was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his beloved late wife Mumtaz. The highly ornate structure of white marble took nearly 20 years to be completed. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the world’s most visited attractions. In 2014, between seven and eight million tourists made the trip to see the remarkable structure.

Babur claimed to be very strong and physically fit. He also claimed to have swum across every major river he encountered, including twice across the Ganges River. "I swam across the river Ganges for amusement.

Over the years, many period films set during the height of the Mughal era and depicting the lives of its rulers have been released in Bollywood. One noteworthy Mughal-set film is Mughal-e-Azam, which was released in 1960. The lavish, high-budget picture was in production for over 16 years. When it was finally released, it would go onto be the highest grossing Bollywood film at the time, a distinction it held for fifteen years.

I counted my strokes, and found that I swam over in thirty-three strokes. I then took breath, and swam back to the other. side. I had crossed by swimming every river I had met, except only the Ganges," he noted, according to Medieval India from the Mohammedan Conquest to the Reign of Akbar the Great, written by Stanley Lane-Poole .

Starting in the mid-18th century, the Mughal Empire began to experience many crucial losses. They ceded much of their territory to the Marathas. Moreover, many of their subdivisions, like Bengal and Hyderabad, would declare their independence due to inadequate support from the central authorities. At its end, the Mughal territory was confined to just the city of Shahjahanabad, present-day Old Delhi. The last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, supported the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and as a result, was imprisoned by the British and exiled to Burma. The British would take over the remaining Mughal land and initiated direct crown rule of its Indian territories, known as the British Raj.

Babur was well-known for his oratory and literary skills. Although a religious person, Babur indulged in drinking. He once said, quoting a contemporary poet, "I am drunk, officer. Punish me when I am sober."

The longest reigning ruler of the Mughal Empire was Akbar. Akbar was the third Mughal Emperor, reigning for 49 years from 1556 to his death in 1605. Akbar is credited with expanding the Empire’s territory over the Indian Subcontinent and thus exponentially growing the Empire’s wealth. He was able to win the trust of his subjects by committing to policies that were more inclusive of people of other faiths and cultures.

The Mughal Empire’s most prosperous subdivision was the Bengal Subah province. The province contributed to over half of the Empire’s GDP, and 12% of the entire world’s GDP. Aided by a program of agrarian reform, products from the Bengal Subah like cotton, silk, rice were used throughout the Empire and were also exported to Europe and other parts of Asia. The Bengal Subah also became a major centre of global shipbuilding.

Till date, he is considered a national hero in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. He wrote his autobiography, Baburnama, in Chaghatai Turkic. It was translated to Persian during the reign of his grandson Akbar.