MUGHAL EMPIRE I [BABUR, HUMAYUN, SHER SHAH]

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Arrival of Mughals

The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur, a Central Asian ruler who claimed lineage from Timur (the founder of the Timurid Empire)
Mughals are also referred as Timurids [related to Timur from father‘s side and Chengiz Khan from mother‘s side]
The situation in Central Asia was not stable and Babur lost to the Uzbeks.
Ousted from his ancestral domains in Central Asia, Babur was forced to move towards India.
India was already divided into many small states and lacked central authority.
Daulat Khan Lodhi, who declared himself independent in Punjab, invited Babur to India.

Babur [1526-1530]

Founder of Mughal Empire (descendants of Mongols)
He became the Sultan of Farghana (Uzbekistan)
He was invited to fight against Ibrahim Lodhi by Daulat Khan Lodhi
First Battle of Panipat (c.1526 CE): fought between Ibrahim Lodhi and Babur. Ibrahim Lodhi was defeated and he took control of Delhi and Agra.
He effectively applied the Rumi (Ottoman) method of warfare, also known as Tulguma system of warfare
Introduced gun-fires under Ottoman gunners Ustad Ali and Mustafa

Battle of Khanwa (1527 CE, near Fatehpur Sikri): fought between Babur and Rana Sanga of Mewar and his allies.

Battle of Chanderi (1528 CE): This battle was fought between Babur and Medini Rai, the Rajput ruler of Malwa.

Battle of Ghagra (near Bihar, 1529 CE): This battle was fought between Babur and Mahmud Lodhi

Highlights of Rule:

Established an all-India Empire by breaking the Rajput Confederacy.
Introduced new mode of warfare and led to the popularisation of gunpowder, cavalry, and artillery in India
He wrote his memoir in a dialect of Turkish, it‘s called Tuzuk-i Babri/Babarnama
Introduced Char-Bags and symmetrically laid out gardens with running waters and fountains.
He was a Naturalist and described the flora and fauna of India.
Obtained Kohinoor diamond from Gwalior King, Rana Vikramjit and gifted to Humayun
Security from External invasions for almost 200yrs.
Strengthened India‘s foreign trade.
Re-established the authority of the king in Delhi, which had been eroded since the death of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Humayun [1530-40 and 1555-56]
Eldest son of Babur, He succeeded Babur.
Humayun‘ means ‗fortune‘, but he remained the most unfortunate ruler of the Mughal Empire.
In 1531, he first invaded Kalinjar
Battle of Dauhariya (1532): He fought with afghans under leadership of Mahmud Lodhi
Besieged powerful fort of Chunar from the Afghan sardar Sher Khan

Battle of Chausa (near Buxar, c.1539 CE): Humayun was defeated and Sher Khan adopted the title of Sher Shah.

Battle of Bilgrama/Battle of Kannauj (c.1540 CE)

Humayun defeated by Sher Shah Babur [1526 1530]