Babur Timeline

(February 14, 1483 – December 26, 1530)

Babur (1483–1530), born Zahir-ud-din Muhammad, was a Central Asian ruler and military commander who founded the Mughal Empire in India. A descendant of Timur on his father's side and Genghis Khan on his mother's side, he conquered Kabul and then defeated the Sultan of Delhi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, laying the foundation for one of history's greatest empires. He was also a gifted poet and diarist, famous for his memoirs, the Baburnama. More Less

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Early Life and Rise

Birth of Babur in Andijan

Feb 14, 1483

Babur, born Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad, was born on 14 February 1483 in the city of Andijan in the Fergana Valley (now in Uzbekistan). He was the eldest son of Umar Shaikh Mirza II, the Timurid governor of Fergana, and a great-great-great-grandson of the conqueror Timur.

Becomes ruler of Fergana

1494

After his father Umar Sheikh Mirza died while tending pigeons in an ill-constructed dovecote that toppled into a ravine below the palace, eleven-year-old Babur became the Timurid ruler of Fergana. He ascended the throne at its capital Akhsikath and had to put down a rebellion.

Resigns hopes of recovering Fergana

1502

By 1502, Babur had resigned all hopes of recovering Fergana; he was left with nothing and was forced to try his luck elsewhere. That same year, Ulugh Beg II, Babur's paternal uncle who ruled Kabul, died leaving only an infant heir.

Return to Kabul

1514

After three years spent campaigning in Turkestan, Babur returned to Kabul in 1514, having again lost the newly conquered lands to the Shaybanids.

Image source: Babur

Death of Babur in Agra

Dec 26, 1530

Babur died on 26 December 1530 in Agra and was succeeded by his son Humayun. The founder of the Mughal Empire left behind a legacy spanning from Central Asia to India.

Conquests and Battles

First capture of Samarkand

1497

In 1497, Babur besieged Samarkand for seven months before eventually gaining control over the storied Timurid capital, one of his earliest major military successes.

Second siege and brief loss of Samarkand

1500 - 1501

Babur again laid siege to Samarkand in 1500–1501 and briefly took the city, but he was in turn besieged by his most formidable rival, Muhammad Shaybani, Khan of the Uzbeks, who defeated him and founded the Khanate of Bukhara.

Capture of Kabul

Oct 1504

In October 1504, the exiled Babur crossed the snowy Hindu Kush mountains and captured Kabul from the remaining Arghun chieftains, who retreated to Kandahar. With this move he gained a new kingdom, re-established his fortunes, and would remain its ruler until 1526.

First expedition to India

1505

Because of the low revenue generated by his new mountain kingdom of Kabul, Babur began his first expedition to India in 1505, writing in his memoirs, "My desire for Hindustan had been constant."

Shaybani defeated by Ismail I

1510

Muhammad Shaybani, Babur's longtime Uzbek rival, was defeated and killed by Ismail I, Shah of Shi'a Safavid Persia, in 1510, opening new opportunities for Babur in Transoxiana.

Third capture of Samarkand

1511 - 1512

Forming a partnership with Safavid emperor Ismail I, Babur left his brother Nasir Mirza to rule Kabul and managed to take Samarkand for the third time; he also took Bukhara but lost both cities to the Uzbeks in 1512.

Siege of Bajaur and marriage to Bibi Mubarika

1519

After the siege and capture of Bajaur in 1519, Babur married Bibi Mubarika, the daughter of Yousafzai chief Shah Mansur, forging ties with Afghan tribes.

Reaches the Chenab River

1519

After his third loss of Samarkand, Babur gave full attention to the conquest of North India, launching a campaign that brought him to the Chenab River in Punjab in 1519.

Takes control of Badakhshan

1521

In 1521, following the death of Uways Mirza, Babur took control of Badakhshan, extending his influence north of the Hindu Kush.

Annexation of Kandahar

1522

In 1522, Babur besieged and annexed Kandahar from the Arghun dynasty, securing an important strategic city on his route toward India.

Marches on Lahore

1524

Until 1524, Babur's aim was only to expand his rule into Punjab, fulfilling the legacy of his ancestor Timur. He started for Lahore in 1524 but found that Daulat Khan Lodi had been driven out by forces sent by Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi.

News of Daulat Khan's betrayal at Peshawar

Nov 1525

In November 1525, Babur got news at Peshawar that Daulat Khan Lodi had switched sides, and Babur drove out Ala-ud-Din as he pressed on toward Delhi.

First Battle of Panipat

Apr 20, 1526

Babur reached Panipat on 20 April 1526 and met Ibrahim Lodi's numerically superior army of about 100,000 soldiers and 1,000 elephants. Using gunpowder weapons and tactics, Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi, the last Sultan of the Lodi dynasty, founding the Mughal Empire.

Image source: Third Battle of Panipat

Battle of Khanwa against Rana Sanga

Mar 16, 1527

The Battle of Khanwa was fought between Babur and the Rajput ruler of Mewar, Rana Sanga, on 16 March 1527. Babur's victory crushed the Rajput challenge and consolidated Mughal power in Hindustan.

Image source: Battle of Khanwa

Siege of Chanderi

Jan 20, 1528

Upon reaching Chanderi on 20 January 1528, Babur offered Shamsabad to Medini Rai in exchange for Chanderi as a peace overture, but the offer was rejected and the fortress fell to Mughal forces.

March down the Ganges against eastern Afghans

1529

By 1529, most of the major oppositions in Hindustan had been defeated or forced into submission. In spring, Babur marched down the Ganges to engage the eastern Afghan Confederacy under Sultan Mahmud Lodi and the Sultanate of Bengal under Nusrat Shah.

Battle of Ghaghra

May 1529

The Battle of Ghaghra in May 1529 was the final major conflict fought by Babur in his struggle to consolidate power over Hindustan, defeating the eastern Afghan Confederacy and its allies.

Image source: Battle of Ghaghra

Personal Life

Death of daughter Fakhr-un-Nissa

1500

Babur's first child with his wife, a daughter named Fakhr-un-Nissa, died within a year of her birth in 1500.

Marriage to Zaynab Sultan Begum

1504

In 1504, Babur married Zaynab Sultan Begum, who died childless within two years.

Marriage to Maham Begum and other wives

1506 - 1508

In the period 1506–08, Babur married four women: Maham Begum in 1506, Masuma Sultan Begum, Gulrukh Begum, and Dildar Begum. Maham Begum later became the mother of his successor Humayun.

Humayun falls ill at Sambhal

1530

In 1530, Humayun, Babur's eldest son and intended heir, fell dangerously ill at Sambhal. According to an account preserved by Gulbadan Begum, Babur walked three times round the sick-bed and prayed that the illness be transferred to himself, offering his own life for his son's recovery.

Image source: Humayun

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Mosque built at Sambhal

1526

One of Babur's chief surviving architectural monuments is the congregational mosque erected at Sambhal in 1526 during his brief reign as emperor.

Image source: Babri Masjid

Kabuli Bagh Mosque completed

1528 - 1529

Among the congregational mosques erected during Babur's reign were two dated 1528–29: the Kabuli Bagh Mosque at Panipat, whose site is still called Kabuli Bagh, and a mosque at Ayodhya, known centuries later as the Babri Mosque.

Image source: Kabuli Bagh Mosque

Garden near Ghaggar river completed

1528 - 1529

A garden Babur designed himself near the Ghaggar river was completed in 1528–29, and the quarter of Agra developed by his nobles was nicknamed "Kabul" by local people.

Secret will advising religious tolerance

1529

In his secret will of 935 AH (1529 AD) addressed to Humayun, Babur advised his son to administer justice according to the ways of every religion, avoid the sacrifice of cows, not ruin temples and shrines of law-obeying communities, and overlook dissensions between Shias and Sunnis.

Remains moved to Bagh-e Babur in Kabul

1539 - 1544

As per Babur's wishes, his mortal remains were moved from Agra to Kabul and reburied in Bagh-e Babur sometime between 1539 and 1544, where his grave remains a revered site today.

Image source: Gardens of Babur

Baburnama translated into Persian

Nov 1589

The Baburnama, written by Babur in Chaghatai Turkic, was rendered into Persian for the imperial library by Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan in November 1589 during the reign of his grandson Akbar, and was repeatedly illustrated by Mughal painters thereafter.

Image source: Baburnama

Release of film Shahenshah Babar

1944

Shahenshah Babar, an Indian film about the emperor directed by Wajahat Mirza, was released in 1944, bringing Babur's story to the silver screen.

Image source: Babur

Release of biographical film Babar

1960

The Indian biographical film Babar, directed by Hemen Gupta, covered the emperor's life with Gajanan Jagirdar in the lead role.

Image source: Babar: The Movie

Demolition of the Babri Mosque

Dec 1992

In December 1992, the Ayodhya mosque attributed to Babur's era was demolished by activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Bharatiya Janata Party, setting off communal rioting that killed more than a thousand people and remaining a charged issue in Indian politics.

Image source: Demolition of the Babri Masjid

Pakistan names cruise missile after Babur

Oct 2005

In October 2005, Pakistan developed the Babur Cruise Missile, named in honour of the Mughal founder, reflecting his enduring historical significance.

Image source: Babur (cruise missile)

Commemorative stamps for 525th birth anniversary

Feb 14, 2008

On 14 February 2008, stamps in Babur's name were issued in Uzbekistan to commemorate his 525th birth anniversary, honoring the memory of the empire's founder in his homeland.

Key Facts

Babur was born in 1483 in Andijan, in present-day Uzbekistan, in the Fergana Valley, and became ruler of Fergana at just 12 years old after his father's death.
He was a descendant of two great conquerors: Timur (Tamerlane) through his father and Genghis Khan through his mother.
After losing his ancestral lands in Central Asia, Babur captured Kabul in 1504 and used it as his base for further conquests.
In 1526, Babur won the First Battle of Panipat against Ibrahim Lodi using gunpowder weapons and tactics learned from the Ottomans, founding the Mughal Empire.
Babur wrote the Baburnama, an candid and vivid autobiography considered one of the finest memoirs in world literature, before his death in 1530 in Agra.

Source

This Babur timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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