On February 14, 1483, Zahir ad-din Muhammad Babur (the word Babur means "tiger") was born in the family of the emir of Fergana Omar-Sheikh Mirza. Babur's father was from the Timurid family, a direct descendant of the famous "Iron Lame" Tamerlane. Mother, Kutlug Nigorkhanym, was from the Chingizid family, the daughter of the Moghulistan ruler Yunuskhan. Babur went down in history as a commander, the founder of the Mughal Empire, the largest power in India and Afghanistan in the 16-18 centuries, as well as a scientist, poet and writer. This makes Babur a very interesting person, in history you can find many successful commanders and conquerors, but it is rare for them to be so many-sided gifted people.
His childhood passed in Andijan, where he was happy. Here he was educated, he developed a love for poetry. Before his death, he will yearn for Fergana. Already at the age of 11, he was forced to take the reins of the Ferghana Principality - his father died on June 9, 1494 at the age of 39. From the very beginning of his reign, Babur had to fight for his inheritance and for Maverannahr - the region between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya (Sogdiana), includes such famous cities as Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, etc. His position was precarious. There were constant strife in the region. There were enough feudal lords who wanted to grab something from their neighbors, subdue them, or simply rob them. Even his own brother spoke out against Babur, and he had to divide the Fergana principality into two destinies. His main opponent was the Uzbek Khan Muhammad Sheibani (the founder of the Sheibanid state). The strife among the Timurids led to the fact that Sheibani Khan in 1501 finally took possession of Samarkand and made it the capital of his state. Babur fortified himself in Tashkent, where he tried to put together a coalition of feudal rulers against Sheibani. However, due to the betrayal of several princes, he was defeated. In 1500-1505, Babur was ousted by Khan Sheibani to Afghanistan, where he created a new state with its capital in Kabul. Until 1512, he unsuccessfully tried to recapture Bukhara and Samarkand. The idea to conquer India was born already in 1504, when Babur was only 21 years old. However, due to the short-sightedness of relatives and feudal lords, this idea had to be postponed and an attempt was made to win back their native inheritance.
In Afghanistan, Babur created a strong army, and after the failure with Samarkand, he decided to capture India. Northern India by this time was already subject to Muslim rulers - in the 13th century the Delhi Sultanate was created. However, by the end of the 14th century, the sultanate was already weakened and after the invasion of Timur's army, it fell apart. In the 15th century, the limits of the sultanate were limited to the two rivers of the Ganges and Jamna. The Indian subcontinent was divided into dozens of small and large state entities, often at enmity with each other. In 1518 - 1524, Babur's troops made several raids on the Punjab (the northwestern part of India), capturing a lot of booty. The turning point in the mood of the nobility occurred as a result of the fact that the powerful enemy of Babur, Sheibani Khan, started a campaign against Afghanistan. Other Central Asian rulers joined him. It was not possible to resist such a force, because of the constant strife of the Afghan tribes. “I was left alone in Kabul, the enemy is very strong, and we are very weak,” the Emir of Kabul says to those close to him. - With such a strong and powerful opponent, we must find a place for ourselves; while there is time and opportunity, we need to get away from such a powerful and formidable enemy. They decided to go to India not with a robbery raid, but with a campaign of conquest.
The governor of the Punjab, Daulat Khan, who was at enmity with Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, who reigned in Delhi, decided to support Babur's actions. Daulat Khan also had supporters in Delhi, where they were dissatisfied with the rule of the cruel Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. Among the conspirators was Prince Sangram Singh. Thus, the conspiracy of the Indian political elite became the main prerequisite that predetermined the fall of the Delhi Sultanate. Instead of meeting the enemy at distant frontiers, the highest dignitaries of the Sultan launched him into the interior of the country in order to overthrow the Sultan with the hands of Babur.
Daulat Khan planned to take the throne himself in Delhi, believing that Babur's campaigns, like Timur's invasion, were predatory in nature. Babur's troops, laden with rich booty and fed up with violence, will themselves leave India. However, he grossly miscalculated. Babur occupied Lahore in 1524 and did not leave, and the next year he undertook a new campaign. The Punjabi governor opposed him, but was defeated.
On April 21, 1526, on the Panipat plain, on the way from Lahore to Delhi, a decisive battle of 12,000 took place. Corps Babur with 40 thousand. army of the Sultan of Delhi. The victory of Babur's troops was predetermined by the use of artillery and guns, in which the ruler of Kabul had a complete advantage, and the tactics of covering the enemy's flanks with cavalry detachments. In India, firearms were known, but the useless commander Ibrahim neglected them and planned to crush Babur's detachment with the pressure of a powerful cavalry. Babur tied the carts together, covered them with shields. Between the wagons there were openings for cannons, detachments of musketeers and cavalry. The flanks of the defense line were covered with ditches and notches. Babur's army repulsed all attacks of the enemy cavalry with well-coordinated rifle and cannon volleys and horse counterattacks. When the Delian cavalry was upset, they were overturned by cavalry flanking blows. The Sultan of Delhi laid down his head in this battle. Thousands of Indian warriors laid down their lives in this battle. The road to Delhi was open.
On April 30, 1526, Babur became the first padishah of Delhi, who founded the state of the Great Moghuls. The defeat of the troops of the Sultan of Delhi at Panipati, the news of his death came as a shock to Northern India. Babur did not hesitate to capture the two main cities of the Sultanate - Delhi and Agra. His warriors occupied all government buildings, palaces and the treasury. There was almost no resistance. His troops immediately set about restoring order in the area. Babur immediately issued a decree forbidding to rob and offend the families of defeated enemies, which won over many people to his side and did not cause a response wave of resistance that terror could cause. Babur also immediately rewarded his associates and warriors. From the Indian treasuries, military leaders and ordinary soldiers were given money, as well as various goods, weapons and horses. In addition to these distributions, distribution of land plots, lands and pastures was carried out. Generous gifts were received by Kabul, Ghazna, Kandahar and even Mecca, where they were sent through wanderers. This generosity was the cause of many rumors that reached neighboring countries. According to one of them, the visiting padishah distributed all the treasures of India he had captured and left nothing for himself, acting like a wandering dervish. Vladyka Babur himself reflected this thought in verse: "I do not belong to the brotherhood of dervishes, but, as a king, I am their brother in spirit."
It should be noted that Babur's desire to stay in India and make it a home for all the descendants of Genghis Khan and Timur was not accepted by everyone. The troops were outraged. Deserters appeared. The first among those who fled was the first adviser to the padishah, Khoja Kalan, who left under the pretext of distributing gifts and became the ruler of Kabul. The warriors were burdened in many ways by India, which was strange and unusual in nature and climate. Babur had to convene a council, where he convinced the leaders to stay in India: “How many years we have made efforts and endured hardships, went to distant states and led troops, exposing ourselves and people to the dangers of battles and war! By the grace of God, we have defeated so many enemies and captured such vast lands. What force and what necessity compels us now, for no reason, to abandon the possessions won after so many labors, and return again to Kabul to subject ourselves to the trials of poverty and weakness? Let anyone who wants well for us, no longer speak such words, and he who can no longer show stamina if he wants to leave, let him leave and not refuse it.
True, he still had to break the resistance of the Rajput princes, led by Sangram Singh, who, seeing that Babur was not going to leave, gathered a large army. Babur's associates were frightened and persuaded him to leave India, they had already plundered great wealth and were afraid to lose it. They said that "one should be content with the mercy of Allah, which he sent down." However, for Babur it was a high point, and he was not going to retreat. The main dream of his life came true. As a sign of his faith, he ordered the destruction of wine stocks, although he liked to drink and made a vow not to drink (he fulfilled it). The decisive battle between the Rajputs and Babur's army took place at Khanua (near Sikri) in March 1527. Once again, the superiority of Babur's troops in artillery and handguns played a decisive role. More numerous Rajput troops attacked the defensive orders of Babur. However, their attacks were shattered by skillful defense and counterattacks. The Rajput princes suffered a crushing defeat. Their leader Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga) was severely wounded and died the same year. None of his descendants dared to continue the fight. This victory over the Rajput confederation led to the final establishment of Babur's authority over Northern India. Having achieved success, Babur moved the center of the newly formed state to Agra. Until the end of his life - 1530, he expanded his power, adding to it the Ganges valley, to the borders of Bengal. On May 6, 1529, he defeated the rulers of Bihar and Bengal at the Battle of Gogra.
Part of the Afghan army of Babur returned to their homeland, loaded with rich booty. The other part remained in India. The warriors received land allotments from the padishah. New landowners usually hired local residents as managers, who were better versed in local conditions. Babur carried out the formation of a tax-administrative apparatus and a centralized system of government in the new state, but did not have time to complete this work. These tasks were already solved by his successors. Despite a very short reign - 1526-1530, Babur was able to lay the foundations of the future great power, uniting a significant part of the fragmented India. He streamlined land and water relations, the tax system. On his instructions, a large construction program was launched, mosques, baths, buildings for various purposes were built, wells were dug. In the largest Indian cities - Delhi, Agra, Lahore, Dewalpur, the kings laid gardens and parks with ornamental plants. Apparently, the first such building in India was a large garden called Kabul-bakht, founded in Panipat in honor of the victory over the Delhi Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. In gardens laid out in India, the padishah for the first time applied the experience of growing melons and grapes from Central Asia. During his many trips around the country, Babur tirelessly planned the construction of roads, which were to be framed by shady irrigated gardens.
Babur paid great attention to the improvement of large Indian cities subordinate to him. The architecture, the layout of public and private buildings, their external details and interiors, took a lot from the style adopted in Central Asia, at the same time they were able to organically combine with the Indian style. In architecture, there was a synthesis of two styles. This process was also developed under Babur's heirs.
The founder of the new state actively sought to strengthen trade and economic ties with Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia. Babur issued a decree on the improvement of caravanserais, the construction of special wells on trade routes, and the provision of food and fodder for travelers. All these activities were aimed at increasing trade with neighboring countries and normalizing relations with them. Babur normalized relations with the Sheibanids. Padishah, even shortly before his death, Babur sent an ambassador to the Russian ruler Vasily Ivanovich.
Before his death, Babur appointed an heir - he was the eldest son Humayun. The remaining sons received Punjab, Kabul and Kandahar as inheritances, and were obliged to obey their elder brother.
Babur was noted not only as an outstanding commander and statesman, but also as a highly educated person who knew how to appreciate art. In his capital, Agra, the padishah gathered around him many talented writers, poets, artists, musicians, researchers, to whom he paid great attention. He tried to better study local customs, traditions, and was distinguished by observation. He studied the history and culture of the peoples of Central Asia, Afghanistan and India. Babur's merits as a historian, geographer, and ethnographer are now recognized by world oriental science. He was noted as a prominent poet and writer who wrote the historical work "Babur-name". In this autobiographical work, the padishah left a description of the great cities of Central Asia, Khorasan, Afghanistan, Iran and India. For modern science, his reports on Samarkand, Bukhara, Kabul, Ghazni, Balkh, Fergana, Badakhshan, Delhi, Devalpur, Lahore and other cities and places are priceless. He also described caravan routes leading from Kabul to India and Central Asia. The work is an excellent reflection of the description of nature, flora, fauna, geography of Central Asia, Afghanistan, India. The book also contains information about the political life of India, fragmentary data on the history of this country. Babur-nam contains a lot of data on Indian ethnography: it tells about the caste system, customs, life of the common people and the feudal nobility.
Babur's Peru also owns a treatise on poetics; presentation in poetic form of Muslim law and own development of the alphabet - "Khatti Baburi" ("Babur's Alphabet"). The "alphabet" was created on the basis of the ancient Turkic writings and was distinguished by a more simplified style compared to the complex Arabic writing.
Babur Zahireddin Mohammed(1483-1530), founder of the Mughal state, a descendant of Timur. Initially the ruler of the appanage in Wed. Asia, then to Kabul. In 1526-27 he conquered most of the North. India. The borders of the state of Babur stretched from Kabul to Bengal. An autobiography "Babur-name" (1958) was published in Russian, lyrical poems - "Lyric" (1957).
Babur Zahiruddin Muhammad (Zakhireddin Muhammad) (1483-1530), founder of the so-called. power of the Great Moguls in India, which existed for more than two centuries (1526-1761). On the paternal side - a descendant of Timur, on the maternal side, possibly Genghis Khan. At the age of eleven, he inherited from his father a small Fergana principality. Expelled from Central Asia by the Turkic tribes who came from Siberia (the ancestors of the Uzbeks). In 1504, with the help of his relative, the ruler of Herat, he occupied Kabul, where he began to create a strong army, recruited from the natives of Central Asia, Afghans and Gakars. Following this, he made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Samarkand, the former capital of Timur.
Deciding that only by conquering India would he become the head of a powerful state, in 1518 and 1524 Babur launched attacks on the Punjab. The governor of the Punjab, Daulat Khan, being at enmity with Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, who reigned in Delhi, at first supported the actions of Babur, believing that he, like Timur, would crush the Delhi Sultanate and go home, and the throne in Delhi would be vacant. But, Babur, having occupied Lahore in 1524, the next year, at the head of a 12,000-strong army, undertook a new campaign. Daulat Khan opposed him, but was defeated. The decisive battle with the 40,000-strong army of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi took place in April 1526 on the Panipat plain (on the way from the Punjab to Delhi). Babur's army had an overwhelming superiority in artillery and skillfully created shelters for their cannons from wagons tied with belts. In addition, it adopted from the Mongols the tactics of covering the enemy's flanks with cavalry. All this ultimately predetermined Babur's victory; the road to Delhi was now open to him. However, the ruler of Mewar, Raja Sangram Singh, stood in his way, having gathered an army of many thousands from the cavalry detachments of several Rajput princes. The battle of the Rajputs with Babur took place in March 1527 at Khanua. Once again, Babur's superiority in artillery was decisive for the outcome of the battle. These two victories meant in fact the establishment of Babur's dominance in Northern India. Later, his state expanded to the lower reaches of the Ganges in the east as a result of the defeat in May 1529 of the Afghan rulers of Bihar and Bengal.
Part of the Afghan detachments of Babur's army returned home loaded with booty. The warriors who remained in India received allotments of land from Babur as official grants. These new landowners hired Indians as administrators who knew the customs of their country well. Babur did not have time to complete the formation of the tax-administrative apparatus and the centralized system of government. These tasks were solved by his successors.
Babur was an outstanding commander and politician. Feeling the precariousness of his position in the conquered country with a distinctive culture, he tried to get better acquainted with local customs and specifics. Sources note his education, observation, ability to appreciate art. He was interested in the history, culture of the peoples of Central Asia, Afghanistan and India, flora and fauna of these countries. Babur is known as a remarkable poet who wrote in the Jagatai and Tajik languages, as the author of the memoirs "Babur-name". Although he treated the Indians somewhat condescendingly as "infidels", he showed a certain tolerance towards them and persecuted only those of them who treated him unkindly.
Before his death, Babur divided his possessions between his sons, leaving the main Indian part of the territory of the state to the eldest - Humayun - and ordering the rest, who received the Punjab, Kabul and Kandahar, to obey him.
14.2.1483 - 26.12.1530
Zahireddin Muhammad Babur (1483-1530) was a native of Central Asia, the great-great-grandson of the great conqueror Amir Timur on the paternal side and, according to some researchers, a descendant of Genghis Khan on the maternal side. He went down in history, first of all, as the founder of the state of the Great Moghuls, which existed for more than two centuries on the territory of India and Afghanistan.
But he was also widely known for his learning and love of art. He wrote his autobiography, which at first had the name "Vakoyi", that is, "The Past", and then "Babur-name", throughout his life. Babur is the author of many lyrical poems. In Tashkent, on the Alley of Poets, a bust of Babur was erected, and his gazelles are still sung at weddings. One of the largest streets of the capital also bears his name.
He, as his contemporaries testify, dreamed of the glory of a poet, perhaps more than of the glory of a commander and ruler, but ... he was born a crowned bearer and had to bear this burden all his life, undergoing many cruel blows of fate. Babur believed that what was won with a sword could be taken away by another sword, and what was written with a pen could not be taken away by anyone.
The future ruler of the Mughal Empire idolized Alisher Navoi and even corresponded with him in his youth. The cultural heritage of Babur does not belong to a single country, but to the whole world. In India, for example, he is called a typical representative of the national renaissance. The well-known Indian writer Mulk Raj Anand said about "Babur-name" as follows: "This is one of the most beautiful books in the world."
And Babur himself once said to his son: “When I finish the book, my life will end. Your descendants should also read it... Do not repeat my mistakes.” THE DESIGN OF FATE The year 899 of the Hijdah of the Muslim calendar has come, which corresponds to the year 1494 of the Nativity of Christ. In the capital of the Fergana Principality, the city of Akhsi, from which only ruins remain today, military preparations were underway - an enemy attack was expected.
It seemed strange, at first glance, that people who were closely related became enemies. The Fergana ruler Umarsheikh (Babur's father) was the son-in-law of the Tashkent khan Mahmud, and the Samarkand ruler Abubakir Ahmad Mirza, who went to war from Kokand, was his brother. In addition, the daughter of the Samarkand ruler Aisha and the heir of the Fergana ruler were engaged from the age of five.
But... war has its own logic and its own laws. Babur was the only son of Umarsheikh from one of his wives, Fatima Sultan. It so happened that already in childhood he had to take on the burden of power and responsibility. His father Umarsheikh did not die in battle. The life of the ruler of Ferghana was cut short absurdly... Messengers with news of the enemy did not arrive for a long time. There was only hope for carrier pigeons, accustomed to fly from Akhsi to Margelan and Kokand. Umarsheikh was an avid dovecote... He climbed a high wooden dovecote, but suddenly it fell with a crash into the abyss along with him, as its base was washed away by the waters of the river.
By that time, the heir to the Fergana ruler was 11 years old. He read a lot and was distinguished by curiosity, he knew by heart hundreds of bayts from Firduosi, Saadi, Navoi. He especially loved Alisher Navoi's poem "Farhad and Shirin" about the exploits of Farhad. Fate destined for him the glory of a commander and politician. But then, immediately after the death of Umarsheikh, unrest began in the city. It was at this difficult moment that “noble Zahireddin Muhammad Babur” was proclaimed the legitimate ruler of Ferghana under the guidance of Mazid-bek.
Mortal danger hung over the city, but a miracle saved it from plunder and destruction. The same swift and violent river that took the life of Umarsheikh saved the young heir from a major military defeat. During the flood of the Kuvasay river, the bridge collapsed, through which the troops of the formidable Samarkand Sultan Ahmad were crossing. The rest of the soldiers, who tried to ford the river, landed in a swamp and died. Thus, the losses of the enemy exceeded all his losses in previous military campaigns.
The element was on the side of the young ruler of Ferghana and gave him the first victory over the enemy. The city was saved.
TEST TIME
There is no hope for people clinging to the throne.
Loyalty laws have disappeared. Poor world!
Babur, become a better bek.
There are no worse two checks under one crown!
The army of young Babur besieged Samarkand all summer and all autumn. Eventually, exhausted by hunger and other calamities, the city's inhabitants opened the gates. The victors thought that after the capture of the city all the difficulties would be left behind, but they were mistaken. The three thousandth garrison had about six thousand horses. In the freezing winter, in the city that suffered a seven-month siege, it was not possible to simultaneously feed the people of Samarkand and collect enough food for the army, to provide food for the horses. The city was quiet and impoverished.
Soon, many beks secretly fled from the young ruler, and one day news came to Babur that Ahmad Tanbal (one of his commanders), together with his supporters, had revolted. Trouble raged in the Ferghana Valley. A new disgrace of fate had to be experienced by the young Mirza: he fell seriously ill.
After the amendment, Babur immediately left Samarkand, but time was lost. Neighboring rulers, for example, the ruler of Bukhara, Sultan Ali, always tried to take advantage of the weakness of a competitor, subdue or even destroy him. The army of Bukharians stood at Shakhrisabz, and there was no hope for anything good. The safest place for Babur and his bride Aisha Begim could only be Tashkent.
On the way, the young Mirza was caught by the news of the betrayal of the Beks and the fall of Andijan. Fate lured Babur out of Samarkand and deprived Andijan. He hung between heaven and earth. It seemed to him that the traitor Tanbal, the successful Sultan Ali, and Shebani Khan, who had gathered strength in Turkestan, were laughing at him as if they were a gullible child.
Fate soon brought him together with the insidious traitor Ahmad Tanbal. The resolute Babur took Margelan, Osh and defeated the rebel army near Andijan, but the remnants of this army hid in the city fortress. The young mirza, however, was let down by the carelessness of the beks, intoxicated with the joy of victory. At dawn, Babur's camp was attacked by enemies, and then they lured him, carried away by the pursuit, into a trap.
He was wounded by an arrow in the leg and suddenly saw Tanbal in front of him, brandishing the same donated sword that he had once kissed as a sign of loyalty to Babur. From the death of the young ruler was saved by a helmet and a faithful friend who took him out of the battlefield. More than Babur's wounds, he was tormented by the consciousness of the injustice of fate. He thought, "Why was the hand of the wicked on the battlefield stronger and more fortunate?"
More and more intrigues wove around Babur, he was drawn into bloody clashes.
BABUR AND ALISHER NAVOI
The fiery passion of youth - to become famous, to glorify his name - made the young ruler dream either of military victories, or of wonderful poems and dastans, the brainchild of his pen. He recently returned from Samarkand, exhausted by a long siege of this city, and so far the dream of victories in great battles remained an unattainable dream for him. Become a great poet? For this, as Babur felt, he did not have enough strength. Maybe the great Navoi will still hear him, and they will get to know each other. Maybe he will become his teacher?
Everything is perishable, great states crumble as soon as those who founded them die. But the lines of poets live for centuries. At this time, the alien Sheibani Khan created a strong army and captured Bukhara. He coveted the power that had long belonged to the Timurids, and he himself wanted to become the founder of a new dynasty. Now his huge army stood at the walls of Samarkand.
Soon this majestic city was forced to submit to the enslavers because of the venality of the ruling elite. Babur, on the other hand, got the share of a wanderer. Sheibani Khan thought that he would not endure the ordeals in the mountains and would return to Andijan. Or he will seek protection from his uncle Olacha Khan, who ruled somewhere far beyond Issyk-Kul. Babur will not dare to attack the one who has a much larger army. But the young Mirza decided to take a desperate and risky step - to attack Samarkand while Sheibani Khan did not suspect anything. The campaign was prepared in great secrecy. The Becks more than once dissuaded Babur from a risky undertaking. But to abandon one's plan means to appear in Andijan completely humiliated and nailed down, to submit to the will of Ahmad Tanbal.
Roaming around the corners of your state is the greatest humiliation. Babur could not afford such a thing. He decided to fight like a lion: either win or die. This time fate was favorable to Babur. While Sheibani Khan was scouring in pursuit of him, he took possession of the city and tens of thousands of people joined the two hundred nukers of the young Mirza. The people took revenge for the scolding of Sheibani Khan's henchmen. The real massacre began.
The joy of victory, which had not yet cooled down, was sweetened by the dear news: Babur received a letter from Herat from Alisher Navoi himself. The congratulations from the great poet flattered Babur. It turns out that he knows him, Babur, from such a distance he is closely watching him. “This time you recaptured Samarkand with a courage worthy of your name” (note: Babur means “lion” in Arabic), Navoi wrote. Having learned from faithful people about Babur's poetic gift, Mir Alisher urged him to boldly try his hand not only on the military field, but also in versification.
In this segment of life, success followed one after another. After Samarkand was recaptured, Urgut in the east, Sogd and Dabusiya in the west came out from under the subordination of Sheibani Khan and recognized the power of Babur. Sheibani was preparing for future battles, and lifted the siege of Samarkand. Babur was only sixteen at the time, but he knew what to say to the great Mir Alisher...
Whoever expects good from people, even the highest, but thinking only of their own selfishness, will be deceived, will certainly be deceived. The world of Alisher brings good to people because it stands immeasurably higher than the flatterers surrounding the crowned bearers (all of them, in general, are temporary in this mortal world!). And Babur wrote the following lines in a reply letter to him.
Good from temporary workers - tell me, O soul, who knows?
And the shah, more honest flatterers, court flatterers, who knows?
Serve not yourself - good, be above the selfish crowd,
Whoever is ready to serve the good will recognize the Man in himself!
Two days later, a special envoy set off with a letter and expensive gifts from Samarkand to Herat. Babur hoped that he would receive an answer from Navoi before the end of winter. But when the first snowdrops appeared, instead of the expected answer, sad news arrived from Herat: Alisher Navoi had died. The messenger from Babur went to him at a time when the poet was no longer alive. The hopes of the young mirza that the great Navoi would be his mentor did not come true. Sheibani Khan was preparing a new war against Babur.
THE Wanderings of the Crown Bearer
Do not ask, friend, what is the matter with me, for I have become weaker: The flesh is weaker than the soul, and my soul is sicker than the flesh. Not my own - how can I recount the tale of torment chapter by chapter? This cargo is my living one hundred iron chains heavier! The confrontation between Babur and Sheibani Khan grew. For no battle did the Mirza prepare so obsessively. And so his opponent, leaving garrisons and loyal governors in Bukhara and Dabusia, quickly moved towards Samarkand. Babur went out to meet him and camped near the Zarafshan River. Sheibani Khan tried to speed up the battle, as he knew that reinforcements from distant Turkestan should approach the young Mirza. Now a significant numerical superiority was on his side. In addition, he sent Binoyi, a poet and astrologer, to the camp of Babur, who was in fact a scout of the Khan.
It was he who persuaded the gullible ruler to start the battle early. Babur suffered a serious defeat and was forced to flee from persecution. So he ended up in Tashkent. In the palace of Mahmud Khan, who was the uncle of the former Samarkand ruler, Babur was received coldly. The "radiant" Mahmud Khan by his behavior made it clear that he respects the "radiant" Sheibani Khan more as a winner than his own nephew-loser. How could the prim nobleman know what a terrible, deadly retribution for arrogance and arrogance awaits him ahead! In the meantime ... he was certainly worried about the threat of an attack by Sheibani Khan on Tashkent.
Therefore, he called his younger brother Olachkhan from distant lands beyond Issyk-Kul to help him. In about a month, fifteen thousand of his nukers arrive here. Of course, it was possible to put Babur at the head of the 30,000-strong army, but if he defeats Sheibani, then people will glorify not him, but Babur. Who does not know: in whose hands the army, that one has glory, and whoever has glory, that belongs to power.
Babur was burdened by his own position at his uncle's court. Born a crowned man did not want to be a hanger-on. His relationship with his wife did not work out, and he gave her a triple divorce, after which, according to Sharia, it was no longer possible to restore the marriage. After the Mirza went to Ura-Tyube. There he led a very simple life and even walked barefoot on the rocks. Babur knew the deceptive seductiveness of power, the vanity and vanity of the life of a crowned bearer... The prim and arrogant ruler of Tashkent, Mahmud Khan, got involved in a war with Sheibani Khan and was defeated. The young Mirza remembered that the ruler of Gissar, Khisrov Shah, once took the throne from Babur's cousin Baysunkur Mirza, and blinded another of Timur's offspring, so that he would not covet the throne, pressing the tip of a red-hot spear to his eyes. Babur's soul was in turmoil. This is not how he imagined the life of a crowned bearer. He dreamed of a single big state and no longer intended to stay where they gnaw at each other, humiliate and trample.
Mighty, formidable and once flourishing Maverannahr was again torn apart by the war of the rulers. Ahmad Tanbal and Sheibani Khan, who were "allies", were ready to destroy each other, and Babur's soul resisted during this period to rhyme sonorous lines. But he continued to write the book of his life "Babur-name" and tried to write truthfully - without embellishment, because "if you hide the disease, it will betray you anyway."
Babur rather wrote for himself, to report to his own conscience. The cherished notebook was a friend to whom he trusted all his secrets. Meanwhile, Ahmad Tanbal was defeated by Sheibani Khan in an open field near Andijan and locked himself in a fortress. After the siege and capture of the city of Tanbala and its brothers, the nukers of Sheibani were cut to pieces.
Babur reflected on the injustice of fate. Is it really necessary to be like Sheibani in this mortal world in order to be a winner? He wanted to be an enlightened ruler and gave a lot of energy to poetry, art, thought about humanity and lost to Sheibani. The cruel have taken over. Now it remained to think about saving lives and continuing the struggle. Babur left Isfara and went to Herat, where his relative Hussein Baiqara ruled. Behind the majestic Pamirs, the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and new trials of fate awaited him. again, from Samarkand. However, the Timurid was not "lost" in history. He managed to turn the remaining loyal troops into a formidable, well-organized force.
He found refuge in the territory of modern Afghanistan and managed to win back the throne of the Kabul ruler for himself. But before that Babur conquered Kandahar in 1504. Then he annexed the region and the city of Ghazni (Ghazna) to his possessions. And only after that he made a victorious campaign against Kabul.
In 1512, the sultan tried to recapture Samarkand from the Uzbeks. He went to war with them, hoping that they had not yet recovered from the defeat inflicted on them by the Persians in Khorasan. However, the Uzbek army in the battle of Ghazdivan defeated the Kabulites. After this failure, Babur spent many years perfecting his small army.
Troops were recruited from conquered regions and nomadic tribes. Babur had a new type of guns - like in Europe. Having noticeably strengthened, the Kabul Sultan decided to conquer Northern India. From 1515 to 1523, the Kabul cavalry made several raids on the Punjab. But this was only reconnaissance in force. The most successful was the campaign of 1519 with the crossing of the Indus River, but it had to be stopped and hastily returned to Kabul, as major unrest began in the Sultan's possessions.
Having established proper order in the country, Zahireddin Mohammed, nicknamed the Lion, is again going on a campaign to the lands of fabulously rich India. However, his first attempt at conquest failed. Babur, with the help of numerous spies, closely monitored the situation in the neighboring country. When in 1524 a popular uprising broke out in the Punjab against the local princes, the Sultan hastened to set out on a campaign.
He captured the Punjabi capital of Lahore, but could not stay in it. Soon, the Punjabi governor of the ruler of the Muslim Delhi Sultanate, Ibrahim Lodi, ousted the Kabulis from the Punjab. However, now it was no longer possible to stop Babur. The following year, 1525, he again invaded the Punjab and subjugated it, defeating the troops of all the border princes.
After that, without letting the Indian Muslims come to their senses, he went to their capital, Delhi. The army of the ruler of Kabul consisted of only 10 thousand selected people, with rich combat experience of equestrian warriors, who skillfully wielded both edged weapons and bows. It is believed that Babur's army had musketeers and artillery, which was serviced by Turkish mercenaries, and spearmen on foot (it is believed that there were two thousand of them).
On the way to Delhi, Babur was joined by five thousand local warriors - Hindus and Muslims The Delhi Sultan Ibrahim Lodi came out to meet the enemy army. He led with him (according to various estimates) 10-40 thousand soldiers. The strike force of the Delhi Muslims was 100 war elephants. The battle took place on April 21, 1526 on the Panipat Plain, 30 miles from the city of Delhi. Babur decided to accept a defensive battle. The transport wagons formed a battle line. Cannons were placed in the gaps between them, which, according to Turkish custom, were chained to each other. Behind the wagons were spearmen and foot soldiers. Enough wide passages were left for the exit of the cavalry.
The ruler of Delhi with his army stood for several days in front of the enemy field fortress, not daring to start a battle. Babur was also in no hurry, waiting for the actions of Ibrahim Lodi. Finally, the Indians launched a massive attack on the position of the Kabulians, but were stopped in front of the wagon line by artillery fire and infantry. In that attack, the Delhi Muslims could not be helped by the troops of war elephants. Babur prudently waited until almost the entire enemy army got involved in the battle. After that, he inflicted two flank attacks with cavalry, which the Sultan of Delhi had nothing to fend off.
The Delhi Muslims fought desperately, but when the danger of encirclement became real, they ran towards the capital. The Kabul cavalry pursued the Indian warriors. The battle of Panipat ended with a brilliant victory for Babur. The Delhi army lost only 15 thousand people killed, among whom was the ruler Ibrahim Lodi. The Indians also missed a lot of war elephants.
On April 27, 1526, the army of Zahireddin Muhammad Babur entered the city of Delhi, which opened its fortress gates to the conqueror. The Kabul Sultan became the founder of the Afghan dynasty of Delhi rulers and the "State of the Great Moghuls" - as the Europeans called the Mughal state. It was called Mughal on behalf of the direct ancestors of Babur - the Mongols. Babur, with his inherent energy, did not sit out in the Sultan's palace.
Already in the next year, 1527, he continued his conquests in Northern India. And immediately he had to face the warlike Rajputs, who united against him in a confederation of princes. In the same year, 65 kilometers west of the city of Agra, at Sikra (Fatehpur-Sikar), a battle took place that significantly outnumbered the Panipat battle in terms of the number of soldiers participating in it.
The leader of the Rajaput princes, Rana Sanga, brought to the battlefield an army of almost 100,000, which had many war elephants. Zahireddin Babur's army did not exceed 20 thousand people. But its backbone was made up of battle-hardened equestrian fighters from the Turks, Afghans, Tajiks, who participated in military campaigns for many years. Babur again, as under Panipat, set up a battle line of carts fastened together. Musketeers and foot soldiers took cover behind them, and the cannons were again placed in places convenient for firing. Under such a fairly reliable cover, the Mughal cavalry received freedom of maneuver from flank to flank. The Rajputs boldly attacked the enemy army along the entire line of wagons. Events in the battle developed according to the Paliputian scenario. Only this time there were twice as many attackers, but they still could not break through the enemy position. Indian warriors under bullets and arrows tried to pull apart wagons.
Thanks to the strong and swift counterattack of the cavalry on the flanks of the Rajaput troops, Babur won that day the most brilliant victory in his military biography. Most likely, the Rajput warriors would have stood firmer, but they lost their leader. Sanga was seriously wounded and therefore could no longer lead the battle. None of the many Rajput princes who surrounded him dared to take command. The united army of the confederation of Rajput princes was completely defeated and fled from Sikra. The losses of the defeated Rajputs were enormous.
None of their princes thought of further resistance. In the next two years, Babur noticeably expanded his conquests. He annexed Bihar and Bengal in the lower reaches of the Ganges to his power.
In 1529, near the city of Spots on the banks of the Ghagra River, the last big battle for Zahireddin Muhammad took place, which lasted three days. So the ruler of Kabul and Delhi completed the conquest of Northern India. The founder of the state of the Great Moghuls left a huge empire to his heirs. Its borders stretched from the north from the banks of the Amu Darya and in the south to the Brahmaputra River, in the west from Multan and to the mouth of the Ganges in the east. On the Indian territory proper, Babur owned almost the entire interfluve of the Indus and the Ganges. The first Great Mogul was unable to complete subsequent conquest plans, he died in 1530.
This man went down in world history as the founder of the largest power in the 16th-18th centuries on the territory of India and Afghanistan - the Mughal Empire. This empire was called Mughal because its creator was the grandson of Tamerlane, who, in turn, was a distant descendant of Genghis Khan - that is, a Mongol. The Great Mughals is the name of the dynasty, the beginning of which was laid by this man. His name is Babur.
Babur means "lion". And the original name was Zahireddin Mohammed. Born in 1483, died in 1530, a little before reaching the age of 48. Little by modern standards. But in his last years he himself experienced fatigue, despondency, often said that he was tired of power and his soul wanted solitude. In addition, Babur yearned for his native places.
These places are Ferghana, in the family of the ruler of which Omar Sheikh Mirza, he was born. Childhood passed in Andijan. Here he received a good education, here a love for poetry awakened in him, here he was happy, but he will understand this many years later and far from his native land. “Violets are so beautiful in Ferghana,” he writes in the famous book about his life and his time “Babur-name”, “there are many tulips and roses” ...
“Babur was one of the most cultured and charming people that ever existed,” future Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru assures his young daughter Indira, also the future Prime Minister of this country, in one of the letters to her from prison, which compiled the famous book "A Look at World History".
But here it is in place to recall that the descendant of the Genghisides inherited self-confidence, ambition and, finally, the ability of a military leader from his ancestors. This was useful to him early, because as a boy of eleven years after the death of his father, he became the ruler of Fergana.
His throne was shaky. His internecine strife shook him. Sultans, khans, beks, of whom there were a dime a dozen in feudal South Asia in the 15th-16th centuries, wanted to grab something from their neighbors, subjugate someone, but they especially wanted to just fly in with an army and rob. Babur was no exception.
It was a common thing at that time - his brother opposed him and the Fergana inheritance had to be divided into two possessions. And when two quarrel, the third wins: taking advantage of the strife, the ruler of the nomadic Uzbeks, Sheibani Khan, began to take city after city, including Samarkand. Babur repulsed him, but did not last long. After a heavy siege, which caused famine and "the inhabitants did not disdain to eat dog meat, but human dogs," he left the city and fled to Tashkent. Here he is trying to forge an alliance against Sheibani Khan, but because of the betrayals of several local princes, he fails. Again defeated, he rushes to Afghanistan - here the principality of Herat is ruled by a Timurid tribesman, and this is the hope of returning his fiefdom. However, in Afghanistan, too, confusion reigns. Babur's hope of returning home did not come true. And in 1504 he ... seizes power in Kabul. He is 21 years old at this time. What to do next? Years later, in his book "Babur-name" he writes that even then he had the idea to conquer India - no more and no less! But, he recalls, “sometimes this was hindered by the stupidity of the beks, and sometimes the lack of support from relatives. Eight years, until 1512, hiding the main plan of his life, Babur unsuccessfully tries to return Bukhara and Samarkand and only 15 years later finally brings his plan to action - he has been raiding India since 1519. The raids give huge booty.But is it really necessary for the already mature and experienced 36-year-old Babur ...
A secret dream, an idefix of his whole life, burns his mind and heart, and he is waiting in the wings. Everything was decided by the circumstances. The sworn enemy of Babur, Sheibani Khan, started a campaign against the Afghan lands. Central Asian rulers joined him. It was impossible to resist such a force because of the strife of the Afghan tribes. “I was left alone in Kabul, the enemy is very strong, and we are very weak,” Babur says to those close to him. “Having such a strong and powerful enemy, we must find some place for ourselves; while there is time and opportunity, we need to get away from such a powerful and formidable enemy. You should head either to Badakhshan or to Hindustan." There is no way to go back to Badakhshan - this is death. Remains India. This is how historical events of world significance sometimes begin.
And here's how they unfold.
At that time, Sultan Ibrahim Lodi was sitting on the throne in Delhi. The once indestructible Delhi Sultanate had already become a pitiful wreckage and Ibrahim Lodi was just a match for them. He was cruel and intolerant and therefore did not have supporters in his entourage. And this entourage decides... to call Babur, who is familiar from his raids on North Indian lands. It was supposed that he would help to overthrow the Sultan and the booty he had looted would be a sufficient reward for this. One of the local rulers, Doulat Khan, as well as an influential military leader, Prince Rana Sangram, conspire with Babur. If they knew, they knew about his old dream!
In "Babur-name" its author recalls that having captured the Punjab, he "put his foot in the stirrup of determination, took in his hands the reins of hope in God and went to Sultan Ibrahim."
Historians say that it was a gamble. True, the 16th century was almost everywhere favorable to adventurers. The robbers, who were waiting for a noose or a chopping block, the offspring of impoverished families, went to the conquistadors and "took the sword" of the richest states of the New World. Yes, the New World: luck and courage elevated the ruler of little Navarre to the throne of France! Babur was a son of the 16th century.
The main battle took place northwest of Delhi on 21 April 1526. Babur turned 43 two months and one week ago. It's time: now or never! The army of the Sultan has about 100 thousand, the army of Babur is about 10-12 thousand. In India, especially in the South, as Afanasy Nikitin testified, firearms had been used for about a hundred years, but the useless commander Ibrahim neglected them and hoped to crush Babur with the pressure of a powerful cavalry. However, the latter used the old Turkic technique: he tied the wagons with leather straps and because of them, hiding behind shields, his soldiers had to fire volleys at the attacking enemy cavalry, only, unlike their ancestors, not from bows, but from guns. In addition, Babur had good artillery and a well-coordinated detachment of arquebusiers. The battle ended with the defeat of the troops of the Delhi Sultan and his own death. The way to Agra and Delhi was opened.
The warlord Prince Rana Sangram and his accomplices, who had summoned Babur, realized it and, having urgently put together an alliance of local rulers, formed a huge army. Companions of the "guest" trembled and began to persuade Babur to return home, for "one should be content with the mercy of Allah, which he sent down." In addition, the inevitable defeat was predicted by the court astrologer. But who among them could know that for Babur it was a finest hour and he could not deviate from the main goal of his life for anything, because it was up to her to stretch out his hand. He loved wine, but at this critical moment he broke all his wine goblets and vowed not to drink again.
Babur defeated Rana Sangram's troops. He fulfilled his vow not to abuse wine. Now there were every opportunity to seize the territories of Northern and Central India, to make the feudal lords of the eastern part of the Ganges valley their vassals. Thus was laid the foundation of the Mughal empire.
However, Babur was destined to live and rule the empire for only four years. There were still battles and battles ahead, labors to create a tax and administrative system. In Agra he founded a magnificent capital.
Next to Babur's palace, the Zaravshan garden was laid out. Both the name and its appearance betrayed a deep longing for their native places.
The dream came true: he is the creator and ruler of a huge state, powerful, rich, he is praised, bowed before him. But there is no happiness...
Babur's daughter Gulbadan in the most interesting notes (the rarest example of a female chronicler in the Middle Ages) testifies that he more and more often sought solitude.
He was broken by the death of his son Alvar. It was followed by a serious illness of another son - Humayun. Babur prayed to God to take his life in exchange for the life of his son. Humayun recovered, and a few days later the founder of the empire, who was infected by him, died.
He was buried near Agra, and later the remains were transferred to Kabul. There he rests in the garden, finally returning to the flowers for which he has longed for so many years. A spicy raikhon plant was planted on the grave, which he especially loved, because it reminded him of his native land and childhood ...
According to experts, among the Turkic-speaking poets of his era, Babur is second only to the brilliant Alisher Navoi. The book "Babur-name" entered the treasury of world culture as an excellent example of prose and a valuable historical source. The creative heritage of this man is imperishable. What about the empire he laid down?
Before his death, Babur, according to custom, divided his possessions between his sons. India went to Humayun. But the brothers were not friendly, and Humayun did not inherit from his father either courage, talents, or, finally, luck. The rebellious feudal lords led by Sher Khan defeated Humayun's troops, many of the heir Babur's close associates defected to the side of the enemy. Humayun fled to Iran, and his opponent entered Delhi. The power of the Mughal dynasty was interrupted for almost fifteen years.
Then she will recover. Babur's grandson Akbar, who ascended the throne in 1556 and ruled India for almost 50 years, expanded the empire's borders, but was most famous for his patronage of the sciences and arts, will write their names in history - in very different ways; Aurentzit, who overthrew his father in 1658, killed his brother, further expanded the empire and took the title of Alum Gir - "conqueror of the world"; Alum II, during which in 1788 the British took over the Mughal Empire, having determined the material content of the British crown for the descendants of Babur; Bahadur Khan, the seventeenth and last Mogul, who in 1857 at the age of 90 was proclaimed ruler by the Hindus who rebelled against the British, fled to Rangoon after the capture of Delhi by the colonialists, where he soon died in 1862. Most of all among the descendants of the first of the Mughals - Babur, the last of them - Bahadur Khan is revered: under the name Safar, he wrote poetry and, by the perfection of form, is considered one of the most prominent poets of India ...
The empire is long gone and there are not many traces of it left. The poetry of people from the famous Mughal family lives on. "There are strange rapprochements," Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was amazed. The first and last in a long line of rulers, cruel power and poetry... The East is rich in great quirks.
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Babur Muhammad Zahir ad-din - (1483-1530), founder of the Mughal dynasty, Central Asian statesman and commander, conqueror of India and founder of the Mughal dynasty. Born February 14, 1483 in Andijan, the eldest son of the ruler of Ferghana Omar Sheikh Mirza.
On the paternal side he descended from Timur, on the maternal side - from Genghis Khan. Prince Zahir ad-Din was taught in his father's palace by court scholars and advisers. After the death of his father in 1494, he endured a stubborn struggle for power with his relatives and representatives of the nobility groups. The attempts of the young ruler to create a large centralized state on the territory of Maverannahr (the interfluve of the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya) were unsuccessful. As a result, Fergana was divided between Zahir ad-Din, nicknamed in Mongolian "Babur" ("Tiger"), and his brother Dhahangir Mirza. During a series of campaigns, Babur managed to annex Kashgar, Kunduz and Kandahar and establish his capital in Samarkand.
This is her custom: beauty is always right.
Babur Muhammad Zahir ad-din
In 1504, taking advantage of civil strife and wars between rival rulers from the Timurid family, the leader of the nomadic Uzbek tribes, Muhammad Sheibani Khan, captured Samarkand and Andijan, and then Tashkent, forcing Babur to retreat to Kabul. In 1508, Sheibani conquered Herat from the ruler of Khorasan (Sultan Hussein Mirza).
Fortified in Kabul, Babur tried in 1505-1515 to return the Central Asian possessions, but each time he was defeated. In 1508, he went to Kandahar to come to the aid of its ruler, but soon quarreled with him, captured this city and transferred control of it to his brother Nayr Mirza. In the same year, Babur made his first trip to India and, stopping at the Badi Pich pass, ordered the history of his transition to be carved on a stone.
From 1519 the ruler of Kabul began the systematic conquest of India. In 1525, responding to the calls of the vassals of the last Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim (Ibrahim) Lodi, Babur crossed the Indus River and in 1526 defeated the Sultan's army at the Battle of Panipat, north of Delhi. “The Great Lord,” the conqueror recalled, “made this difficult task easy for us: he razed such a large army to the ground in half a day. Near Ibrahim, in one place alone, 5 or 6 thousand people were killed; the number of those who fell in other places we approximately determined at 15-16 thousand. Then ... from the stories of the inhabitants of Hindustan it became known that 40-50 thousand people were killed in this battle. Having occupied Delhi, Agra and almost the entire Ganges valley up to Bengal, Babur declared himself emperor (padishah). The possessions of his empire, with its capital in Agra, extended to northern India and part of modern Afghanistan.
Babur is known as an enlightened ruler, patron of the arts, science and culture. Around his court in Agra, he gathered many prominent writers, poets, artists, musicians and scientists. He himself was a scientist, a talented writer and poet. Babur's daughter, Gulbadan-begim, recalled that her father built a horse polo field in Sikri with a special room where he used to write books. Babur is the author of lyrical poems (rubai and gazelles), treatises on Muslim jurisprudence (Mubayin), poetics (Aruz risolasi), music, military affairs, the creator of a special alphabet Hatt-i Baburi. But the greatest fame was brought to him by the unique autobiographical book Babur-name (Babur's Notes), reflecting information about the history and life of the peoples, the economy, nature and geography of Central Asia, Afghanistan and India in the late 15th - early 16th centuries.
