In 1000 C.E., Muslim nomads from the region of present-day Afghanistan began to conduct raids against the predominantly Hindu princes and peasants of India. Gradually, the central Asian nomads were able to gain control over much of northern India and to establish a capital at Delhi. From 1206 to 1526, the Islamic sultans in Delhi struggled, with intermittent success, against both rival Muslim and native Hindu military leaders to make their rule effective.Around 1500, a powerful new Muslim military leader of Turkish and Mongol descent, Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, emerged on the arid plains northwest of India. Babur captured Kabul, made this city his capital, and then began a series of raids on the Muslim and Hindu warlords south of Khyber Pass. After winning a major victory at Panipat in 1526, he captured Delhi and took charge of much of northern India.
Babur’s seizure of Delhi was a major turning point in the history of India. Although he died only a few years later, his brief period of rule was the beginning of the Mughal Dynasty (1526-1858). The Mughal emperors brought political unity to most of the Indian subcontinent for the first time since the fall of the Gupta Empire a thousand years earlier. From the reign of Babur’s grandson Akbar to that of Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperors were among the greatest rulers of the early modern world. The splendid palaces, fortresses, and tombs they built in Delhi, Agra (the home of the Taj Mahal), Fatehpur Sikri, and Lahore testify to their vast wealth and enormous power.
Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, was a fierce warrior who also loved Persian poetry and elaborate gardens. He seems to have spent much of his life on horseback, but nonetheless found the time to write a fascinating account of his own life. His memoir, known as the Baburnama (which you can read excerpts from by clicking here) is remarkably revealing about personal matters and provides scholars with valuable information regarding the process of state-building in 16th-century South Asia. In the selections from the Baburnama, we can follow Babur and his soldiers as they enter India for the first time in 1505, win the Battle of Panipat, and begin the process of establishing the new regime.
After you have read the document excerpts, I would like you to consider and discuss the following: What was Babur’s first reaction to India? What measures did he take to prepare for the Battle of Panipat? How did he compare his army with that of Sultan Ibrahim? How did he explain his victory at Panipat? In Babur’s judgment, which was more important, his own preparations for the battle or God’s “grace and generosity?” What measures did Babur take to consolidate his power and establish a new regime after his victory at Panipat? What weapons seem to have been most important to Babur? Where did he obtain them? To what extent did Babur’s Muslim beliefs shape his actions? Did he disregard some Muslim tenets? Did he think of himself as leading a jihad? Why did he invade India? How did Babur’s army compare with that of his contemporary, Suleiman, the Ottoman sultan? Finally, in what ways were the political systems in the Ottoman Empire, Mughal India, and the Russian Empire similar and different? Your thoughts…
5 comments:
When Babur first saw India he described it as a whole new world. They were not used to the hot, humid climate or even the customs or traditions. When he was preparing for battle, the first thing he did was count how many men he had. He was surprised because he had fewer men than what he expected. Then they prepared their carts by strapping them together and equipping them with armor. They also prepared their guns. Then they layed out a map of the town and strategized the best plan for attack. Babur describes Sultan Ibrahim as someone that is only concerned with money.
i think that babur found his own preparations to be more important. he saw that no matter how much his troop believed in God, they were still going to be afraid of the oncoming challenge. the least he could do was prepare them and give them as much confidence as was available in his power. he also knew that they had to reprepare themselves because they had miscounted the numbers in the army. he tried as best he could to work with his troops. he didn't so much put his faith in God, so much as he knew that God had a fate determined and that they just had to figure out what was His will. babur also foresaw that his army did have a chance. the oncoming army wasn't going to take them seriously, so they didn't fight with as much vigor. i think that babur's foresight, planning, efficient use of his men, and judgment made for his victory at Panipat.
the strategy that babar used seemed to work well probably because they had guns and that the indians weren't taking them seriously and didn't think they were a threat....his men were really freaked out i guess cause there were so little of them against a whole big army...i think babar's determination brought him the victory at panipat.. they had just put all their faith in Allah..
babur was not used to anything in idia, it was totally different place for him... balbur seemed to have known what he was doing, although he didnt have as many men as he expected. he had a good strategy of where to attack and organized all of their weapons
Babur's first reaction to India was one of astonishment; he described it as a whole new world. Compared to the sultan's army, Babur said that the sultan was outnumbered because he didn't want to spend the money to hire more badhandi. Babur noted that god's generosity was more important. This is seen when he states, "By gods grace and generosity such a difficult action was made easy for us, and such a numerous army was ground into the dust in half a day."
After the battle they had to make sure the sultan was dead. To consolidate his power he placed officials into ruling positions and set up a postal system, which was reminiscent of the Mongol yam system. I don't think he was leading a jihad. He seems to have no reason to invade other than the thrill and possible rewards.
Post a Comment