Babur (1526–1530) + Humayun (1530–1556)

Where and what was Hindustan?

• The Persian name for northern India • Where some of the world's oldest religions began eg Hinduism stretching back to 5000 years to the Indus valley civilisation, as well as Buddhism and Jainism

What was brought to India and why was this important?

• In the 11th C AD invaders brought islam to Hindustan

Who eventually ended up taking control? Why was this a problem for Hindustan?

• Around the year 1000AD a Muslim ruler from Afghanistan (Mahmud of Ghazni) began a series of raids on northern India • His successors became the greatest power in Hindustan and by 13C the Muslim rulers known as 'sultans' ruled from their power base in Delhi • Their kingdom known as Delhi Sultanate, was often disunited with different dynasties competing for power making Hindustan vulnerable

When did Babur become the ruler of Fergana?

1494 at age 12

What early challenges did Babur face?

What territories did • Challenges from some of his uncles who ruled neighbouring kingdoms • At age 15 he captured the city of the Samarkand to the west of Fergana • However within 2 years he lost both Fergana and Samarkand • His followers and him looked for new territories to conquer and by 1504 they crossed the Hindu Kush mountains and captured the city of Kabul

Why was Kabul important?

• Was an important trading route from India to central Asia • Babur was impressed by Kabul's lovely summer climate, orchards, vineyards and views of Hindu Kush

What was his life like in Kabul for the 20 years after?

• Built gardens, wrote poetry, began drinking wine • Had 20 children with his 4 wives • Studied Islamic law and perfected his fighting skills allowing him to gradually gain control of surrounding tribes and villages

When did Babur first invade Hindustan?

1505

Who and where did Babur lead the 1st troop when raiding?

• He led a small troop of his followers through the Khyber Pass and headed across the River Indus and its tributaries to the rich agricultural lands and wealthy cities of the Punjab

What happened on his 1st raid when he reached Hindustan?

• At 1st Babur wanted to pillage Hindustan, forcing the cities of the Punjab and Sindh to pay tributes of gold and produce • People who refused to surrender were slaughtered • Babur piled their skulls into pyramids as his ancestor had done

When did Babur's army leave for an invasion on Hindustan?

(leading to the significant battle) Nov 1525

What happened in Nov 1525?

• Babur left Kabul with an army of around 12,000 men

What weapons did Babur and his army bring?

• Matchlock muskets • Cannon

Why were the muskets important? Where had they come from and why?

• In the years before Babur's final advance on hindustan he acquired a supply of guns from the Ottoman Turks • Gunpowder weapons were a new technology in early 16C • In India guns were used on west coast by Portuguese but had not yet spread north into hindustan • Babur's forces included several thousand musketeers who had been trained to use the matchlock muskets by Ottoman Turks

Where did the cannon come from? Why was it important?

• Gunpowder weapon developed by Ottoman Turks • Babur took several hundred cannon to Hindustan and employed an Ottoman expert to give him advice on the new weapons

Who was the ruler of Delhi at the time of invasion?

Sultan Ibrahim Lodi

Why was Babur met with little resistance when he first came to Delhi?

• Sultan Ibrahim was a young, inexperienced ruler who was weakened by internal opposition to his rule • In spring 1526 Babur's army was met with little resistance as it went across the Punjab

What happened in response to Babur's army at first?

• Eventually Sultan Ibrahim sent a small advance force to challenge the Mughals but was defeated by Humayun (Babur's 17 year old son) who captured 100+ prisoners • Babur ordered the execution of the captives by musket fire in order to create fear of the new weapon

Where did Babur's army reach in April 1526?

The flat, hot plain of north Delhi

What happened when Ibrahim's and Babur's army met? Why was this a problem for the Mughal Empire?

• The area did not suit the Mughals as it was too hard to make a surprise attack in such a wide area • Babur advanced to the town of Panipat , where Sultan Ibrahim's army came to meet him • The Mughal force had grown to over 20,000 with reinforcements collected on the way but were outnumbered by the sultan's vast army containing 100,000 men and 1000 war elephants

When was the Battle of Panipat?

April 1526

How did Babur position his army in this battle and what did it do?

• Positioned his army between the town and river • On 1 side the Mughal forces were protected from attack by the buildings of the town and on the other babur ordered his men to dig ditches and to create a barrier using felled trees • This ensured that Ibrahim Lodi's army could only attack them along a narrow line at the front

How did Babur protect the front line?

• Created a barrier with 700 carts, placed 4 m apart, and held together with leather ropes • Between the carts 6 or 7 musketeers were placed, and wider gaps were made between the carts which through his cavalry (troop on horseback) could charge and attack the enemy

Why would Babur's plan only work under certain conditions?

• Only worked if the sultan's forces attacked 1st • But Ibrahim Lodi was in no hurry and by the 19th April, Babur had to provoke the sultan, by ordering part of his army to attack the sultan's camp

When did the calvary finally attack? Why?

21 April • At the sultan's camp the Mughals were easily repelled but Babur's plan had worked as the sultan's calvary charged as the Mughal frontline troops and elephants soon found themselves crushed together in the firing line of Babur's musketeers

How did Babur show good leadership in this battle? How did this allow the battle to go successfully?

• Positioned himself near the centre of his army so he could oversee the battle • At the right time he ordered his calvary to burst out and barricade ant attack the sultans from the rear, and at the same time ordered the left and right flanks to advance

What happened as a result of the battle of Panipat?

• The enemies were mainly slaughtered by the muskets, cannons and cavalry • By midday over 15,000 men had been killed including Ibrahim Lodi himself • When the Mughals found him they cut off his head , but Babur ordered that for respect he should be buried where he fell

How did Babur celebrate this success?

• Babur built a garden and mosque on the site • This was the 1st Mughal building in India

How did babur react after the battle of Panipat? What was he proclaimed?

• Afternoon of the Battle of Panipat, Babur sent Humayun with a small group of warriors to secure Agra (the Lodi capital) and to seize the treasuries • The next day Babur set off to Delhi which he spent days visiting, and later at Friday prayers was proclaimed emperor in Delhi's main mosque

How was Babur celebrated as the new emperor?

• Rich treasuries allowed him to reward his loyal followers a lot • On 10th May Babur rode into Agra with great ceremony as new emperor of hindustan • Babur decided to stay in Hindustan rather than go back to Kabur

How did Babur try to support and persuade others to keep control of the land in Hindustan?

• Determined to strengthen his hold over the fertile land and wealthy cities of Hindustan • However many of his leading warriors did not share Babur's ambition, particularly as it was very hot in India's northern plain • Babur made speeches to encourage many of his warriors to stay

How did Babur treat the family of Sultan Ibrahim?

Treated them well, granting his mother a pension and allowing her to remain at court in Agra

How did Ibrahim Lodi's mother treat Babur?

• Babur had kept 4 of Ibrahim's cooks as he wanted to try hindustani food • Ibrahim's mother persuaded one to sprinkle poison in Babur's food • Babur was ill but cured himself drinking opium and milk

How did Babur react to the way Ibrahim's mother acted?

• The culprits confessed under torture • Although Babur showed mercy to Ibrahim's mother the cook was skinned alive, food taster hacked to pieces and an elderly woman who had acted as a messenger was trampled to death by elephants

What dangers did Babur face?

• Babur survived the assassination attempt at Agra, but across Hindustan there were hostile forces that were determined to oppose his rule • The most immediate danger came from the Hindu princes of Rajasthan known as the Rajput Confederacy

What forces did Babur have to face from the Rajput Confederacy?

• The leader of the Rajput Confederacy Rana Sanga was an experienced warrior who saw defeat of Ibrahim Lodi as an opportunity to create a Hindu empire in Hindustan • When the rainy season ended in the spring of 1527, Rana Sanga gathered his forces and marched towards Agra • Babur faced a formidable army of 200,000 men

What was different about this army? What did Babur do as a result?

• The 1st time Babur had fought a non-Muslim army • For many years the Mughal emperor had been a heavy drinker, now he strengthened his Islamic identity by refusing to drink wine • Babur gathered his army together and in a dramatic gesture poured a newly arrived supply of wine onto the ground • Broke up his silver and gold drinking goblets and distributed the fragments to poor Muslims

Other than through rejecting alcohol, how did Babur motivate his army?

Made a stirring speech that insisted his men should swear on the Qur'an that they would fight to the death as ghazis, Islamic warriors

When did Babur's army meet the Rajput's Confederacy? 16 March 1527 • Babur's army faced Rajput Confederacy at Kanua (about 40 miles west of Agra) • In many ways the battle followed a similar pattern to Panipat, but it lasted a whole day and there were heavy casualties on both sides

What allowed Babur to beat the Rajput Confederacy?

• Again the firepower and tactics of the Mughals made a difference • 1000s of Rajput warriors were slaughtered • Rana Sanga was wounded but managed to escape • In the tradition of his ancestors, Babur made a huge tower of the decapitated heads of his enemy

What did Babur do in the last 3 years of his life?

• In the remaining 3 years of his life, he strengthened his hold on Hindustan, capturing important forts eg Chanderi, and destroying the regional power of rulers, eg Sultan of Bengal in the east • Hindustan with enormous wealth was gradually coming under Mughal control, but by 1530 the extent of the empire was still limited

What was a useful method of transport for Babur?

• Babur sought to expand his control in Hindustan, he often found that rivers provided a convenient way to travel • However there were some dangers travelling by river eg crocodiles

What did Babur admire about Hindustan?

• The great wealth of Hindustan, particularly its grain, gems and textiles • The huge number of skilled Indian craftsmen • The beautiful places • The Indian method of counting and time-keeping

What did Babur dislike about Hindustan?

• The intense heat, dust and flies of the plain • The lack of cool streams and gardens • The absence of grapes, melons and other fruit • The bad manners of the Hindustani peasants and their lack of trousers

What did Babur do as soon as he arrived in Agra?

• As soon as he arrived in Agra, he decided to create a walled garden next to the river, with its running water, shade and scented flowers reminding of him of his life in Kabul • This was 1 of the many gardens which he and other Mughals created in India

How did Babur use books?

• Babur started to build up a large library of rare books and precious manuscripts • Under his grandson, Akbar it became 1 of the finest libraries in the world

Did Babur have an autobiography? What was it called?

• He spent much time turning the notes he had made during his travels into his autobiography • Babur's skill as a writer and poet allowed him to create a great work of literature (the Baburnama)

When did Babur have an important feast?

1528 • Babur gave a magnificent feast at the Mughal court in Agra • He sent for his wives and children from Kabul, and invited his loyal followers from across his empire • Babur sat in his pavilion at the centre of the garden with hundreds of his most important guests around • There was a lot of good food, wine, music, dancing, wrestling and animal fights

How did Babur use the feast to his advantage?

• Babur gave gifts to all those who had served him in the past, including special sword belts and expensive clothes to his most valiant warriors • The feast was a celebration of his military and cultural achievements and conquering Hindustan

What disadvantages were there for the great luxury of the empire?

• The Mughal take-over and the new court culture which Babur introduced, created a distance between the new rulers and the people of Hindustan • It also cost a great deal of money

What was Babur's administration system like?

• The emperor began to bring Hindustani administrators into his court • Despite this he made no progress in developing an administrative system that would allow him to create a unified empire and raise the money he needed

What showed the poor financial state of the empire?

Even before the great feast of 1528, the money in the Mughal treasury had fallen to such a low level that officers were ordered to return a 1/3 of their salaries

Did Babur take drugs? Did taking Hindustan cause him to worsen?

• Babur paid a personal price for his life of constant warfare, love of wine and enjoyment of the drug majun • For much of his life he had not been in good health but his arrival in India led to more frequent illnesses

How sick had he fallen after his invasion in 1525?

• Shortly after his invasion of Hindustan in 1525, he had fallen ill • The climate in Hindustan did not suit Babur and he suffered from boils, sciatica, diarrhoea and discharge from the ears • Also spit blood

When did Babur get really sick?

Autumn 1530 • 45 year old emperor began to suffer from a bowel disorder which caused him great pain • He grew weaker and became increasingly confused

Who did Babur claim as his successor?

• Humayun was called to Agra • With his closest advisors around him Babur declared Humayun should be the next emperor and advised him not to do anything against his brothers even if they deserved it

When did Babur die?

26 Dec 1530

Did the Baburnama hold personal details of Babur's life or not?

• Babur carried his journal with him at all times, writing in it whenever he had a spare moment • The Baburnama was a very rich, direct and honest account of his life

Did the Baburnama contain serious accounts?

Yes • Included precise accounts of his military campaigns and political decisions

What event was recorded that showed he was fairly tolerant religiously?

1528 • Visited a Gwalior fort complex and in the valley below visited the Jain shrines beside the lake where naked human figures had been carved into rock • Ordered them to be destroyed • Also visited nearby Hindu temples but did not destroy religious idols there so it wasn't other religions but the display of naked bodies which upset him Did Babur prepare Humayun for becoming a Mughal Empire? How?

When did Humayun become emperor? How old was he?

• Humayun returned to Hindustan just before Babur's death • In Dec 1530, he became the 2nd Mughal emperor at the age of 22

What problems did Humayun face because of his interests after a battle?

• Humayun shared Babur's love of poetry, gardens, wine and warfare, but lacked his father's determination and military genius • After winning a battle, he often failed to secure his gains, preferring to spend his time taking opium and writing poetry

What did Humayun rule the empire based off of?

Had a deep interest in astrology and ruled the empire according to his mystical beliefs

What was Humayun's court based off of?

• His court was based on the cosmos with Humayun in the centre of the universe • Humayun draped a veil over his turban and face to protect his courtiers from his splendour

How did he organise his administration?

• Different branches of his administration were organised according to the natural elements eg fire (the military) water (the irrigation system and wine-cellar) air (his household) earth (agriculture and architecture)

How did Humayun arrange his calendar?

• Humayun identified each day of the week with a different planet and based his weekly routine on this • Eg on Sundays he dressed in yellow and dealt with matters of state and Tuesdays inspired by the planet mars dressed in red and spent the day sentencing criminals

How was Humayun tolerant religiously?

1533 • Humayun laid the foundation stone for a New Mughal City in Delhi • He called it Din-panah ('Asylum of Faith') • He wanted this new city to be a centre of learning and open thinking and sent messages across the Muslim world to inform philosophers and poets from all branches of Islam that they would be welcome in his new city

What great military struggles did Humayun face? From who?

• He faced massive challenges in his efforts to secure and expand Babur's conquests in Hindustan • 1 of the biggest threats came from his 3 half-brothers, Kamran, Askari, and Hindal

What did Humayun originally tell his brothers to do to try to avoid conflict with his brothers?

1530 • Humayun allowed each of them to rule over a separate province of the Mughal Empire, but the half-brothers were determined to seize power for themselves and caused the emperor great difficulties throughout his reign

Who did Humayun face struggles against in the south? What happened? When?

• Bahadur Shah, the ruler of Gujarat, built up a large army equipped with cannon from the Portuguese • In 1535 he invaded Afghanistan • The Mughals successfully drove them back and captured the important fort of Champanir • However after the initial victory, Humayun's use of opium made him indecisive and he was forced to withdraw from Gujarat without taking the kingdom

Who did Humayun face struggles with in the east? What happened? When?

• Sher Shah the skilled warrior and ruler of Bihar posed a growing threat to the Mughal emperor after 1537 • Humayun was slow to react, so when the 2 armies finally faced each other at Chausa in 153, the Mughal forces were easily beaten

How did Humayun survive his struggle with Sher Shah?

Humayun almost drowned in the River Ganges, but was saved by his water-carrier who filled a water-skin with air for the emperor to use it as a float

What later happened with Sher Shah?

May 1540 • The forces of Humayun and Sher Shah faced each other again at Kanauj • The Mughal army was destroyed and Sher Shah had become the new ruler of northern India and the Mughal power in Hindustan came to an end

Where did Humayun go after Sher Shah became the new ruler in northern India?

• Humayun fled to Agra and then to Lahore with a small group of followers • In Lahore he met with his half-brothers, but they failed to help him to take back his throne • Kamran even refused to allow Humayun to take refuge in Kabul, so for the next 15 years there was no Mughal emperor

When was Humayun in exile?

1540-55 • 15 years • Mughal Empire ceased to exist, Humayun was forced to live in exile, desperately trying to gain support to win back the empire

What challenges did Humayun face in 1541?

• Humayun and his 1000s of followers headed south down the Indus valley, hoping to gain military support in Sindh • He was unsuccessful and Sindh's ruler was reluctant to offend Sher Shah and so did not provide support • Humayun attempted to capture 2 major forts on the River Indu but failed

What happened to Humayun in Sindh?

In the 18 months he spent there, he married Hamida, a 14 year old Persian girl

What happened in 1542? May 1542 • Humayun left Sindh and headed to Rajasthan hoping its ruler would provide him with troops • Once again he was disappointed and Humayun and his followers were forced to retrace their steps across 200 miles of desert at the hottest time of the year • Humayun's enemies had filled the wells with sand and his soldiers had to eat berries to survive

What else happened for Humayun and his wife in 1542?

• Hamida was pregnant but in Oct 1542 gave birth to Akbar, the future Mughal emperor • Humayun was age 37 and had an heir

What happened by 1543 for Humayun?

• Humayun was desperate • In July he crossed the Indus and headed for Kahadar to seek help from his half-brother Askari • Humayun's hopes were dashed when messengers told him that Askari's hostile troops were approaching • Humayun decided his only option was to head further west to Persia and seek help from its ruler, the Shah

Was the journey to Persia hard?

• Humayun and his followers faced great hardship as their journey was in winter through snow covered mountain passes • At 1 point they had to boil horse meat in their helmets to survive

When did Humayun reach Persia? What happened once he arrived there?

Jan 1544 • Humayun reached Persia • He must have been greatly relieved by the warm welcome Shah Tahmasp gave him • The Shah provided Humayun with beautiful lodgings, good food and expensive clothes and in return Humayun have Shah some of his finest remaining jewels

Who did Humayun meet in Persia who was important?

• While staying with Shah, Humayun met 2 talented artists he would later persuade to move to Delhi, and who would begin the Mughal tradition of miniature painting

What happened in 1545?

• With military support provided by the Shah, Humayun set out to confront his brothers in Afghanistan • In Sept 1545, he succeeded in capturing Kandahar and in Nov he was able to take Kabul with little opposition • Kamran's harsh was so unpopular that people deserted him and joined Humayun's forces

How long did the conflict with Humayun's brothers last?

Was Sher Shah an effective ruler on the throne?

Since 1540 • Humayun's goal had been to re-establish the Mughal Empire in northern India • In the years following Humayun's exile, Sher Shah had built a strong power-base in Delhi and had proved himself to be an effective ruler of Hindustan

What happened to Sher Shah?

1545 • After just 5 years on the throne, Sher Shah was caught in an explosion during a siege and died from his burns

What happened to Hindustan that caused it to weaken?

• Over the next decade his successors were unable to hold Hindustan together • In 1553 the empire was divided into 4 provinces • A year later, drought and famine added to the weakness of Hindustan leaving a perfect opportunity for Humayun to take power

When did Humayun manage to recapture Delhi?

• In late 1554 Humayun and the talented general Bairam Khan led their forces from Kabul into northern India and took control of the Punjab • They met with little resistance • In July 1555 Humayun recaptured Delhi and the Mughal Empire was established a 2nd time

What was Humayun's life like in Delhi? How did he reward others?

• His life in Delhi was relatively peaceful, with his brothers dead or banished, causing him to face little opposition • Humayun rewarded his loyal followers and began to establish the Mughal court in his capital

What building remained from Sher Shah? What did Humayun do with it?

• Sher Shah had built an elegant octagonal building known as the Sher Mandal in his Delhi fortress • Humayun turned this into an observatory and a library for the precious books and manuscripts that he had carried with him on his difficult journeys

What kind of activities happened in the Sher Mandal?

• Humayun enjoyed discussions about poetry, religion and astrology • Here Humayun's son Akbar began to have drawing lessons from a Persian artist Humayun had brought to Delhi

How did Humayun change his administration system?

• Humayun had begun to develop schemes for reorganising the administration of the Mughal Empire • He decided that it would now be based on the sensible systems already established by Sher Shar Sur, rather than on his astrological beliefs • Humayun was preparing these plans when his life suddenly came to an end

How did Humayun die? When?

24 Jan 1556 • After sitting on a covered roof on the Sher Mandal talking to astrologers, he went down the stairs, but when trying to bow his knee in respect to a nearby mosque, fell down the stairs • He cracked his skull on a sharp edge and died 3 days later • Akbar who was 13 became the 3rd Mughal Empero