6.5 Mughal Empire First Phase Babur and Humayun

Mughal Empire First Phase : Babur and Humayun

2020-04-27 12:26:26

  • Empire Builder in North India, Turko-Mongol theory of sovereignty.

Babur (1526-1530)

Who Was Babur and Who Were the Mughals?

Early Life of Babar and Struggle for Samarkand.

  • There was a tripartite struggle for transoxiana/Samarkand which was captured by Sahbani khan after defeating Babar and late Mongol Khans to fixate his position at Samarkand.
  • Unable to defeat Shaibani Khan he had to move towards Hindu Kush.
  • @ Shaibani khan had used the Uzbek technique of Tulghuma/Wheeling tactics against Babar which he used against Ibrahim Khan.
  • Babar captured Kabul and Ghazni in 1504 it gave him and his begs a breathing space.

Rushbrooke Williams : He could turn eye his eyes west to Samarkand or east to Hindustan

  • After he captured Kabul. Shahbani khan occupied Herat. Sensing trouble at frontier of Iran. Safavid Shah Ismail marched against him and defeated him at Merv.
  • Babur forged good relations w/ Safavid Shah. And with the help of Persian army occupied Tranoxiana. But day to day interference by Persian on court made him aloof.
  • Persian were defeated by Uzbeks later. Babur had to withdraw from Transoxiana and had to turn towards India. This was in 1514.

Invasion of Hindu Kush and Conquest of India.

  • Babar in his memoir has mentioned that he immediately made a move into Hindustan in 1504 but this was more of a foray to extract levies from Afghan chiefs.

Reasons for the Invasion of India

  1. Babur's repeated failure to capture Samarkand as mentioned above.

  2. Political Situation in India :

    • Sikandar Lodhi had died and the empire was split b/w Ibrahim and his brother Jalal. Ibrahim soon captured Jalal and executed him -> led to rebellion from older Afghan nobles.
    • Meanwhile Rana Sanga estd power in Eastern Malwa.

  3. Revival of Power of Uzbeks around Transoxiana

  4. Financial Difficulties :

    Abul Fazl : Babur ruled over Badakshan, Kabul and Qandahar that did not yield sufficient income to maintain army

    • The revenue realised form exports and import of goods from Kabul was not enough to meet the needs of Babur, his begs and the army
  • @ Bajaur expedition marked the beginning of Baburs efforts to conquer India. Babur used wholesale massacre against Bajauris who were mostly afghans which as per Rushbrooke Williams was to teach them a lesson.
  • Babur had invaded India 4 times before Panipat. Bhira in 1519-20, Sialkot in 1520 and Lahore in 1524 and Panipat.
  • B was invited by Daulat Khan Lodhi a noble to invade India expecting him to withdraw.

Battle of Panipat 20 April 1526

  • Before Panipat in 1524 Babur started supporting Alam Khan's claim for Delhi to rival Ibrahim.
  • Later Alam Khan revoked B support and along w/ Daulat Khan Lodi attacked Delhi but was defeated by Ibrahim.
  • Babur by then had strengthened his flank by capturing Balkh and Kandahar.
  • After reaching panipat he fortified his position by digging a ditch at his left and towards his right was Panipat city.
  • ~ On the front he ussed the Rumi (Ottoman) method of joining carts together by ropes and b/w every two carts were breastworks used by matchlockmen to fire.
    • He was 1st in India to use artillery, Ottoman gunners Ustad ALi and Mustafa.
    • His mounted archers kept Ibrahim engaged while using the Tulghuma/ wheeling/ flanking the position of Ibrahim from sides and rear.
  • Politically the battle was not decisive since he had to contend w/ powers of Rana Sanga and other Afghans.
  • But it smashed the power of Lodis, gave him much needed treasures opened up the entire Gangetic valley upto Jaunpur to conquer.

Struggle w/ Rana Sanga of Mewat and other Problems of Babur

  • Local population was very hostile since the sack of Delhi by Timur was still fresh.

  • Many inhabitants had deserted towas and villages had taken to robbery.

  • His begs found India to be a foreign country.

  • ~ His 2 biggest dangers were Rana Sanga and the Eastern Afghans.

  • ! Rana Sanga along with Hasan Khan Mewati and Mahmud Lodi made an alliance against Babur making a Rajput-Afghan alliance.

  • B gave it a religious color by calling it a Jihad, renounced drinking wine, and after the war allowed Begs to go back to Kabul if they wanted.

  • $ Ferishta and Badauni talked about the fear among Baburs men of the Rajput army.

  • & They met at Khanwa on 17th March 1527. Where Babur emerged victorious. #important

  • At Khanua he used the same tactics as Panipat of Rumi and Tulghuma. RS had not learnt from B's win at Panipat.

    Rushbrooke Williams : Powerful confederacy of Mewar was shattered by a single defeat and ceased to become a dominant factor in politics of Hindustan.

  • The Afghans under Nusrat Shah coalesced against Babur but were defeated.

Consolidation of Rules and Subjugation of Regional Rulers

  • B first dealt w/ Afghan iqtadars or commanders of forts, towns on countryside. Followed a policy of force and concilliation by giving them parganas at different places.
  • Afghans of Eastern UP who have been rebellious even against Ibrahim were tried to be conquered by sending Humayun but he later withdrew against Sanga's threat.
  • Bihar and Bengal : Afghan rebels saw these areas as sanctuaries where they could retreat/regroup to resist Mughals. B. defeated these Kingdoms at battle of Ghaghra in 1529.

Significance and Impact of His Advent

  • Political : Indian became center of Central Asian politics, earlier Afghanistan used to be the base of operations now Delhi became hub of strategic control and foregin policy.
  • Economic : Strengthened India's foreign trade and inc IN share in Central Asian Trade.
  • Introduced use of cannons/artilery and muskets. New methods of fighting, skillful generalship, organisation etc was introduced.
  • Helped establish the prestige of Crown.

Turko-Mughal Theory of Sovereignty. What Was It? How Did it Originate and Develop?

Humayun (1530-1540)

Problems Faced by Him during Succession.

  • Unsettled state of administration and stretched finances.
    • H took certain steps to organise the govt and court society. He divided court society into administrative, ecclesiastical and cultural sections.
    • A form of grades were given through dividing arrows of different quality and numbers.
    • ~ He instituted a drum of justice/ tabl i adl so that people could bring grievances to him.
    • Remitted tamgha and other cesses for foreign traders.
  • Ambitions of begs who wanted to assert themselves. Ex Khalifa Nizamuddin wanted Mehdi Khwaja to become ruler.
  • Various Timurid princes such as Zaman Mirza who had joined B after being expelled from Uzbek.
  • @ His brothers such as Kamran's airs of independence. Kamran soon after B death occupied Lahore. Humayun was more concerned with Eastern Afghans so he confirmed it and also gave him Hisar Firouza as Iqta. This encouraged his other brothers Askari and Hindal.
  • Eastern Afghans from UP, Bihar, Bengal which culminated into his defeat by Sher Shah in 1535.
  • Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.

Tussle with Bahadur Shah of Gujarat

  • H after capturing Kalinjar in Bundelkhand came into conflict with BSoG who had captured Mandu.
  • H had a brief encounter with Sher Khan where he was defeated and had offered to serve under the emperor. However, BS was a bigger threat.
  • BS had employed a lot of begs, timurid princes as refugees this had irked H. He had also gained victories against other rulers.
  • Had employed Ottomons Rumi Khan and Khwaja Safar as master gunners.
  • Bahadur Shah of Gujarat formed an alliance with with various enemies of Humayun namely Sher Shah, Nusrat Shah, Alauddin Lodi etc.
  • He also gave shelter to Mughal rebel Muhammad Zaman Mirza.
  • BS was 1st to start hostilities by Siege of Chitoor. Maharani Karnavati is said to have sent H rakhi to help her.
  • Humayun invaded Gujarat in 1535 and sacked Mandu but was defeated in Ahmedabad.
  • Champanir fort was captured and plundered.
  • Bahadur Shah was murdered in 1537.

Humayun's Defeat against Sher Shah

  • After BSoG's death the Afghans looked to Sher Shah for leadership.
  • Abul Fazl talks about H worries relating to Sher Khan. Who had captured Gaur in Bengal.
  • H looked to SS as merely another Afghan chief but SS thought of himself as an independent ruler.
  • H wanted to capture Bengal due to its vast treasures and to try recreate the Delhi Sultanate. Plan was ill conceived
  • Sher Shah's prestige had greatly increased after his victory in Surajgarh over Mahmud Shah of Bengal and earlier in 1532/33 over Nusrat Shah.
  • SS had captured Banaras, attacked Chuna, Jaunpur and Mughal forces at Kannauj and Sambhal.
  • @ Humayun was defeated first at Battle of Chausa/Karmansa in June 1539 after Kamran had refused to help with troops and again at Kannauj May 1540.

Why Did Humayun Lose?

  • hostility of his brothers especially Kamran and Askari Mirza.
  • Tactically inferior to Sher Shah. Underestimated Afghan Challenge who could unite under a capable leader.
  • Lacked fiancial resources.
  • Fractitius Nobles who did not want to serve areas away from Agra/Delhi.
  • Humayun was sheltered by Raja Maldeo and Rana Birsal before moving to Persia for Shah Tahmasp's help.
  • Humayun wrested Qandahar in 1544 and then Kabul w/ Shah's help. Which gained him the support of many nobles.
  • Kamran fled Kabul and was captured and blinded after repeated rebellions.
  • From Kabul he first captured Lahore and then Sirhind occupying Delhi in June 1555.
  • He died in Jan 26 1556.

PYQs

Mughal Empire, First phase: Babur and Humayun

  1. Write a short essay on: "The empire-builder in North India of the sixteenth century."
    [1989, 20m]

  2. Comment on the Turko-Mongol theory of sovereignty. To what extent was it adopted by Babur and Humayun? [2010, 30m]

  • Divine theory of Kingship,
  • King paternalist figure, more than leader, absolute power, no religious/ sectarian bigotry, supernatural qualities ex Scourge of god,
  • Timur religious - Genghis not,
  • decentralisation of power later, Babur - Mongol descent, hereditary monarchy,
  • state a family property, not follow division of empire.
  • Humayun - claim divinity, was centre of world, justice, divided empire