Babur Nama: Journal of Emperor BaburDilip Hiro ‘The facts are as stated here . . . I have set down of good and bad whatever is known.’ The Babur Nama, a journal kept by Zahir Uddin Muhammad Babur (1483–1530), the founder of the Mughal Empire, is the earliest example of autobiographical writing in world literature, and one of the finest. Against the turbulent backdrop of medieval history, it paints a precise and vivid picture of life in Central Asia and Afghanistan—where Babur ruled in Samarkand and Kabul—and in the Indian subcontinent, where his dazzling military career culminated in the founding of a dynasty that lasted three centuries. Babur was far more than a skilled, often ruthless, warrior and master strategist. In this abridged and edited version of a 1921 English translation of his memoirs, he also emerges as a sensitive aesthete, naturalist, poet and lover. Writer, journalist and internationally acclaimed Middle eastern and Central asian expert, Dilip Hiro breathes new life into a unique historical document that is at once objective and intensely personal—for, in Babur’s words, ‘the truth should be reached in every matter’. |
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Afghans Agra Ahmad Tambal Akhsi Andijan Arghun army arrived arrows attack Babur battle Begum boat brother brought called camp commanders crossed death December dismounted district drink enemy entered excellent face fight five force fort four garden Gate gave given ground hand Hassan head held Herat hill Hindustan horses Humayun Hussein Ibrahim inthe Jahangir January joined Kabul Khojand Khurasan Khusrau Khwaja known land later leave Lodi marched miles Mirza months mother mountains moved Mughal Muhammad Mullah Nasir night ofthe once onthe ordered party passed Persian Prayer Qasim Quli reached retainers returned River road rode ruler Samarkand sent Shah Shaibani Khan Uzbek Shaikh side soldiers stayed stone sword taken territory Timur took tothe town trees turned Uddin valley village warriors watch wine winter younger