Who were the Mughals ?

Mughal is a Persian word. The word is derived from "Mongol". In fact, from the time of Genghis Khan, all the invaders of the north were given the name of the Mongol race by the inhabitants of Afghanistan and India. Babur and his descendants gave silence approval for the Indian to be called Mughals for themselves and their followers.

First use of the word Mughal in 1538 AD. A Sufi Abdul Quddus Gangohi talks about it. This word was used for Babur and his soldiers. Later 18^th century historian Khafi Khan is in his book Muntakhab-ul-Lubab the word was stereotyped. From then on all historians started writing the given name, Mughal, for the descendants of Babur which later became a tradition.

In fact, Babur himself has criticized the Mongols with contempt. He has called the Mongols rascals, the seeds of the crop of malice and said that if they have a nation, it will be called inferior.

So the question arises that if the Mongols were not Mughals. Who were the Mongols ?

Expansion of the mangol

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mongol_Empire_map_2.gif 

Mongol is derived from the word Mong. The word Mong means brave or audacious devil. This word was first used for Genghis Khan. The Mongols started adopting Islam around 1353. In fact, the Mongols were a branch of the Tartar nomadic warriors who lived around the wall of China who had once taken up arms against China. These people roamed the vast plains of North Asia from unknown times. Three Tartar races are mentioned in Chinese history, white, black and wild.

So the question arises that if Babur was not a Mongol and the name Mughal was given to him out of confusion then who was Babur really ?

Babur's full name is Zaheruddin Mohammad Babar, He was a member of the Barlas clan of Chagtai Turk that is, he was a Turk. Babar's father's name was Umar Sheikh Mirza. Babur belonged to the fifth generation in the lineage of Amir Timur from his father's side. His mother's name was Qutlug Nigar Khanu . Babar belonged to the 14th generation of the Mongol leader Genghis Khan on the mother's side. Both were great conquerors and destroyers of Asia. Thus it can be said that Babur was of a mixed race.

He was the chief of a small princely state of Fergana in Central Asia, which used to be a region of the Timurid kingdom. He was born on 14 February 1483 at Andijan in Fergana. Which is in today's Uzbekistan. After the death of his father, Babur ascended the throne of Fargana on 8 June 1494 at the age of 12. Due to the conspiracies of treacherous relatives and chieftains, his kingdom got out of hand and he started stumbling from door to door. Babur took control of Kabul in 1505 AD with the help of the chieftains, now he started dreaming of conquest of India.

Reasons for Babur's invasion of India

1.     Empire Expansion Ambitions:

Babur was a very ambitious ruler. He wanted to build a huge empire just like his ancestor Taimur Langa. He made his first attempt in Central-Asia. After failing there, he established his kingdom in Kabul and Ghazni but he was not satisfied with Kabul and Ghazni. That's why he wanted to spread his empire in India.

2. Aspiration to achieve the glory of victory over India:

In those days, conquering India, the country of infidels in the Islamic world, was considered a matter of pride for any Muslim ruler. That is why Babur wanted to get the glory of victory of India by conquering Bharatvarsha or a very large part of it.

3.    Claim to be a hereditary state on India :

Babur, Being a descendant of Taimur Lang, claimed the Indian territories conquered by Timur as his hereditary kingdom. When Timur invaded India, he annexed the western part of Punjab to his kingdom, but later the Afghans took over it. Therefore Babur considered his hereditary right over Punjab and wanted to regain it.

4.    Power over Kabul and Ghazni :

After leaving Samarkand and Fargana, Babur was successful in capturing Kabul and Ghazni, due to which the border of his kingdom came very close to India.

5.  Desire to acquire immense wealth of India:

Babur wanted to get immense wealth like his ancestors by invading India. He said that abundant gold is found in India in the form of coins and molasses.

6.     Conditions of India:

The political conditions of India at that time also encouraged Babur to attack India. He knew that no provincial ruler of India and Rana Sanga would support Ibrahim Lodi.

7. Invitation to the Afghan Amirs of Lahore:

The Afghan nobles of Lahore decided to invite Babur to attack Delhi. Alam Khan and Daulat Khan's son Dilawar Khan were sent to Babur and requested that Babur help in making Alam Khan Sultan by removing Ibrahim Lodi from the throne of Delhi, because Ibrahim Lodi is a very cruel and ruthless ruler.

 

With this Babur started preparations to attack India.