Babur & Humayun — Founding of the Mughal Empire

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter covers the actual founding of the Mughal Empire, and SSC/RRB love founding events because they carry clean, testable dates. Expect 2 to 4 questions from this chapter in a typical SSC CGL/CHSL or RRB NTPC General Awareness section. The three battles of Babur (Panipat 1526, Khanwa 1527, Ghaghra 1529) are asked on their own or mixed into "arrange chronologically" questions with other medieval battles. Sher Shah Suri is a favourite standalone topic: his administrative reforms, the Grand Trunk Road, and his currency system (the rupiya) get asked almost every cycle. Humayun's exile and 1555 return also show up, usually paired with "who defeated whom" questions.

Sub-topics that repeat most: the four battles fought by Babur and his rivals (Ibrahim Lodi, Rana Sanga, Mahmud Lodi, Afghan chiefs at Ghaghra), Babur's memoir the Baburnama, Humayun's fights with Sher Shah Suri (Chausa 1539, Kannauj/Bilgram 1540), Sher Shah's five-year rule and reforms, and Humayun's second coronation in 1555 shortly before his death. Keep dates and "who fought whom" pairs firmly fixed; that is where most marks come from.

1. Babur's Origins and Path to India

Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur was born in 1483 in Fergana, a small kingdom in Central Asia (present-day Uzbekistan). He was a descendant of Timur on his father's side and of Chingiz Khan (Genghis Khan) on his mother's side. This dual descent is a common exam line: Babur combined Timurid and Mongol/Chagatai ancestry.

Babur inherited the tiny throne of Fergana at age 11 in 1494 after his father Umar Shaikh Mirza died. He lost Fergana in local power struggles and, after years of shifting fortunes in Central Asia, captured Kabul in 1504. Kabul became his base for the next two decades.

Babur made several raids into the Punjab region before his final invasion. He was drawn to India by reports of its wealth and by an internal invitation: Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Punjab, and Alam Khan, an uncle of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, both invited Babur to invade India and remove Ibrahim Lodi, the ruling Sultan of Delhi. This detail (who invited Babur) is a common trap in MCQs, since students often assume no one invited him.

2. First Battle of Panipat, 1526

Babur marched into India and met Ibrahim Lodi, the last Lodi Sultan of Delhi, at Panipat on 21 April 1526. This is the First Battle of Panipat.

Key facts:

• Babur's army was far smaller than Ibrahim Lodi's, but Babur used gunpowder artillery (matchlock guns/topchis) and the Ottoman (Rumi) method of warfare, tying carts together in a line with gaps for cavalry and cannon.
• This tactic is called the "Araba" (cart-and-cannon) method, and Babur's chief gun-master was Ustad Ali Quli.
• Ibrahim Lodi was killed in battle. His death ended the Lodi dynasty and the Delhi Sultanate as a continuous line of Delhi-based Sultans.
• Babur captured Delhi and Agra, and Agra soon became a key Mughal city.

First Panipat (1526) is the standard "start of Mughal rule" date asked in exams. Note that the Delhi Sultanate had lasted from 1206 (Qutb-ud-din Aibak) to 1526 (Ibrahim Lodi), a span of 320 years, tested often as a "how many years did the Sultanate last" question.

3. Battle of Khanwa, 1527

Babur's position in India was not secure after Panipat. Afghan nobles and Rajput chiefs still resisted him. The most serious threat came from Rana Sanga (Sangram Singh) of Mewar, who led a large confederacy of Rajput rulers against Babur.

The two armies met at Khanwa (near Agra) on 17 March 1527. Babur again used the cart-and-cannon method and won a decisive victory. Rana Sanga was wounded and retreated; he died soon after in 1528.

Khanwa is significant because it broke the last major Rajput challenge to Mughal power in north India and confirmed Babur's control of the Agra-Delhi region. Before the battle, Babur declared a jihad against the Rajputs and gave up drinking wine to boost his soldiers' morale, a detail often cited in his memoirs.

4. Battle of Ghaghra, 1529

Babur's third major battle in India was against the Afghan chiefs of Bihar and Bengal, combined with the forces of Sultan Mahmud Lodi (a surviving Lodi claimant) and support from the Sultan of Bengal. This battle was fought on the Ghaghra river in 1529.

Babur won this battle too, securing eastern India up to the borders of Bengal. With Panipat (1526), Khanwa (1527) and Ghaghra (1529), Babur had defeated the three main sources of opposition: the Delhi Sultan, the Rajput confederacy, and the eastern Afghan chiefs.

5. Babur's Death and the Baburnama

Babur died in December 1530 in Agra and was buried, per his wish, in Kabul, in a garden called Bagh-e-Babur.

Babur wrote his memoirs in Chagatai Turkish, called the Baburnama (also called Tuzuk-i-Baburi). It was later translated into Persian during Akbar's reign by Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan. The Baburnama is valued as a frank, personal account covering Babur's life, his observations on Indian geography, flora, fauna, and society, and his military campaigns. It is one of the earliest autobiographies in Islamic literature and a key primary source for this period.

6. Humayun's First Reign (1530-1540)

Nasiruddin Humayun, Babur's eldest son, succeeded him in 1530 at age 22. Humayun inherited an empire that was militarily won but administratively unconsolidated, and he had to share power and resources with his brothers Kamran, Askari, and Hindal, who held territories of their own (Kamran held Kabul and Punjab).

Humayun's early reign faced two major rivals:

• Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, whom Humayun defeated and pushed back after campaigns in Malwa and Gujarat around 1535.
• Sher Khan (later Sher Shah Suri), an Afghan noble rising in Bihar and Bengal, who became Humayun's most dangerous opponent.

Humayun fought Sher Khan in two major battles:

• Battle of Chausa, 1539: fought on the banks of the Ganga near Buxar. Sher Khan defeated Humayun, who barely escaped by swimming across the river (helped by a water-carrier, traditionally named Nizam, whom Humayun later rewarded by letting him sit on the throne for a day).
• Battle of Kannauj (also called Bilgram), 1540: Sher Khan decisively defeated Humayun again. Humayun lost his throne and fled India.

After Kannauj, Sher Khan took the title Sher Shah Suri and founded the Suri (Sur) dynasty, ruling north India from 1540 to 1555 while Humayun lived in exile.

7. Humayun in Exile

Humayun wandered through Sindh and Rajasthan for years, at one point marrying Hamida Banu Begum in 1541. Their son, the future Emperor Akbar, was born at Umerkot (Sindh) on 15 October 1542.

Humayun eventually took refuge with Shah Tahmasp, the Safavid ruler of Persia, who gave him military help on the condition that Humayun adopt Shia practices at his court, at least outwardly, and cede Kandahar to Persia. With Persian assistance, Humayun recaptured Kabul from his brother Kamran in 1545, and used it as a base to plan his return to India.

8. Sher Shah Suri's Interregnum (1540-1545)

Sher Shah Suri (born Farid Khan) ruled north India for only five years, but SSC/RRB treat his reign as one of the best-administered periods of medieval India. He died in 1545 at the siege of Kalinjar fort, when a gunpowder explosion injured him fatally, and was succeeded briefly by his son Islam Shah Suri (1545-1553), after which the Suri dynasty declined into succession disputes.

Sher Shah's key reforms, all high-value exam material:

Administration: He divided the empire into sarkars, which were further divided into parganas. He kept a strong, centralised system of espionage and swift justice, and revived some earlier Sultanate practices while sharpening them.

Land Revenue: Sher Shah introduced a systematic land revenue settlement. Land was measured, and revenue was fixed as a share of average produce (around one-third), recorded in a document called the patta (given to the cultivator) and qabuliyat (a written agreement from the cultivator). This system directly influenced Akbar's later revenue reforms under Todar Mal.

Currency: Sher Shah issued a well-regulated silver coin called the rupiya, weighing 178 grains, along with copper coins called dam. This silver rupiya became the ancestor of the modern Indian rupee, a fact SSC asks often ("who introduced the rupiya").

Roads and Communication: Sher Shah restored and extended the ancient route linking Bengal to the Indus region, popularly known today as the Grand Trunk (GT) Road (then called Sadak-e-Azam). He built sarais (rest houses) at intervals along highways for travellers, with separate arrangements for Hindus and Muslims, and planted trees for shade.

Other measures: Sher Shah built the Rohtas Fort in Punjab to guard against tribal incursions, and constructed the Purana Qila in Delhi (though some structures there were begun earlier). He is also credited with a fair and efficient judicial and postal (dak chowki) system.

Table-style facts on Sher Shah Suri are a near-guaranteed source of at least one MCQ, especially "match the reform with the ruler."

9. Humayun's Return, 1555

By 1555, the Suri dynasty in Delhi had weakened through internal succession fights among Sher Shah's descendants. Humayun seized the opportunity, marched from Kabul, and defeated the Suri forces to recapture Delhi and Agra in 1555, restoring Mughal rule after a gap of 15 years (1540-1555).

Humayun did not enjoy his restored throne for long. In January 1556, he died after falling down the stairs of his library at Purana Qila in Delhi (traditionally said to have stumbled while rushing to answer the call to prayer, muezzin's azaan). His death cleared the way for his young son Akbar to take the throne the same year, and the Mughal Empire moved into its long, stable phase under Akbar.

Humayun's tomb, built later by his widow Hamida Banu Begum in Delhi, is considered an important precursor in Mughal garden-tomb architecture, setting a design pattern that led eventually to the Taj Mahal.

10. Why the Mughal Foundation Was Fragile, and What Fixed It

The period from 1526 to 1555 shows a repeated pattern: military victory did not guarantee stable rule. Babur won three battles but died before consolidating administration. Humayun lost the throne entirely to Sher Shah Suri for 15 years because he lacked strong administrative machinery and unified support from his own brothers. Sher Shah Suri, in that gap, built exactly the kind of administrative and revenue system that a lasting empire needs, and it was this system, inherited and expanded, that gave Akbar a working template after 1556. This is a useful conceptual link if a question asks about "continuity between Sher Shah and Akbar's administration."

Quick Revision — One-Line Facts

• Babur born 1483 in Fergana; descendant of Timur (paternal side) and Chingiz Khan (maternal side).
• Babur captured Kabul in 1504, used it as his base for invading India.
• Babur was invited to invade India by Daulat Khan Lodi and Alam Khan.
• First Battle of Panipat: 21 April 1526, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi; end of Lodi dynasty and Delhi Sultanate.
• Delhi Sultanate lasted 1206 to 1526 (320 years), from Aibak to Ibrahim Lodi.
• Babur's gun-master at Panipat was Ustad Ali Quli; he used the cart-and-cannon (Araba) method.
• Battle of Khanwa: 17 March 1527, Babur defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar.
• Battle of Ghaghra: 1529, Babur defeated the eastern Afghan chiefs and Mahmud Lodi.
• Babur died December 1530 in Agra, buried in Kabul (Bagh-e-Babur).
• Babur wrote the Baburnama in Chagatai Turkish; translated to Persian later by Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.
• Humayun succeeded Babur in 1530; shared power with brothers Kamran, Askari, Hindal.
• Battle of Chausa, 1539: Sher Khan defeated Humayun near Buxar.
• Battle of Kannauj (Bilgram), 1540: Sher Khan decisively defeated Humayun; Humayun went into exile.
• Sher Khan took the title Sher Shah Suri after Kannauj, founded the Suri dynasty (1540-1555).
• Akbar was born at Umerkot, Sindh on 15 October 1542, during Humayun's exile.
• Humayun recaptured Kabul from Kamran in 1545 with Persian help from Shah Tahmasp.
• Sher Shah Suri divided the empire into sarkars and parganas.
• Sher Shah's land revenue system used patta (to cultivator) and qabuliyat (from cultivator).
• Sher Shah introduced the silver rupiya coin (178 grains) and copper dam; ancestor of the modern rupee.
• Sher Shah restored/extended the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam), built sarais along it.
• Sher Shah built Rohtas Fort in Punjab and structures at Purana Qila, Delhi.
• Sher Shah died in 1545 at the siege of Kalinjar fort.
• Sher Shah's son Islam Shah Suri ruled 1545-1553; Suri dynasty declined after him.
• Humayun recaptured Delhi and Agra in 1555, ending the 15-year Suri interregnum.
• Humayun died in January 1556, from a fall at the library of Purana Qila, Delhi.
• Sher Shah's revenue system directly influenced Todar Mal's settlement under Akbar.
• Humayun's tomb in Delhi, built by Hamida Banu Begum, is an early model for later Mughal garden-tombs including the Taj Mahal.
• Babur declared jihad and gave up wine before Khanwa to raise troop morale.
• The gap between Humayun's loss (1540) and return (1555) is called the Sur interregnum.

Memory Tables

Table 1: Battles of Babur and Humayun

Year	Battle	Combatants	Winner	Significance
1526	First Panipat	Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi	Babur	End of Delhi Sultanate/Lodi dynasty; Mughal rule begins
1527	Khanwa	Babur vs Rana Sanga	Babur	Broke Rajput confederacy's resistance
1529	Ghaghra	Babur vs Afghan chiefs/Mahmud Lodi	Babur	Secured eastern India towards Bengal
1539	Chausa	Humayun vs Sher Khan	Sher Khan	Humayun nearly drowned, escaped
1540	Kannauj (Bilgram)	Humayun vs Sher Khan	Sher Khan	Humayun lost throne; Sur dynasty founded

Table 2: Sher Shah Suri's Reforms

Area	Reform	Detail
Administration	Sarkar-Pargana system	Empire divided for efficient local governance
Revenue	Patta-Qabuliyat system	Measured land, fixed revenue share; model for Todar Mal
Currency	Rupiya (silver), Dam (copper)	Rupiya (178 grains) is ancestor of modern rupee
Infrastructure	Grand Trunk Road	Restored/extended Bengal-Indus route; built sarais
Defence	Rohtas Fort	Built in Punjab against tribal incursions
Capital works	Purana Qila structures	Building activity in Delhi

Table 3: Key Rulers and Timeline (1483-1556)

Person	Key Dates	Role
Babur	1483-1530	Founder of Mughal Empire, won Panipat/Khanwa/Ghaghra
Humayun	1530-1540, 1555-1556	Babur's son; lost throne to Sher Shah, regained it in 1555
Sher Shah Suri	1540-1545 (ruled)	Afghan ruler, defeated Humayun twice, major administrative reformer
Islam Shah Suri	1545-1553	Sher Shah's son; Suri decline began after him
Akbar	born 1542, crowned 1556	Humayun's son, born in exile at Umerkot

Practice MCQs

Q1. In which year was the First Battle of Panipat fought? (a) 1526 (b) 1527 (c) 1529 (d) 1540

Q2. Babur defeated which ruler at the First Battle of Panipat? (a) Sikandar Lodi (b) Ibrahim Lodi (c) Bahlul Lodi (d) Daulat Khan Lodi

Q3. The Battle of Khanwa (1527) was fought between Babur and which ruler? (a) Rana Sanga of Mewar (b) Rana Kumbha (c) Rana Pratap (d) Rana Udai Singh

Q4. Babur's memoir, an important primary source for this period, is known as: (a) Akbarnama (b) Humayun-nama (c) Baburnama (d) Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri

Q5. Who invited Babur to invade India and overthrow Ibrahim Lodi? (a) Rana Sanga and Daulat Khan Lodi (b) Daulat Khan Lodi and Alam Khan (c) Sher Khan and Alam Khan (d) Bahadur Shah and Daulat Khan Lodi

Q6. Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun at the Battle of Chausa in which year? (a) 1526 (b) 1539 (c) 1540 (d) 1545

Q7. Which battle finally forced Humayun out of India and into exile? (a) Chausa (b) Khanwa (c) Kannauj/Bilgram (d) Ghaghra

Q8. Sher Shah Suri's silver coin, considered the ancestor of the modern rupee, was called: (a) Tanka (b) Jital (c) Rupiya (d) Dam

Q9. Which highway did Sher Shah Suri restore and extend, linking Bengal to the Indus region? (a) Uttarapatha (b) Grand Trunk Road (c) Silk Route (d) Rajpath

Q10. Where was Akbar born during Humayun's period of exile? (a) Kabul (b) Lahore (c) Umerkot, Sindh (d) Agra

Q11. Which of the following statements is correct regarding Humayun's return to power? (a) He recaptured Delhi in 1545 with Ottoman help (b) He recaptured Delhi and Agra in 1555 after the decline of the Suri dynasty (c) He never regained the Mughal throne (d) He recaptured Delhi in 1556 with help from Rana Sanga

Q12. Arrange the following events in chronological order: 1. Battle of Khanwa, 2. Battle of Chausa, 3. First Battle of Panipat, 4. Humayun's recapture of Delhi (a) 3, 1, 2, 4 (b) 1, 3, 2, 4 (c) 3, 2, 1, 4 (d) 4, 3, 1, 2

Q13. Match the following: List I (Person) — List II (Association)

1. Sher Shah Suri — A. Baburnama
2. Babur — B. Rupiya and Grand Trunk Road
3. Rana Sanga — C. Battle of Khanwa
4. Humayun — D. Battle of Chausa (a) 1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D (b) 1-A, 2-B, 3-D, 4-C (c) 1-B, 2-D, 3-A, 4-C (d) 1-D, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C

Q14. Sher Shah Suri's land revenue documents given to the cultivator and taken from the cultivator were respectively called: (a) Jama and Hasil (b) Patta and Qabuliyat (c) Zabt and Dahsala (d) Kharaj and Jizya

Q15. Which of the following pairs of ruler and place of death/burial is correctly matched? (a) Babur — died in Agra, buried in Kabul (b) Sher Shah Suri — died in Delhi, buried in Kalinjar (c) Humayun — died in Kabul, buried in Agra (d) Ibrahim Lodi — died in Panipat, buried in Delhi

Answer Key

Q	Answer	One-line reason
1	(a)	First Battle of Panipat was fought on 21 April 1526.
2	(b)	Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last Lodi Sultan, at Panipat in 1526.
3	(a)	Rana Sanga of Mewar led the Rajput confederacy against Babur at Khanwa in 1527.
4	(c)	Babur's autobiography, written in Chagatai Turkish, is the Baburnama.
5	(b)	Daulat Khan Lodi (Punjab governor) and Alam Khan (Ibrahim Lodi's uncle) invited Babur.
6	(b)	The Battle of Chausa, where Humayun nearly drowned, was fought in 1539.
7	(c)	The Battle of Kannauj/Bilgram in 1540 decisively ended Humayun's first reign.
8	(c)	Sher Shah's rupiya (178 grains silver) is the direct ancestor of the modern rupee.
9	(b)	Sher Shah restored and extended the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam).
10	(c)	Akbar was born at Umerkot in Sindh on 15 October 1542 during Humayun's exile.
11	(b)	Humayun recaptured Delhi and Agra in 1555 after the Suri dynasty weakened through succession disputes.
12	(a)	Correct order: Panipat (1526), Khanwa (1527), Chausa (1539), Humayun's return (1555).
13	(a)	Sher Shah Suri-rupiya/GT Road; Babur-Baburnama; Rana Sanga-Khanwa; Humayun-Chausa.
14	(b)	Patta went to the cultivator, qabuliyat was the cultivator's written agreement to pay.
15	(a)	Babur died in Agra in 1530 and was buried in Kabul as per his wish.