Question

On his mother's side Babur belongs to________.
A. Genghis Khan
B. Timur
C. Ahmad Shah
D. Nader Shah

Answer 1

Hint: He was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent and first Emperor of the Mughal Dynasty. He won the battle of Panipat against the Lodi king, Ibrahim Lodi in (1526). He has written his biography titled Baburnama which is also known as Tuzk-e Babri.

Complete Answer:
- Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur was his actual name. His name is derived from the word ‘Babr’ in Persian, meaning ‘tiger’.
- He was a descendant of the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan and also of the Turkic conqueror Timur.
- His family had become part of the Chagatai clan, and they are known by that name. Babur was a descendant of Timur through his father’s side and Genghis Khan through his mother’s side.
- Babur was invited to India by Daulat Khan Lodi, a rebel of the Lodi Dynasty to defeat Ibrahim Lodi.
- He ascended the throne of Fergana (now Uzbekistan) in the year 1945 at the age of 12.
- In the Battle of Khanwa, he also defeated Rana Sanga, who believed him to be a foreign invader.

For Option A. Genghis Khan: He was known as the founder and first Great Khan and Emperor of the Mongol Empire. Babur’s mother Qutlugh was a direct descendant of him.

For Option B. Timur: He was a Turkic conqueror, who is known mainly for the barbarity of his conquests of the Mediterranean Sea from India and Russia and for his dynasty’s cultural achievements. Babur’s father was a member of the Timurid dynasty and a son of its founder, Timur.

For Option C. Ahmad Shah: He was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is considered to be the founder of Afghanistan’s modern state.

For Option D. Nader Shah: He was one of Iran’s most powerful rulers in Iranian history, reigning as Iran’s Shah from 1736 to 1747, when he was killed in a revolt.

Hence, option A. is the correct answer.

Note: On 5th January, he died in Agra at the age of 47, and was succeeded by Humayun, his eldest son.
- In Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Babur is considered a national hero till date. He has written many poems which have become popular Uzbek folk songs. Pakistan produced the Babur Cruise Missile, named in his honor, in October 2005.
- In his honor, he constructed a few monuments: Bagh-e Babur, (the Garden of Babur) is a historic park in Kabul, Afghanistan (which became his tomb), the Babri Masjid, the Jama Masjid, the Panipat Mosque and few others.