Babur << BAH buhr >> also spelled Babar (1483-1530), was a Turkic prince who founded the Mughal Empire in India. He ruled from 1526 until his death. During his reign, the empire took over most of northern India.
Babur was born on Feb. 15, 1483, in a kingdom in central Asia. He was a descendant of two powerful conquerors, Genghis Khan and Timur (also called Tamerlane). Babur spent his early life trying unsuccessfully to conquer Samarqand, a city in what is now Uzbekistan. Samarqand had been Timur’s capital. Babur then turned his attention to northern India, which was ruled by an Afghan sultanate and Bengali princes. From 1526 to 1529, Babur conquered their territories. He died on Dec. 26, 1530. Babur’s memoirs have been translated into English.
