Babur: The Chessboard King

by Aabhas K. Maldahiyar

Babur, the visionary founder of Timurid Empire in Hindustan, had a fair share of early struggle following his father’s tragic demise in AD 1494. Then on, Babur embarked on an unyielding pursuit of power amid treacherous political landscapes, the narrative unveils his moniker, ‘the chessboard king,’ portraying his adept navigation through political intricacies and adversities.
From his ascent to rulership in Ferghana amidst familial threats to fleeting victories and losses in Samarkand, the book paints a poignant picture of Babur's journey. It portrays his retreat to tribal lands after relinquishing hopes of reclaiming Ferghana, eventually establishing a mountainous kingdom in Kabul, a pivotal milestone preceding his ambition to expand into Hindustan. Recounting his initial endeavour to penetrate Hindustan in AD 1505, his alliances, and subsequent setbacks after Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqarah's demise, leaving him as the sole Timurid prince in power, the book opens a window to Babur's failed second attempt to enter Hindustan, encapsulating the initial thirteen to fourteen tumultuous years of his reign, marked by exile, fleeting victories, and delicate alliances.
Gripping, anecdotal and deeply researched Babur: The Chessboard King delves into Hindustan's economic landscape during Timurid rule and portrays Babur as a multifaceted ruler, challenging the typical depiction of an infallible conqueror and a good human being. Meticulously sourced from the Persian manuscript of the Baburnama and other primary sources, this book represents a milestone in Babur's biographical genre, essential for comprehending the ambitions of this enigmatic king.

Genres: History, India, Biography, Nonfiction

480 pages, Hardcover

First published February 19, 2024

About the author

Born and bought up in Hazaribagh, a small district from land of mines: Jharkhand. He studied Architecture in Piloo Mody College of Architecture, Cuttack amid 2006-11. Currently he is associated with IDEAS-Nagpur as a Research Scholar and he also keeps experimenting designs through varied professional projects. Apart from Architecture, author is also keen to study politics, all art forms and is often engrossed with paintings, poetry during spare times. “Restart” is his first published Novel and he is engaged penning third work of fiction

Reviews

[Utkarṣa Miśra (मिश्रोपाख्यों उत्कर्षः) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know that Babur was a self-declared bi-sexual (if not homosexual) who madly bestowed his affection for a boy named ‘Baburi’ with whom he crossed paths at Camp Bazar? Do you know that the man himself — the founding father of the Mughal Empire, never really called himself a Mughal and rather the term “Mughal” for him was a term of castigation which he often hurled abuses at? Sounds weird right?

Well, Indian History never fails to surprise if presented in accordance with right conduct in due course of time. Arun Shourie once said, “History is too important to be left to Historians” — he was referring to Marxist Historiography in his book “Eminent Historians”. That book still remains one of the most instrumental title where he, alone by oneself, transfigured the entire discourse of looking upon at Indian History.

My urge to learn accurate and stratified form of history introduced me to the author of this book which I have brought on to the table today. “BABUR: The Chessboard King” penned by Aabhas Maldahiyar, who is an Architect & Urban Designer by profession but a Historian by passion, is the first instalment of the massive 6 volume series on Timurid Historiography, which is also bogusly called as “Mughal Historiography”.

This pristine piece of literature stepped in at a very crucial stage where India is witnessing a cultural renaissance and revivalism. While talking about Indic Culture, Mughals (Timurids) have indeed a fair share in it, although rather notorious one. Babur being the founding father of the so called “Mughal Empire” was not just an ordinary king. Reading this book left me stupefied looking at Babur’s ambiguous character.

He was not just a “Ruthless” intruder who tried to scrunch the glorious civilization of India, but he was also a king in bewilderment. He was ridiculously a good poet, but also a poor manager of economics. Well all of his successors were like him. Indian Economy under Mughal Rule suffered severe dents which reduced our huge share in global GDP. This book series will challenge this illusory narrative of “Economic Prosperity” brought by Mughals.

Babur and his whole gamut of personalities is something which is little known to the public. The Indian Historians till now never done justice to any personality or incident from the past. If as a Historian one is entrusted to write history, he or she should make sure to keep it immune from biases, otherwise it deepens the conflict between parleys. However, midst of all this, this authorship which has indeed taken a form of this beautiful manifestation, is de rigueur for authors who wish to write on Indian History. Rich in evidence & sources and to corroborate them, doing extensive research and comparative study before picking the best out of odds, is the soul strength of this book and is paramount in the field of Non-Fiction literature.

This book has curtailed (in superlative term) itself to primary sources including one of the very popular (yet not so popular) persian manuscript authored by the protagonist of the book himself — Baburnama. Aabhas Maldahiyar’s book begins from the of death of Babur’s father Umar Shaikh Mirza II which induced tragic trails in the life of the King, and sheds light on his struggle at the very early age following by his rise to power in Ferghana. Babur’s struggle and lust for power brought him victories, defeats, trials and retreats and even couple of initial failed attempts to invade India.

Being based upon the Babur’s own journal — Baburnama, author had learned Persian in due course to evaluate the original manuscript in rather better arrangement, away from translators’ biases. Most of the material which we get to read about Babur in the contemporary times, begin with his adventures post Indian invasion. Whereas this book is expanded in 19 chapters, and in this single volume, author has brought up explosive nuances pre-dated to the story of “after India invasion” of this historical figure.

Islamic invasions of India were not solely done for economic prosperity of the invader, rather this very reason for invasion was just one out of many other reasons. If you read marxist historians which were once very prevalent in India, you would find them evaluating every invasion of India on economic grounds, as marxist point of view doesn’t beyond monetary reasons. They believe that money and economic hardship had persuaded many such invasions in past. But being honest to literally evidence, one can conclude that one of the major causes for the invasion in India was the expanding nature of Islamic Theology, which Babur was an adherent of.

Islamic fanaticism has induced several brutalities over people who were not the adherents of it. Babur since belonging to the house of Timurids, did share a bloodline with Mongols as well, which this book connects very firmly. Mughals have been referred as “Turk-Mongolian Blood”. So when that madcap attitude of Mongols met the hardcore extremist Wahabi ideology of Islam, it produced rulers like Timur, who wanted complete Islamisation of the continent. Following the terms of great-great grandfather, Babur was not very alienated to this very notion of Islamisation. Well, that is a different case that destiny never allowed him to gain a stronghold. And from there comes the Title of this book, “The Chessboard King”. If one sees it as a very strong & dominant title for the book, maybe written in praises of the king, then that person is probably on the wrong side of the page. Well I am leaving it for readers to know the reason behind of this nomenclature. Babur indeed had qualities which are well placed in this book, but being a Hindu who hails from the Land of Gods — India, for me he will always remain as a malicious marauder who killed my people.

In conclusive remarks, I will say it with full authority that, this is indeed an unprecedented work on this historical personality. Considering there is going to be an another volume dedicated to this King, it becomes overwhelming for history buffs and it makes it a Magnum Opus on its own. Aabhas’s efforts of relying on primary sources will help us better to comprehend the sheer desires of this King. This book resonates the true meaning of History. This book is purely based on primary sources and references, and richness of the footnotes proves the point. One can even do primary research taking this work as a reference book. It is that detailed. Besides, It has no material to satisfy the political pursuits of any ideology or wing, be it Right or Left, but does have immense tendencies to hurt many ideologies. I hope you get it.

At the end, this book has offered me a fresh and distinctive lens to historical happenings and challenged many prevalent narratives which make rounds in the mainstream. Author’s dedication is truly reflected from the pages and in genuine sense, it made me stick to my notion even more stronger that, “Historians who become Historians out of passion, always outplay those who are Historians by profession.” Aabhas is entitled for honour and his excellent endeavour should be revered by all. I genuinely hope my keen readers community will give him an opportunity to prove his excellence and read this book and voice it in among their zone of influence. Sending lots of warm wishes to the author and may Maa Bhavani bless him with good health & success.

[Aditya Saraff · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare that authors keep their books from becoming a hagiography or a polemic against a person/event even after they set out to furnish just facts. However, Aabhas is successful in avoiding any value judgements while portraying facts as they stand based on primary sources. The book is an absolute wonder in terms of the ground it covers and how meticulously it documents Babur’s history. Can’t wait for the second volume!

[Atoorva · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started the book with an open mind as the basic premise of the author about a very flawed and factually incorrect history being taught in India is very close to my heart, too. But the book disappointed me. Despite the author's open confession towards "nationalism" and his seething anger for leftist historians...his own writing to correct the fault falls short on many counts.
First and foremost, it is a boring book and includes long (20 pages long in one case!) quotes from Babarnama. Yes, that has to be the primary source for the biography of Babur, but the story doesn't flow at all. It is an attempt to weave quotes in a narrative, and it fails miserably. Secondly, it is a badly edited book. I won't even call it a rightist propaganda book like Sampath's biography of Savarkar ( a book which author,very generously praises). The author does not try to malign Babur or paint him with some preconceived colour- the approach is more factual..in fact too factual. Despite that honesty and regard to primary source .... It is just a very badly written and confused book. No flow, no story, no analysis...just quotes and some more quotes. I would rather read Baburnama once again than pick this up.

[Gautam Ramachandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review - The book provides a direct window into Babur's worldview and the political complexities he faced. Gives a more holistic view showing multifaceted ruler with personal struggles, ambitions, and a touch of poetic sensibility. Gives fresh insight into his character development by concentrating on Babur’s early struggles in Ferghana and Samarkhand. The "chessboard king" metaphor becomes clear as the author illustrates Babur's ability to navigate delicate alliances, assess his enemies' weaknesses, and make bold yet calculated moves in the complex Central Asian political landscape.

[Harsh Agrawal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Babur : The Chessboard King

Author: Aabhas Maldahiyar

Genre: History

Published by Penguin India

Pages: 480

MRP: Rs. 999/-



"Babur: The Chessboard King" authored by Aabhas Maldahiyar. The author delves into the historical narrative surrounding Babur and the Timurid dynasty, exploring the complexities of history, biases, and the need for primary sources in historical writings. Through the author's introspective journey and meticulous research efforts, a nuanced portrayal of Babur and the Timurid rulers emerges, challenging traditional narratives and shedding light on the often overlooked aspects of their reign.


The author's keen interest in history, fueled by childhood memories and academic pursuits, sets the stage for a thorough exploration of Babur's life and legacy. Drawing from primary sources such as the Persian manuscript of Baburnama, the author emphasizes the importance of factual accuracy and historical context in presenting a comprehensive understanding of Babur's reign.One notable aspect highlighted in the book is the author's dedication to incorporating primary sources with the power of hindsight and conducting extensive research to validate existing translations.


Through this meticulous approach, the author aims to provide readers with an authentic and reliable account of Babur's journey and the Timurid era. The inclusion of footnotes, endnotes, and references further enhances the credibility of the narrative, ensuring that historical events are presented within their proper context.The book also touches upon the prevalent biases and varying interpretations of history, particularly concerning the Timurid rulers.


Continue reading on the website : https://www.keetabikeeda.in/post/babu...

[Ayan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Distasteful nauseating piece of trash. Good riddance I didn't spend money on this shit book and just pirated it off the internet. The author so conveniently ignores important facts and details regarding historical incidents and characters to push forward his own biased personal hate against the Mughals. The prologue is itself so misleading, like blud literally compared Shah Jahan to Churchill.

This book is full of absurd shit and logical fallacies like the logical fallacy of false equivalence, cherry picking and so on.
Selective historical presentation at its peak.

On top of that the author has rejected the work of other known historians on Babur and his life and has decided to base his book on the primary source autobiography Baburnama so that he can interpret it just the way he finds comfortable to push his right wing propaganda of painting the Timurid-Mughals on the same canvas as Brits. Basically falsely labelling them as colonialists.

The writing is quite off as well. Rather than presenting a nuanced and complex portrait of Babur, he comes across as one-dimensional, lacking the depth and liveliness that made him compelling and interesting in his own autobiography.

Any legit historian would call out the bluff of this bogus hindutva so-called historian. Such a shallow and misguiding depiction of one of the most honest medieval rulers.

No wonder only fictional writers and right wing propagandists are applauding and appreciating this book. 1 star for the cover.

[Sajith Kumar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Estimating the economic output of a nation in the form of GDP is extremely complicated as the period of study goes further and further back in time. However, some scholars have made intelligent guesses based on ancient commercial sources and the flow of history. In the year 1000 CE, the share of India’s GDP to that of the entire world was 28 per cent while China accounted for 22 per cent. In 1950, this had declined to a measly 4.2 per cent for India and 4.6 per cent for China, even though China kept up its momentum till 1820 in which year its share was an impressive 33 per cent. What caused this devastation of Indian economy in these 1000 years? What caused the decline of agriculture and industry and also the collapse of native social structures? The answer is not hard to find. 700 years of Islamic colonialism and 200 years of British colonialism had sapped India dry of her resources. Till the establishment of the Kimberly mines in South Africa in 1870, Golconda in India was the only major diamond mine in the world. However, each one of the huge number of stones extracted from Golconda was taken out of India by force or trickery. India’s gold and silver alleviated poverty and established infrastructure in the distant lands of Persia, Arabia, Khorasan and Great Britain in that millennium of colonialism and slavery. Mohammed of Ghor led the first wave of Islamic occupation while Babur led the second. This is in addition to the transitory yet thoroughly ruining plundering raids of Mahmud of Ghazni, Timur, Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Durrani. However, there is a stream of Indian academia which glorifies the invasion and occupation of Islamic powers as having provided something beneficial to India. This book is an attempt to recreate the history of Babur from primary sources of which the most prominent is his own diary, the Baburnama. Aabhas Maldahiyar is an architect and urban designer who has an intense love for history. A nationalist to the core, Maldahiyar is also a skilled reader of Persian manuscripts. The GDP data mentioned above is taken from the appendix of this book with original references from the book, ‘Contours of the World Economy, AD 1 – 2030’ by Angus Maddison.

Maldahiyar begins with an excellent introductory chapter that seethes with indignation at the slavish way history is taught in post-independence India through a curriculum cleverly crafted by Left historians. The author identifies three traits seen in all NCERT (the state agency which prepares school text books at the national level) text books as 1) all invaders except the British were not bad 2) no invaders including the British had any religious zeal, and 3) before the arrival of the great invaders, India was a place of the worst practices like Sati, untouchability etc. This scam has made not merely wee-sized harm but a catastrophe set to dismantle the pride and respect of our land and civilization. This is nothing short of intellectual dishonesty. The fact that this obfuscation is deliberate is proved by the observation that unlike the British, the earlier colonialists like the Sultanates and Mughals were very honest about their deeds and all the ‘namas’ contain descriptions of the worst kind of atrocities they inflicted upon our ancestors. In their eyes, the atrocities upon the Kafirs were virtuous; hence they saw no reason for hiding it. However, post-independence historians – Leftists on the one hand and Islamists posing as Left on the other – ignored this clear evidence and portrayed these brutal monsters as great kings. The book includes a prescient quote by Heinlein that ‘a generation which ignores history has no past and no future’. This book is claimed to be an attempt to set the record straight by delving deep into the primary sources.

The author plans a grand scheme for the book which envisages the most important primary source – Babur’s journal titled ‘Baburnama’ – superimposed on the happenings around the world during that period. Since this approach does not seek to make any verdict or frame opinion on the subject matter, Maldahiyar proposes to provide a new perspective on Babur. He stresses again at another point that if you must trust something in history, it must be the primary source corroborated with other primary sources on the same subject. With this magnificent objective in place, the author embarks on his journey into the sixteenth century narrative written by Babur but flounders on the very first chapter itself. A lot of details from Babur’s memoir are simply reproduced with no correspondence or correlation. Readers are not able to follow the storyline even if they are well-versed in the biography of Babur. Making an excellent replica of what Babur had written, this book lists out about 20-30 different names of people or places on each page and readers are rendered utterly clueless about what’s happening. In the Sherlock Holmes’ story ‘The Adventure of the Red-Headed League’, the complainant is asked to simply copy the Encyclopedia Britannica on to plain paper with no questions asked. This book is somewhat similar with the difference that the Baburnama is the source of the copying. Incomprehensible sentences like ‘Baqi Chaghaniani, a younger brother of Khusrau Shah, who was more Chaghanian, Shahr-i-Safa, and Tirmiz, sent the khatib of Qarshi to Babur’ (p.168) are repeated without any clarification. This is just one among the numerous such instances. Even the names of the singers who performed in a binge party thrown by Babur are listed faithfully as if the data is crucial in re-evaluating a flawed narrative of Indian historiography. The author has not shown any trace of judgment in selecting the topics and instead portrays Babur as a hero for most of the book. About 20 pages are earmarked to reproduce verbatim Babur’s observations on Kabul city – its geography, climate, fruits, crops and other details – like a gazetteer.

Babur meticulously recorded his impressions on other people – friend and foe alike. He observed places, societies, battles and politics to form his opinion and strategy about them. Babur ruled Kabul for around two decades before invading India and he used this time to effectively subjugate the whole of Afghanistan. Many Muslim tribes were at the receiving end of his battle fury and had to submit to humiliating treatment at the hands of this proud descendant of Timur. We read about some interesting anecdotes in this book on how they responded to defeat in battle. Assuming the disdainful pride of the conqueror of Afghan tribes, Babur writes, “we had been told that when Afghans are powerless to resist, they go before their foe with grass between their teeth as if to say ‘I am your cow’” (p.206). This was what exactly happened at the battle of Kohat. But Babur was not impressed with this spineless and opportunistic display of servility and ordered to behead the Afghans one by one. The book contains a detailed narrative on Babur’s campaigns in Afghanistan, especially his frequent attacks on the Turkmen Hazara tribes. Babur claims that he ‘drove them like deer by valley and ridge; we shot those wretches like deer; we made captive their people of sorts; we laid hands on their men of renown; their wives and their children we took’ (p.255).

The book is extremely boring except for the Introduction and Epilogue which are finely structured and establishes the logic behind writing this book. In fact, these two chapters are the only part of the volume where the author handles his own creation. Regarding the hundreds of pages in which the reader finds no relevance or interest, we can only say that it was a great disappointment. The author appears thoroughly clueless in organizing the content of Babur’s journal in a meaningful way so as to tell a coherent story. Besides, the significance of the title ‘chessboard king’ is not elaborated in the text. Readers are left to form their own conjectures on this critical point. This book is said to be the first among many volumes of a similar nature covering the entire history of Mughals. Maldahiyar may save himself the trouble if the other volumes are also planned to repeat the spirit and style of this book. In fact, I would have given one more star in the rating had I not purchased the book thinking that it’d be a good one on the Mughals. Hence the proverb ‘never judge a book by its cover’ stays very relevant.

The book is a waste of time and not recommended.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very enjoyable book is a work of historical imagination that refuses to sit quietly within the well-policed borders of conventional biography. It does not treat Ẓahīr-ud-Dīn Muhammad Babur just as the founder of the Mughal Empire, nor does it reduce him to a succession of battles, dates, and dynastic inevitabilities.

Instead, Maldahiyar approaches Babur as a mind in motion—a strategist, aesthete, exile, poet, tactician, and restless thinker—whose life unfolds as a long, perilous game of chess played across Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

The metaphor is not decorative. It is structural. Babur thinks like a chess player, moves like one, sacrifices like one, and—crucially—sometimes loses like one.

This is a book deeply aware that power is never merely brute force. It is foresight, adaptability, miscalculation, and the courage to retreat to advance later. Maldahiyar’s Babur is not the static conqueror of textbook caricature, but a young Timurid prince haunted by loss, animated by memory, and driven by a peculiar blend of romantic idealism and ruthless pragmatism.

From the outset, the narrative establishes Babur as a man born into instability. He inherits a fractured legacy—descended from both Timur and Genghis Khan, yet perpetually dispossessed, perpetually scrambling to hold territory that refuses to stay held.

What distinguishes this book from more traditional accounts is its psychological attentiveness. Maldahiyar reads Babur’s life not backward from the inevitability of Mughal dominance, but forward from uncertainty.

The early chapters emphasise exile, hunger, cold mountain passes, betrayal by allies, and the humiliations of a prince without a kingdom. Babur’s repeated loss and recapture of Samarkand—so often treated as a footnote in political histories—here becomes emblematic of his entire worldview.

Samarkand is not just a city; it is an obsession, a mirage, a lost queen on the chessboard that can never quite be reclaimed without catastrophic cost.

The chessboard metaphor allows Maldahiyar to foreground the idea of ‘sacrifice’. Babur’s life is marked by deliberate relinquishments: cities abandoned to save armies, alliances broken to preserve autonomy, dreams postponed for survival.

The author is particularly strong in showing how Babur learns to think several moves ahead, even when immediate circumstances appear bleak. His eventual turn toward Hindustan is not presented as destiny but as recalibration—a lateral move across the board when forward progress is blocked.

One of the book’s most rewarding aspects is its treatment of Babur as a cultural being. Maldahiyar does not forget that Babur was a poet, diarist, lover of gardens, wine, music, and conversation.

The ‘Baburnama’ looms large in the background, not merely as a source but as a temperament. This Babur notices birds, flowers, rivers, and climates with a sensitivity that sits uneasily alongside his capacity for violence.

Maldahiyar leans into this contradiction rather than resolving it. Babur can order massacres and then write, with startling delicacy, about the smell of melons from Kabul. The book insists that these are not two Baburs but one.

This tension becomes especially potent in the Indian chapters. Babur’s arrival in Hindustan is not framed as a triumphant destiny but as alienation. The land is strange, the heat oppressive, the customs unfamiliar.

Maldahiyar resists nationalist simplifications—neither demonizing Babur as a foreign invader nor romanticizing him as a civilizational benefactor. Instead, Babur emerges as an uneasy conqueror, impressed by the scale and wealth of India, yet repelled by what he perceives as disorder and softness.

His fascination with Indian terrain—its rivers, elephants, fortifications—is filtered through a strategist’s eye. Every observation is potentially a move.

The account of Panipat is, predictably, central, but Maldahiyar handles it with restraint. The emphasis is less on spectacle and more on preparation.

Babur’s use of field fortifications, carts, and artillery is presented as a chess-like innovation: reconfiguring the board itself. Ibrahim Lodi’s defeat is not merely a matter of numbers or fate but of conceptual rigidity versus adaptive intelligence. Babur wins not because he is stronger, but because he thinks differently.

Yet the book is careful not to turn Babur into an infallible grandmaster. There are misjudgments, blind spots, moments of arrogance.

Babur’s nostalgia for Central Asia never fully leaves him, and Maldahiyar suggests that India, for all its eventual importance, remains for Babur something like an endgame position—won, but never entirely loved. This emotional distance adds depth to the portrait. The Mughal Empire, in this telling, is born not out of belonging but out of exhaustion, strategy, and acceptance.

Stylistically, Maldahiyar writes with a measured confidence. The prose is lucid, occasionally lyrical, but never indulgent. Historical detail is integrated smoothly, without drowning the narrative in academic apparatus.

The chess metaphor, wisely, is not overextended. It recurs at key moments—sacrifice, positioning, tempo—without becoming gimmicky. When it works best, it sharpens the reader’s understanding of Babur’s mindset: a man who understands that sometimes survival depends on giving up what one loves most.

What also deserves mention is the book’s subtle engagement with the ethics of power. Maldahiyar does not excuse Babur’s brutality, but neither does he flatten it into modern moral judgment.

Violence is contextualized as part of a world where legitimacy is constantly contested and mercy is often interpreted as weakness. This does not absolve Babur; it complicates him. The result is a portrait that resists both condemnation and celebration.

In its closing movements, ‘The Chessboard King’ acquires a quiet melancholy. Babur, having finally secured a kingdom, seems almost out of place within it.

The restless mover has reached a position of relative stability, and the board grows smaller.

His declining health, his anxieties about succession, and his enduring sense of impermanence give the final chapters a reflective gravity. Power, once achieved, reveals itself as another fragile arrangement.

Ultimately, this is a book about strategy—not only military or political, but existential. Babur emerges as a figure who understands that life rarely offers clean victories. One advances by calculation, improvisation, loss, and persistence. Maldahiyar’s achievement lies in restoring uncertainty to a story too often told as inevitability.

‘‘Babur: The Chessboard King’’ is intellectually engaging, narratively disciplined, and refreshingly unsentimental.

It asks the reader to see the empire not as destiny but as consequence, not as moral certainty but as strategic outcome.

In doing so, it humanizes one of history’s most consequential figures without domesticating him.

This is history written with a thinker’s patience and a storyteller’s nerve—a study in power as movement, and kingship as a game played on shifting ground.

Most recommended.

[Sanjay jha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around a month ago, I happened to read a news report in The Times of India about the controversy surrounding the cancellation of Aabhas Maldahiyar’s programme at the Bhopal Book Fair. That incident aroused my curiosity and led me to explore his work more closely. Before beginning Babur – The Chessboard King (Part 1) and Babur – The Quest for Hindustan (Part 2), I tried to ground myself in established scholarship. I read Stephen F. Dale’s academic study on Babur and also revisited selected passages from the English translation of the Baburnama. This preliminary reading helped in building a broader and more balanced historical framework.

Approaching Maldahiyar’s books after this background study made the experience more layered and reflective. The narrative presents Babur as a complex and historically situated figure, shaped by exile, ambition, and the political compulsions of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. One of the consistent threads in the work is the author’s attempt to revisit long-held assumptions. The discussion around Babur’s Timurid and Gurkhania lineage, his cultural upbringing, and his identity as a Persianate prince is presented with an effort to place him within the intellectual and political traditions of Central Asia. His poetic temperament, literary refinement, and gradual acquisition of military skill through years of displacement are explored as important aspects of his personality.

At the same time, the books do not overlook the harsh realities of medieval warfare. The campaigns of Panipat, Khanwa, and Chanderi are described in a manner that reflects the violence and strategic severity typical of early modern state formation. Read in a wider historical context, such brutality appears not as an isolated trait of one ruler, but as part of the political culture of empire-building across regions and dynasties during that period.

The later chapters of Part 2 are particularly notable for attempting to distinguish between primary documentation, later interpretations, and inherited public memory. There is a visible effort to engage with how historical narratives are constructed over time, and how certain images become fixed through repetition in both academic and popular discourse.

Overall, the books present Babur not as a one-dimensional hero or villain, but as a figure of striking contrasts: a poet and a conqueror, a cultured mind operating within a deeply violent age. For readers interested in early medieval South Asian history, the work encourages a more inquiry-driven engagement with the past and invites comparison with established academic interpretations.

In many ways, works like these remind us that history gains depth when viewed through multiple lenses. They prompt us to read more widely, question received narratives, and approach the past with patience, curiosity, and a willingness to understand its complexities.

[Akanksha Singh Raghuvanshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Timurid dynasty, originating from the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) was a Perso Turkic lineage that profoundly influenced Central and South Asian history. Babur, born Zahiruddin Muhammad in 1483 was a Timurid prince from Ferghana who founded the Mughal Empire in India. After losing his ancestral domains in Central Asia due to Uzbek invasions, Babur turned his ambitions toward Hindustan, driven by strategic necessity and Timurid legacy.

The Mughal Empire, initially a Timurid extension was established with Delhi as its capital in 1526.

The book Babur: The Chessboard King is the first volume on the Timurid dynasty (often referred to as the Mughals). The book draws heavily from primary sources, particularly the Baburnama (Babur’s own memoirs in Persian) to explore the life of Babur, the founder of the Timurid Empire in Hindustan. It covers his early struggles after his father’s death in 1494, his rise to power in Ferghana, his victories and losses in Samarkand, his establishment of a kingdom in Kabul, and his initial attempts to invade Hindustan in 1505. The title “Chessboard King” reflects Babur’s strategic navigation of complex political landscapes, marked by alliances, betrayals and calculated moves.
The book presents Babur as a complex figure neither a glorified hero nor a one dimensional villain. It highlights his personal struggles, ambitions, poetic sensibility and strategic acumen, offering a humanized perspective. Maldahiyar emphasizes Babur’s early hardships, such as familial threats and exile and his ability to adapt in a treacherous political environment.
This book also delves into the economic and political landscape of Hindustan during Timurid rule, debunking myths about Babur’s invincibility and benevolence. It also corrects the misnomer of “Mughal” historiography, asserting Babur’s Timurid identity and his disdain for the Mongols.
Author also discusses Babur’s emulation of Timur’s brutal tactics, like building towers of skulls and the economic stagnation of India during Timurid rule, challenging romanticized views of his reign.


Overall the book is a must read for those interested in Indian history, particularly the Timurid/Mughal period and for readers seeking a nuanced, evidence based account of Babur’s life. It’s ideal for history enthusiasts who value primary sources and are open to challenging long held narratives.

[Book_withquotes · Rating 3 out of 5]

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In the annals of history, Babur emerges as a figure of triumph amidst turmoil. Following his father’s tragic demise in AD 1494, his pursuit of power amidst treacherous political landscapes unfolds, earning him the moniker ‘the chessboard king.’ From his ascent in Ferghana to fleeting victories in Samarkand and retreat to tribal lands, the narrative paints a poignant picture of his journey. “Babur: The Chessboard King” delves into Hindustan’s economic landscape during Timurid rule, portraying Babur as a multifaceted ruler. Meticulously sourced from primary manuscripts, this deeply researched biography challenges conventional depictions, offering insight into the ambitions of this enigmatic king.

His work is well-informed and earnest. It ought to act as a kind of perspective to anyone with any interest at all in the exposed, unvarnished truth about Babar. Drawing from essential sources, for example, the Persian original copy of Baburnama, the creator underlines the significance of verifiable precision and verifiable setting in introducing a complete comprehension of Babur’s rule.

Through vivid storytelling and rich historical detail, readers are transported to the tumultuous political landscapes of Babur’s time, where treachery, alliances, and conquests shaped his destiny. With insights drawn from primary sources such as the Baburnama, these books offer a comprehensive understanding of Babur’s multifaceted persona, challenging conventional depictions of conquest and leadership. Whether a seasoned historian or a casual reader, these books on Babur are essential for anyone seeking to unravel the complexities of his reign and the enduring impact of his legacy on the Indian subcontinent.

[Yohan Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The author has put in a lot of work into the book. He has collected a wide variety of sources that help contextualise the events that take place. He remains faithful to the sources and does not make extravagant leaps of fancy.

However, the quality of English used, and that of his prose subverts his efforts. The work had the potential to be an engaging narrative based account of the undeniably fascinating life of Babur. However, it does not achieve its potential. The style is conversational rather than narrative, and on occasion the work is muddied by convoluted phrasing. Perhaps the greatest tragedy is that the reader is no closer to knowing Babur the man, after reading the book.

It is a valiant first attempt by the author, however while his historiography is thorough, he must develop his writing. I hope the subsequent volume and future editions correct for this.

In fairness, much of the blame can be laid at the feet of the publisher. This work has been published by Penguin and it is disappointing that they failed to properly copyedit the work, and guide and develop the author.

[Rohan Monteiro · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terribly boring.

The introduction was decent and piqued my interest...after that it was a massive infodump without any thematic structure to the story. I read three chapters and did not finish.

[Mayank Bawari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weirdly paced, meandering narrative, Babur feels like a cardboard cutout not the savage or moghal that he is or supposed to be

[gaurav sohal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Would have preferred if more about India was written what babur did when he reached India. I guess it's in part 2

[Nishu Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on Babur. I cant wait to read next volume.

[Amogh Kulkarni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have liked to have some maps to learn the full geography of the region as many names have been mentioned. The book has some errors too probably needs a revision but the story of the founder of whom we call Mughals but they called themselves timurid is really interesting how Babur overcame several obstacles and was lucky in many cases. The writer has done a great job to be objective and not adding his own biases about India being a religious conquest for Babur and not just loot of replicate his ancestors timur’s campaign successes. Interesting read looking forward to vol 2