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Baburnama
A translation of Babur’s personal memoir written in Turki, Baburnama remains true to the original, portraying the extraordinary life of the founder of the Mughal Empire in India. Often quoted by historians and academicians alike, this book possesses the rare distinction of being relevant across centuries. Baburnama is the complete record of Babur’s life from the time he ascended the throne at the young age of eleven to when he finally established himself as a monarch (1493 to 1529).What fascinates readers even today is Babur’s intimate and detailed account of the world around him and what is truly astonishing is that there is no historical precedent for his narrative, making it the first real autobiography in Islamic literature. Annette Susannah Beveridge’s nuanced translation offers us a unique insight into this remarkable period in history.
510 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2017
282 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Zahir ud-Din Muhammad Babur
34 books39 followersBaber, also Babar, or Babur, originally Zahir ud-Din Mohammed, a Mongol, conquered India, made periodic raids from 1519-1524, captured Delhi and Agra in 1526, and founded the dynasty of Mughal.
From center Asia, this more commonly known military adventurer established his first kingdom in 1504 and afterward rose to power at Kabul. He built an army for nearby regions and then invaded the Afghan empire of south Asia of Lodi and laid the basis.
A descendant of Genghis Khan bore Babur to a descendant of Timur. He identified his Timurid and Chaghatay-Turkic lineage, while Persian culture steeped his origin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babur
From center Asia, this more commonly known military adventurer established his first kingdom in 1504 and afterward rose to power at Kabul. He built an army for nearby regions and then invaded the Afghan empire of south Asia of Lodi and laid the basis.
A descendant of Genghis Khan bore Babur to a descendant of Timur. He identified his Timurid and Chaghatay-Turkic lineage, while Persian culture steeped his origin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babur
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 10, 2025
Long repetitive passages of military marches and uncle-nephew beefs as you might expect from the memoir of a 16th century emperor. If you skim some of those you are then rewarded with meditations on the grapes and melons of every land from Samarkand (excellent) to Delhi (miserable). A very perceptive and aesthetically oriented person but basically amoral, intelligent and a good writer but not a philosopher. Trapped entirely within the frame of redeeming his honour after losing his birthright of Samarkand to the Uzbeks. Lots of great vignettes about Sufi shrines, rhino hunts, hashish-driven poetry battles on party boats. My curiosity about the Perso-Turco-Mongol textures of life that went into shaping Mughal India found a lot to appreciate here.
"Tonight I elected to take opium because of ear-ache; another reason was the shining of the moon."
"Tonight I elected to take opium because of ear-ache; another reason was the shining of the moon."
June 6, 2022
Pairs well with his grandson's autobiography, and is telling about the differences between what kind of man conquers and what kind of man inherits when read in parallel. Babur doesn't talk much about himself directly- his focus is tightly on the land, the people within the land, and how they interact with each other.
January 15, 2020
A journal/ historical document that is at once objective and intensely personal. In Babur' words: " The facts are stated here...I have set down of good and bad whatever is known"
January 20, 2025
* my review below the following quote *
“Zahīru’d-dīn Muḥammad Bābur was undoubtedly one of the most illustrious men of his age, and one of the most eminent and accomplished princes that ever adorned an Asiatic throne.
He is represented as having been above the middle size, of great vigour of body, fond of all field and warlike sports, an excellent swordsman, and a skilful archer. As a proof of his bodily strength, it is mentioned, that he used to leap from one pinnacle to another of the pinnacled ramparts used in the East, in his double-soled boots; and that he even frequently took a man under each arm and went leaping along the rampart from one of the pointed pinnacles to another.
Having been early trained to the conduct of business, and tutored in the school of adversity, the powers of his mind received full development. He ascended the throne at the age of twelve, and before he had attained his twentieth year, had shared every variety of fortune; he had not only been the ruler of subject provinces but had been in thraldom to his own ambitious nobles, and obliged to conceal every sentiment of his heart; he had been alternately hailed and obeyed as a conqueror and deliverer by rich and extensive kingdoms, and forced to lurk in the deserts and mountains of Farghāna as a houseless wanderer.
Down to the last dregs of life, we perceive in him strong feelings of affection for his early friends and early enjoyments. * * * He had been taught betimes, by the voice of events that cannot lie, that he was a man dependent on the kindness and fidelity of other men; and, in his dangers and escapes with his followers, had learned that he was only one of an association. * * * The native benevolence and gaiety of his disposition seems ever to overflow on all around him; * * * of his companions in arms he speaks with the frank gaiety of a soldier. * * *
Ambitious he was and fond of conquest and glory in all its shapes; the enterprise in which he was for a season engaged, seems to have absorbed his whole soul, and all his faculties were exerted to bring it to a fortunate issue. His elastic mind was not broken by discomfiture, and few who have achieved such glorious conquests, have suffered more numerous or more decisive defeats. His personal courage was conspicuous during his whole life. Upon the whole, if we review with impartiality the history of Asia, we find few princes entitled to rank higher than Bābur in genius and accomplishments. * * * In activity of mind, in the gay equanimity and unbroken spirit “with which he bore the extremes of good and bad fortune, in the possession of the manly and social virtues, in his love of letters and his success in the cultivation of them, we shall probably find no other Asiatic prince who can justly be placed beside him.”
~ William Erskine
————————————————————————————
I chose that quote because it perfectly summarised Babur. A very interesting figure. I give this book 4/5 because you’ll never get to read an unfiltered memoir of an emperor. He started a dynasty that would control 1/4th of global GDP. He didn’t know we would all read his memoir and that’s what makes it so interesting. There were sections I had to scan through because I thought they weren’t too relevant but he was a man who is special. His energy, his poetic ability, his charm, his outlook on the world, his openness, his ability to connect to others and his honesty of emotion. He won me over and he’s definitely my favourite Mughal.
“Zahīru’d-dīn Muḥammad Bābur was undoubtedly one of the most illustrious men of his age, and one of the most eminent and accomplished princes that ever adorned an Asiatic throne.
He is represented as having been above the middle size, of great vigour of body, fond of all field and warlike sports, an excellent swordsman, and a skilful archer. As a proof of his bodily strength, it is mentioned, that he used to leap from one pinnacle to another of the pinnacled ramparts used in the East, in his double-soled boots; and that he even frequently took a man under each arm and went leaping along the rampart from one of the pointed pinnacles to another.
Having been early trained to the conduct of business, and tutored in the school of adversity, the powers of his mind received full development. He ascended the throne at the age of twelve, and before he had attained his twentieth year, had shared every variety of fortune; he had not only been the ruler of subject provinces but had been in thraldom to his own ambitious nobles, and obliged to conceal every sentiment of his heart; he had been alternately hailed and obeyed as a conqueror and deliverer by rich and extensive kingdoms, and forced to lurk in the deserts and mountains of Farghāna as a houseless wanderer.
Down to the last dregs of life, we perceive in him strong feelings of affection for his early friends and early enjoyments. * * * He had been taught betimes, by the voice of events that cannot lie, that he was a man dependent on the kindness and fidelity of other men; and, in his dangers and escapes with his followers, had learned that he was only one of an association. * * * The native benevolence and gaiety of his disposition seems ever to overflow on all around him; * * * of his companions in arms he speaks with the frank gaiety of a soldier. * * *
Ambitious he was and fond of conquest and glory in all its shapes; the enterprise in which he was for a season engaged, seems to have absorbed his whole soul, and all his faculties were exerted to bring it to a fortunate issue. His elastic mind was not broken by discomfiture, and few who have achieved such glorious conquests, have suffered more numerous or more decisive defeats. His personal courage was conspicuous during his whole life. Upon the whole, if we review with impartiality the history of Asia, we find few princes entitled to rank higher than Bābur in genius and accomplishments. * * * In activity of mind, in the gay equanimity and unbroken spirit “with which he bore the extremes of good and bad fortune, in the possession of the manly and social virtues, in his love of letters and his success in the cultivation of them, we shall probably find no other Asiatic prince who can justly be placed beside him.”
~ William Erskine
————————————————————————————
I chose that quote because it perfectly summarised Babur. A very interesting figure. I give this book 4/5 because you’ll never get to read an unfiltered memoir of an emperor. He started a dynasty that would control 1/4th of global GDP. He didn’t know we would all read his memoir and that’s what makes it so interesting. There were sections I had to scan through because I thought they weren’t too relevant but he was a man who is special. His energy, his poetic ability, his charm, his outlook on the world, his openness, his ability to connect to others and his honesty of emotion. He won me over and he’s definitely my favourite Mughal.
July 9, 2022
Interesting but difficult
This is in many ways a very interesting book, perhaps even fascinating. Very few rulers of this stature have left their memoirs. However, the absence of one or more family trees, a glossary, maps and perhaps a list of dramatis personae, makes it very difficult to read, at least for someone not well versed in early 16th century Central Asian and Indian history.
This is in many ways a very interesting book, perhaps even fascinating. Very few rulers of this stature have left their memoirs. However, the absence of one or more family trees, a glossary, maps and perhaps a list of dramatis personae, makes it very difficult to read, at least for someone not well versed in early 16th century Central Asian and Indian history.
December 18, 2021
Just seems an average book where day to day activities of Babur have been mentioned. Nowhere he seems to be a very great warrior by reading this book rather hee seems to be junkie instead of a great commander.
Though the way he kept writing his diary is very impressive as in those conditions he was able to do that.
Though the way he kept writing his diary is very impressive as in those conditions he was able to do that.
February 12, 2022
This is his journal, not ideal for laymen five hundred years later. But I found his description of Hindustan, its flora, fauna and general description to be very interesting - shed a whole new light on Babur as an astute observer of nature and people.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews