The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c12.s2.1

v4.c12.s2.1

We may now turn to the second phase of Bābur's career, namely his invasions and conquest of Hindūstān. In this part of his history we shall encounter many names already familiar to the student of these volumes; it may, nevertheless, be useful to enumerate some of those persons with whom the narrative is mostly concerned. Hitherto Bābur had been dealing with men of his own race or of races closely connected with it, either Mongols or Turks. That is, of course, only true in regard to the chiefs and leaders; for the population of Khurāsān, Badakhshān and Kābul were more Iranian than Turkish. Not till he crossed the Sind or Indus river did Bābur encounter rulers and chiefs of Indo-Aryan stock, and whereas the first twenty years of his active life were spent in competition with Tatar chiefs, his last years (1524–30) were passed in fighting against Afghāns and Hindus. Hindūstān was as foreign to him and to his army—in spite of the bond of Islam—as Egypt was to Napoleon and his French troops.