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Baburnama (Chagatai
Chagatai language

The Chagatai language is an extinct Turkic language which was once widely spoken in Central Asia, and remained the shared literary language there until the early twentieth century....
/; literally: "Book of Babur" or "Letters of Babur") are the memoirs of Zahir ud-Din Mohammad Babur
Babur

Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal Empire of Indian subcontinent....
 (1483-1530), the founder of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire was a Muslim imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century....
 and a great-great-great-grandson of Timur. It is an autobiographical work, originally written in the Chagatai language
Chagatai language

The Chagatai language is an extinct Turkic language which was once widely spoken in Central Asia, and remained the shared literary language there until the early twentieth century....
, known to Babur as "Turki
Turki

Turki, strictly speaking, is an Arabic language or Persian language adjective formed from the noun "Turk", used by European writers in two rather different senses....
" (meaning Turkic), the spoken language of the Andijan
Andijan

Andijan is the fourth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the Andijan Province. It is located in the east of the country, at , in the Fergana Valley, near the border with Kyrgyzstan on the Andijan-Say River....
-Timurid
Timurid

Timurid may refer to:* Timur* Timurid Dynasty * Timurid Emirates...
s.






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Baburn4
Baburnama (Chagatai
Chagatai language

The Chagatai language is an extinct Turkic language which was once widely spoken in Central Asia, and remained the shared literary language there until the early twentieth century....
/; literally: "Book of Babur" or "Letters of Babur") are the memoirs of Zahir ud-Din Mohammad Babur
Babur

Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal Empire of Indian subcontinent....
 (1483-1530), the founder of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire was a Muslim imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century....
 and a great-great-great-grandson of Timur. It is an autobiographical work, originally written in the Chagatai language
Chagatai language

The Chagatai language is an extinct Turkic language which was once widely spoken in Central Asia, and remained the shared literary language there until the early twentieth century....
, known to Babur as "Turki
Turki

Turki, strictly speaking, is an Arabic language or Persian language adjective formed from the noun "Turk", used by European writers in two rather different senses....
" (meaning Turkic), the spoken language of the Andijan
Andijan

Andijan is the fourth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the Andijan Province. It is located in the east of the country, at , in the Fergana Valley, near the border with Kyrgyzstan on the Andijan-Say River....
-Timurid
Timurid

Timurid may refer to:* Timur* Timurid Dynasty * Timurid Emirates...
s. It also contains many phrases and smaller poems in Persian. It is also known as Tuzk-e-Babri.

Babur was a highly educated Turkish Central Asian
Central Asia

Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south....
 Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 and his observations and comments in his memoirs reflect an interest in nature, society, politics and economics. His vivid account of events covers not just his life, but the history
HIStory

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I is a double album by Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995, and is Jackson's ninth. The first disc, named "HIStory Begins" consists of a selection of Jackson's greatest hits from the singer's past fifteen years, while the second, named "HIStory Continues" features new songs, with the...
 and geography
Geography

Geography is the study of the Earth and its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth"....
 of the areas he lived in, and their flora and fauna, as well as the people with whom he came into contact.

The Baburnama begins with these plain words:

After some background, Babur describes his fluctuating fortunes as a minor ruler in Central Asia - in which he took and lost Samarkand
Samarkand

Samarkand , is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province.The city is most noted for its central position on the Silk Road between China and the West, and for being an Islamic centre for scholarly study....
 twice - and his move to Kabul in 1504.

There is a break in the manuscript between 1508 and 1519. By the latter date Babur is established in Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
, now in Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
, and is campaigning in northwestern India
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
. The final section of the Baburnama covers the years 1525 to 1529 and the establishment of the Mughal empire
Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire was a Muslim imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century....
 in South Asia
South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east....
, which Babur's descendants would rule for three centuries.

Babur also writes about his homeland, Fergana:

He also wrote:

The Baburnama is widely translated and is part of text books in no less than 25 countries mostly in Central, Western, and Southern Asia. It was first translated into English by the British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 orientalist scholar Annette Akroyd
Annette Akroyd

Annette Susannah Akroyd Beveridge was an England educationalist, social reformer and orientalist, is remembered primarily for her early efforts at women?s education in India....
.

Further reading

  • The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor, Zahir-ud-din Mohammad Babur, Translated, edited and annotated by Wheeler M. Thackston. 2002 Modern Library Paperback Edition, New York. ISBN 0-375-76137-3
  • Babur Nama: Journal of Emperor Babur, Zahir Uddin Muhammad Babur
    Babur

    Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal Empire of Indian subcontinent....
    , Translated from Chagatai Turkic by Annette Susannah Beveridge
    Annette Akroyd

    Annette Susannah Akroyd Beveridge was an England educationalist, social reformer and orientalist, is remembered primarily for her early efforts at women?s education in India....
    , Abridged, edited and introduced by Dilip Hiro
    Dilip Hiro

    Dilip Hiro is a playwright and analyst specializing in India and the Islamic world, ranging from Iraq and Lebanon to the Central Asian republics....
    . (ISBN-13) ISBN 978-0-14-400149-1; (ISBN-10) ISBN 0-14-400149-7. -


Work online



See also

  • Akbarnama
    Akbarnama

    File:Court_of_Akbar_from_Akbarnama.jpgThe , which literally means Book of Akbar, is a biographical account of Akbar, the third Mughal Empire emperor, written in Persian language....
  • Tuzk-e-Jahangiri
    Tuzk-e-Jahangiri

    Tuzk-e-Jahangiri or Tuzk-i-Jahangiri is the autobiography of Mughal Emperor Jahangir . Also referred to as Jahangirnama , Tuzk-e-Jahangiri is written in Persian language, and follows the tradition of his great-grandfather, Babur , who had written the Baburnama; though Jahangir went a step further and besides the history o...
  • Tuzk-e-Taimuri
    Tuzk-e-Taimuri

    Tuzk-e-Taimuri is considered by many as the autobiography of Timur.Timur's generally recognized biographers are:* Ali Yazdi, commonly called Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi, author of the Zafarnama in Persian ....