'B' is For Babur
Babur was born Zahir ud-Din Muhammed in Uzbekistan (which is north of India. I think. Maybe. At any rate, north of the equator. Just ask AOC) on February 14, 1483 and died in Agra (in northern India, near the Taj Mahal) on December 26, 1530. The day after Christmas. Which wasn't a big deal. Because..."Muhammed."
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| He eventually changed his name to "Babur" which fit better on his birthday cakes. |
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| He is an Indian elephant. Coincidence? |
Babur is credited with founding the Mughal Empire in 1526, a stretch of territory which encompasses the whole of India and other bits of land which aren’t too familiar to me. Hey, all I was taught in school was Western Europe. I can’t help it.
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| Told ya. |
Now before you
think I misspelled the name (hey, to be honest, I’m not perfect so I can understand), this is not to be confused
with the “Mongol” Empire. That, much
larger, empire is associated with Genghis Khan.
Interestingly, Babur was a descendant of Genghis. You wouldn’t know it to look at him,
but...come to think of it, maybe you would. They do look alike, after all.
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Babur was originally a staunch Sunni Muslim,
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| "Not to be confused with a Shia Muslim, amirite?" "Hey, aren't you dead?" "I am, but I live on at Penwasser Place." "DEATH TO AMERICA!" "Attaboy." |
but in his later years ameliorated his views to include tolerance of other religions. In addition, he was a fervent patron of poetry, mathematics, history, riding on top of trains, and hygiene.
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| Which, sadly, never caught on. |
Fun Fact: One of Babur’s successors, Shah Jaha, ordered
construction of the Taj Mahal in 1631, in honor of his late wife, Mrs. Jaha.
The Mughal Empire
lasted until it was formally absorbed by the British Raj following the Indian
Rebellion of 1857. After which, India became a vital part of the British Empire.
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| And now, Muslims are part of Great Britain. Ironic, no? |
Babur is also lauded for his contribution to American culture for inspiring the Seinfeld character, Babu Bhatt.
Okay, that isn't true.
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| Yeah, that's not true. |
Most countries conquer neighboring countries but the British seemed to go out of their way to conquer countries thousands of miles away...
ReplyDeleteTalk about a global hegemon.
DeleteI always wondered how India became part of the British empire.
ReplyDeleteI suspect it's due in large part (I could look it up, but what's the fun in that), a desire on the part of Great Britain to corner any economic largesse from that region of the world. Which also played a huge role in their taking possession of Hong Kong.
DeleteBottom line, money.
He died four years after founding the empire? He barely got to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI must admit, I had to check my sources to see if I "fat-fingered" the date. I didn't. Four years it is. I wish someone else had just four years.
DeleteHe needed to speak to King Ahk from your letter A so he would not smell like crocodile dung. Considering the number of children Ghingas had, most people are descendants of that Mongolian ruler. I think Babar is related to this guy.
ReplyDeleteI believe you are correct. The Power of Boners was strong in Genghis.
DeleteShort reign
ReplyDeleteHe was a one-term despot.
DeleteMughal? You silly billy you're spelling muggle wrong.
ReplyDeleteI have a problem. Clearly.
DeleteVisiting from A to Z. I read Barbar the elephant when young. I had not focussed on his more famous predecessor and was pleased to read about him. Four years is definitley too short
ReplyDeleteRegards Anne
https://anneyoungau.wordpress.com/2026/04/02/b-is-for-ballarat/
Gosh, your posts are hilarious. I"m coming back for more.
ReplyDeleteSwinging by via AtoZ
Babur fits the cake, takes the cake. Ha! Ha! Ha!
https://natashamusing.com/2026/04/d-is-for-dolphins-gangetic-river-dolphins/