Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North

The mighty Mughal Empire that ruled a large part of the Indian subcontinent for three centuries has left its imprints in the history of the region. Empire of The Moghuls by Alex Rutherford is a proposed five part series that traces the dynasty from its beginning to its end. Raiders From The North is the first book in this series. Empire of The Moghuls: Raiders From The North chronicles the life of Babur, who founded the Mughal empire. The story begins when Babur is 12 years old and covers the rest of his life from that point. Babur, a descendant of Timur, and Genghis Khan through his mother’s family, has dreams of reclaiming the glory of his ancestors. But first, he has to begin by securing his claim to his current tiny kingdom. When Babur is just 12 years old, his father dies in a freak accident, leaving him as the rightful heir, but with many threats to his claim. Factions within the kingdom were plotting against him, taking advantage of his age and inexperience. But Babur had the support of his grandmother and his mother who wielded great influence in the court. With the aid of his mentor and military advisor Wazir Khan, Babur secured his kingdom, Ferghana. He then turned his attention to Samarkhand. This city had been the capital of his ancestor Timur, and Babur wanted to reconquer the city. After capturing it, he loses it to the Uzbeks. After this happens repeatedly, Babur turns his attention elsewhere. Babur and his troops march on through Kabul into the land of India, and eventually conquer a large part of Hindustan, establishing his own dynasty, the Mughal Empire. This novel, based on Babur’s autobiography, Baburnama, traces his campaigns, from his regaining and losing his own kingdom and Samarkhand to his eventual conquest of Hindustan. It is a story of violence, betrayals, plots, and counter-plots - the story of an eventful life.