The Babur Nama or the Tuzuk-i-Baburi, the autobiographical memoir of Babur, the founder of the Mughul rule in India, deservedly holds a high place in the history of human literature. These memoirs cover the period between 1493-94, when Babur ascended the throne at the tender age of eleven, to September 1529 when he had established himself as ruler of Hindustan. Written in the form of memoirs and diaries, the book is not only a record of the events connected with the life of Babur but also includes his observations during his sojourn at various places he passed through. These memoirs are unique not only from the historical but also from the literary point of view. Despite a turbulent career and a short life, Babur recorded meticulously all the events and incidents of his life. This extraordinarily frank and intimate book stands unrivalled among Oriental autobiographies and is a document of great historical value. With the memoirs of Babur began the tradition of autobiographical writings followed by some of his successors. Zahiru’d-din Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughul dynasty in India, was a Barlas Turk and a descendant of Timur. He was born in Kabul in 1483. He is one of the most romantic and interesting personalities in history and his memoirs give an insight into his character. Though most of his life was spent in the pursuit of war, he maintained his literary taste. In fact, he combined in his personality the qualities of a ruler and a fighter, a connoisseur of arts and a litterateur. He was a prolific writer and besides the Babur Nama also wrote a Diwan in Turkish. The Babur Nama, originally written in Turkish, was translated by Abdur-Rahim Khan-i-Khanan into Persian in 1590.
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