Question 14 Marks
Babur left a candid autobiography of great historical value, Baburnama (‘Babur’s Memoirs’). In it, he comes out as cultured and intellectually curious, with a keen appreciation for architecture, poetry, animals (birds in particular, many of which he lists in some detail) and flora (fruit trees especially). But he was also a brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities, enslaving women and children, and taking pride in erecting ‘towers of skulls’ made from the slaughtered people of plundered cities.
Babur was nostalgic about Central Asia and found India to be a ‘country of few charms’; at the same time, he acknowledged, “Hindustan is a large country and has masses of gold and silver. Through the rainy season, the air is remarkably fine, not to be surpassed for healthiness and charm. There are countless artisans and workmen of every sort in Hindustan.” Perhaps for the last reasons, especially India’s wealth, he decided to stay and build his empire in India rather than return to Central Asia.
Q.1. What is the Baburnama, and what does it rexeal about Babur?
Q.2. How does the source show the dual nature of Babur’s character?
Q.3. Why might Babur have stayed in India despite finding it less charming than Central Asia?
Babur was nostalgic about Central Asia and found India to be a ‘country of few charms’; at the same time, he acknowledged, “Hindustan is a large country and has masses of gold and silver. Through the rainy season, the air is remarkably fine, not to be surpassed for healthiness and charm. There are countless artisans and workmen of every sort in Hindustan.” Perhaps for the last reasons, especially India’s wealth, he decided to stay and build his empire in India rather than return to Central Asia.
Q.1. What is the Baburnama, and what does it rexeal about Babur?
Q.2. How does the source show the dual nature of Babur’s character?
Q.3. Why might Babur have stayed in India despite finding it less charming than Central Asia?
Answer
View full question & answer→1. The Baburnama is Babur’s autobiogra¬phy, which details his conquests and observations. It reveals his love for poetry, architecture, and personal natural world especially the birds, fruit trees, showing his cultured side.
2. The source highlights Babur’s dual nature because, on one hand, he was intellectual, as seen in his detailed memoir, and on the other, he was cruel, killing and enslaving people, shown by his building of the “towers of skulls.”
3. Babur stayed in India for its wealth (gold and silver), vast resources, and the presence of skilled artisans, as mentioned in the Baburnama, despite missing Central Asia’s charm.
2. The source highlights Babur’s dual nature because, on one hand, he was intellectual, as seen in his detailed memoir, and on the other, he was cruel, killing and enslaving people, shown by his building of the “towers of skulls.”
3. Babur stayed in India for its wealth (gold and silver), vast resources, and the presence of skilled artisans, as mentioned in the Baburnama, despite missing Central Asia’s charm.