ABSTRACT
There is little controversy over the origins of the Mughal Empire – barely any at all compared to that of the near-contemporary Ottomans. Relying for the most part on Babur’s memoirs, modern scholars agree that this adventurous descendant of Timur came down the mountains of Central Asia, unleashed a squall of gunpowder upon the local Muslim and non-Muslim lords of north India, and conquered the territories that became the base for the later empire-building efforts of his grandson Akbar.1 In addition to his territorial gains, Babur is moreover credited with bequeathing a Timurid/- Turco-Mongol cultural and political legacy that served as a means of legitimacy and pride for his descendants.2
