205. Babur: The Taking of Delhi

“In Herat a man can’t stretch out his leg without touching a poet’s backside” - Babur

It’s 1506, and Babur leaves his beloved base in Kabul to visit his cousins in Herat, Afghanistan. But whilst he is shyly standing in the corner at parties and receiving a speedy education in poetry and calligraphy, his nemesis Shaybani Khan sacks the city he had left behind. Babur is now one of the last Timurid princes left, and to ensure the power of his family lineage does not die out, he enters a controversial alliance to help him defeat Shaybani Khan. In 1511, Babur launches military campaigns in his homeland of Uzbekistan, but why does he turn his attentions to India instead? And how will he succeed in conquering this new land?

Listen as William and Anita discuss Babur’s life in Afghanistan, and the build up to his invasion of India.

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Producer: Callum Hill

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