Babur

Timeline

1. 1511–1514Kabul · AfghanistanAfter taking Kabul in 1504, from 1511 to 1514 he strengthened defenses, reformed taxes and the army, recruited Persianized literati, and began writing the Baburnama, turning Kabul into the logistical and political base for invading India.
2. 1514–1517Khyber Pass · Afghanistan–India frontierHe repeatedly led his forces through the Khyber Pass into the Punjab frontier zone, testing his strength against local powers of the Delhi Sultanate and gathering intelligence on Indian terrain, firearms, and enemy tactics, but instability at his rear prevented deep penetration.
3. 1519–1520Sialkot · PunjabOn his fourth southern expedition in 1519 he invaded Punjab, capturing Sialkot and elsewhere and fighting local chiefs of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi's Sultanate; though he could not hold the territory, it was the first time Mughal military pressure reached deep into the Indian heartland, a rehearsal for the decisive Battle of Panipat in 1526.