Founding of the Mughal Empire

Timeline

1. 1526Panipat · HaryanaBabur annihilated Ibrahim Lodi's main force at the First Battle of Panipat, bringing down the Lodi dynasty. The military victory gave Babur the force to control the northern Indian plains, clearing the greatest obstacle to founding a new empire.
2. 1526Agra · Uttar PradeshAfter capturing strategic points such as Agra, Babur adopted the title "Padshah" (emperor) to integrate the military-political system, absorbing Persianized administrative traditions and Indian local elites. The empire took Timurid descent as its source of legitimacy while gradually adapting to the subcontinent's social structure.
3. 1526–1527Rajputana · RajasthanRule was not yet secure at the empire's founding. Rajput princes under Rana Sanga formed an alliance questioning Babur's legitimacy to rule the subcontinent. The Battle of Khanwa in 1527 became the key test of the empire's consolidation of rule over northern India.