Babur : Diarist And Despot

About The Book : This sketch of the character of Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur Padshah is based almost entirely upon the most recent English translation of the Babur-nama (Memoirs of Babur) by Mrs. A. S. Beveridge, which was published by the Royal Asiatic Society in four fasciculi beween 1912 and 1921. As Mrs. Beveridge translated the record direct from the original Turki, her rendering reflects the Emperor’s style more faithfully than the earlier translation by Leyden and Erskine of a Persian copy of the Memoirs. I have also consulted S. Lane-Poole’s excellent study, Babar, in the Rulers of India Series (Clarendon Press). The quotations, the main facts, and the various episodes illustrating Babur’s character are taken direct from Mrs. Beveridge’s work, including her illuminating notes and appendices.