Conquest of Samarkand
Samarkand - Present
During the initial stages of his life, his ambition was limited to conquering more parts of Uzbekistan, especially the famed Samarkand. Soon after becoming the king, in 1497, Babur invaded Samarkand when he was just 14 years old. Samarkand was a famous Central Asian city and cultural center for centuries. Samarkand had changed hands multiple times between rulers, including Babur's relatives, and it was a coveted prize for many aspiring Central Asian conquerors.
Babur's siege of Samarkand lasted for seven months and was marked by intense fighting and hardships for his forces and the city's defenders. Finally, in November 1497, Babur's forces breached the city's defenses, and Samarkand fell to him. Babur's capture of Samarkand was a remarkable achievement for a young ruler, marking the beginning of his military career.
However, Babur's control of Samarkand was short-lived. He could only hold the city for about 100 days before rebels seized it during his absence. Babur was forced to return to Fergana to reclaim his birthplace and engage in a series of struggles to regain control of Samarkand in the following years.
Unfortunately, Samarkand fell out of his control by the time he recovered Farghana and would remain that way for another two years. Finally, in November 1500, he recovered it from Shaibani Khan, an Uzbek and not a Timurid like Babur. This naturally led to rivalry between the two of them.
The young Babur had already seen many battles and demonstrated remarkable resilience and the ambition to conquer when faced with extreme adversities on the battlefield and in the political arena.
His victory over Shaibani Khan would not last long. Shaibani Khan mauled Babur and his forces at Sar-i-pul, and Babur had to surrender Samarkand. His humiliation was even more as he was forced to give his elder sister, Khanzada Begam, to Shaibani Khan for marriage. In 1501, Babur's minister, Sultan Ahmed Tambol, rebelled against Babur and snatched Ferghana. At this stage of his life, the young Babur had lost both Samarkand and Farghana two times. He was homeless and had nowhere to go.
