Invasions of Qandahar (1522)

Author: Afgbeast

Invasions of Qandahar (1522)

After returning to Kabul, Babur started contemplating the conquest of Hindustan. He realized the importance of capturing Qandahar as it was closer to the Indian border, and he did that quickly in 1522 and left one of his sons in charge.

 His next target was Delhi, which wouldn't be easy, but it would be the ultimate prize. He had to defeat Ibrahim Lodi, the Delhi Sultan at that time. Ibrahim Lodi had treated the sons of Daulat Khan Lodi, the powerful noble in Punjab, in a very cruel manner, and this angered Daulat Khan. Daulat Khan Lodi wanted to settle scores with Ibrahim and invited Babur to invade Hindustan and capture Delhi. Daulat Khan offered his full support to Babur, who gladly took the offer. With their support, Babur invaded Hindustan in 1524, captured Lahore, and established his sovereignty. Most earlier invaders, including thousands of women and children, were more interested in looting and returned to their homeland after acquiring the loot.

 Daulat Khan must have expected to control Babur, and Babur’s show of power must have surprised him, and he turned against Babur, who promptly retreated to Kabul. A year later, in 1525, he marched to Punjab again, occupied it, and forced Lodi to submit. Babur was unsatisfied with Lahore and had his eyes on Delhi, ruled by Ibrahim Lodi.

 For now, we will pause the events around Babur, discuss the origin of the Lodi dynasty, and come back to 1526, when the Battle of Panipat took place between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi.