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                                                             Babur Holding a Meeting in Sultan Ibrahim's Private Apartment after the First Battle of Panipat (1526) Johnson Album 2, 12 British Library Exhibition, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi Source: Dr. Richa Singh If given the chance, what would you consider the most significant sacrifice to save a cherished person from death? Babur, who laid the foundation of the mighty Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent in 1526 CE, on learning the news of Humayun's illness and his declining health, went to meet his son personally. In the  Humayun-Nama , written by Gulbadan Begum, the half-sister of Humayun records the conversation that occurred between Babur and one of his wives and the mother of Humayun, Maham Begum, highlighting Babur's ultimate sacrific...

Jami Masjid, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Source: Dr. Richa Singh Located in the Bhadra area of Ahmedabad city, the Jama or Jami masjid (mosque) or the Jumah (Friday) mosque was built in sandstone during the reign of Ahmad Shah I (r.1411-1442) of the Muzaffarid dynasty of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1424 CE. Some historians consider this medieval structure as one of the most beautiful in the east while others view it as one of the most imposing. It is one of the significant specimens of Gujarati style of architecture with its intricate stone carvings and delicate jali work. Its towering minarets, ornate mihrab, huge courtyard, airy prayer hall, and other such features exhibit extremely fine craftsmanship. In today's time, the mosque offers some moments of tranquility in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the old city.  Minarets of Jami Mosque Source: Dr. Richa Singh Minarets and Columns, Jami Mosque Source: Dr. Richa Singh   Some of the other prominent tourist attractions nearby are the...

The Taj Mahal which was commissioned by Shahjahan (r.1628-1658), the fifth Mughal Emperor in order to commemorate the death of her beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal has been surrounded by numerous intriguing surmises. One such concerns its chief architect. European travellers claimed in their accounts a number of European architects as its principal architect. Sebastian Manrique In the Travels of Fray Sebastian Manrique 1629-1643: A Translation of the Itenarario de las Missiones Orientales , credits a Venetian named Geronimo Veroneo, 'who had come to this part in a Portuguese ship and died in the City of Laor just before I reached it.' for building the Taj Mahal. He writes,  ...the Emperor summoned him and informed him that he desired to erect a great and sumptuous tomb to his dead wife, and he was required to draw up some designs for this, for the Emperor's inspection.  The architect Veroneo carried out this order, and within a few days proved the great skill he had in his art ...

After the decisive battle of the First Battle of Panipat that took place during the summer of 1526 between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi (the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate), the foundation of the Mughal Empire in medieval India was laid. However, the battle that he won on the battleground of Panipat, despite being greatly outnumbered, did not end the hostility of the Lodis toward Babur. Ibrahim Lodi lost his life during the battle.  Buwa, his devastated mother, was in search for an opportunity to exact revenge on Babur for the death of her son. She hatched a plan. Below is an excerpt from the Baburnama , Babur's autobiography which was originally written in Chagatai Turkic and later during the reign of his grandson, Akbar, it was translated into Persian. Babur narrates the incident in the following words: The wretched Buwa, mother of Ibrahim, heard that I was eating foods prepared by Hindustani cooks. This came about because three or four months prior to this date,...

By the time of the Mughals, we observe the advent of the Englishmen to the Mughal court, seeking trade privileges from the reigning emperor. Ralph Fitch was the first Englishman to visit the court of Akbar (r.1556-1605 CE), bearing a letter from Queen Elizabeth. He lived in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri and compared them to London, noting that both were larger than the latter. William Leeds, an English diamond expert was employed by Akbar for verification of diamonds that the emperor possessed or bought. An English merchant named John Mildenhall came to the court in 1599, looking for trade opportunities. All of them came to the Mughal court before the formation of the English East India Company which was established on 31 December 1600 though a royal charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603). The significance of the charter lies in the fact that it provided monopoly to the company to trade with the East Indies for the duration of 15 years. Later another major charter was issued in 160...

  1. Who was the author of 'Unto This Last' which influenced Gandhi?  A) Paul Cezanne  B) John Ruskin  C) William Morris  D) Margaret Ruskin ANSWER: (B) John Ruskin Explain: Inspired by John Ruskin's work, 'Unto This Last', Gandhi paraphrased it in his native language, Gujarati and called it 'Sarvodaya'. 2. Which book did Gandhi call his mother?  A) Bhagwada Gita  B) Vishnu Purana  C) Matsya Purana  D) Ramayana   ANSWER: (A) Bhagwada Git a   3. Name the autobiography of Gandhi.  A) Navjivan  B) The Story of My Experiments with Truth  C) Sarvodaya  D) Satyagraha   ANSWER: (B) The Story of My Experiments with Truth Explain: Gandhi wrote his authobiography in weekly installments, published in one of his journals, called Navjivan from 1925 to 1929. The autobiography's English translation was published in installments in another journal, Young India, which was also founded by Gandhi.    4. Which among t...