What has Babar recorded in his reminiscences?
Babar’s reminiscences have been recorded in his autobiography ‘Tuzuk-i-Babari’ or ‘Babamama’. Babar had written this book in his native Turkish language. This is a big source of the contemporary history. It has been translated in many languages of the world as Persian, Hindi, English and French. It reflects the conduct, mode of eating and the way of living of the countrymen.
(i) Negative points of the country (As Babur has mentioned) : Babur jotted down in his reminiscences about India as follows :
India is a country of inferior beauty. Her natives are not beautiful. There is neither proximity nor social intimacy among her natives. There is no etiquette. There is no order, system or delicacy in manual work. There is no hot-water baths, universities, candles or lamp-posts. Water is found nowhere else excepting big rivers and revulets whose water too flows into valleys and pits. Farmers and other categories of people live almost nude. Male common people wear langotta that covers the parts below the navel with a narrow loin-cloth. The upper parts remain naked.
(ii) Positive points (As have been described) : The plus point of India is that it is a large country. Heaps of gold and silver exist here. Here winds are very pleasants during rains. There is one more speciality in India that people in large number know various types of arts and crafts. There are professional castes who practise the same work from generation to generation.
Conclusion : Having observed the then prevailing conditions of India while busy in warfare during the short span (1526-1530) of his life Babur made a vivid description of the same. It is deemed as an authentic and significant manuscript of the contemporary history. This book reflects the climatic conditions of the country, arts and crafts, the peoples, way of living, conduct and industries.
