Early Mughal Empire: Babur, Humayun & Sur Interregnum (1526–1556 AD)

1. Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur (1526–1530 AD)

Cue Words	Notes
Origin & Foundation	Descendant of Timur (paternal side) and Genghis Khan (maternal side). Ruler of Fergana and Kabul. Invited to invade India by Daulat Khan Lodi and Rana Sanga. Founded the Mughal Empire in 1526 AD.
Four Decisive Battles	First Battle of Panipat (April 21, 1526): Defeated Ibrahim Lodi. Introduced gunpowder, field artillery, and Tulugma (flanking tactic) with Rumi / Araba (cart array) system directed by Ustad Ali and Mustafa. Battle of Khanwa (1527): Defeated Rajput confederacy under Rana Sanga of Mewar. Declared Jihad and assumed title Ghazi. Battle of Chanderi (1528): Defeated Medini Rai of Chanderi. Battle of Ghagra (1529): Defeated Afghan chiefs of Bihar & Bengal under Mahmud Lodi (first battle fought on both land and water).
Autobiography & Legacy	Authored autobiography Tuzuk-i-Baburi (Baburnama) in Chagatai Turkic (translated into Persian by Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan). Described Indian flora, fauna, and geography. Introduced Persian Charbagh (four-quarter geometric garden) layout in India (e.g., Aram Bagh at Agra).

2. Nasiruddin Humayun (1530–1540 & 1555–1556 AD)

Cue Words	Notes
Early Reign & Struggles	Divided empire among brothers (Kamran, Askari, Hindal). Faced dual threats from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat and Afghan leader Sher Khan (Sher Shah Suri) of Bihar. Built new city Dinpanah at Delhi (1533 AD).
Defeats by Sher Shah	Battle of Chausa (1539 AD): Defeated by Sher Shah; barely escaped drowning in the Ganges with help of a water-carrier (Nizam). Battle of Kannauj / Bilgram (1540 AD): Decisively routed by Sher Shah; forced into exile in Persia (Safavid court of Shah Tahmasp) for 15 years.
Restoration & Death	Recaptured Delhi and Agra in 1555 AD with Safavid military support after defeating Sikandar Suri. Died in 1556 AD after falling down the stairs of his library (Sher Mandal at Purana Qila). Historian Lane-Poole remarked: "Humayun stumbled out of life as he stumbled through it."

3. The Sur Empire & Sher Shah Suri (1540–1555 AD)

Cue Words	Notes
Rise of Sher Shah	Original name Farid Khan. Served Afghan ruler of Bihar (Bahar Khan Lohani), who bestowed title Sher Khan for killing a tiger single-handedly. Established the Second Afghan Empire in India.
Administrative Reforms	Divided empire into 47 Sarkars (headed by Shiqdar-i-Shiqdaran and Munsif-i-Munsifan), subdivided into Parganas.
Agrarian & Revenue System	Introduced direct land assessment based on actual measurement (Rai / schedule of crop rates). Issued land title deeds called Patta and title acceptance agreements called Qabuliyat. Land tax fixed at 1/3rd of average produce, payable in cash or grain. Collected 2.5% extra for famine relief (Jaribana and Mahasilana).
Currency & Infrastructure	Currency Reform: Introduced standard tri-metallic coinage: Silver Rupiya (178 grains, predecessor of modern Rupee), Gold Mohur, and Copper Dam. Abolished debased coins. Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-i-Azam): Reconstructed ancient highway connecting Chittagong to Kabul via Delhi & Lahore. Built 1,700 Sarais (rest-houses) lined with trees and wells, which functioned as postal relay stations (Dak-Chowkis).
Architecture	Built Purana Qila (Delhi), Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque inside Purana Qila, and his own magnificent octagonal mausoleum at Sasaram, Bihar (standing in the middle of a square lake).

→ 🔗 Sher Shah Suri's Legacy: Blueprint for Akbar's Administration

• Direct Borrowings: Akbar's revenue minister Raja Todar Mal built the Zabti/Dahsala system directly on Sher Shah's method of land measurement and crop-rate-based assessment (Rai); both systems fixed the state share close to one-third of produce.
• Currency Continuity: Sher Shah's silver Rupiya (178 grains) became the standard coin of the Mughal Empire, continuing largely unchanged through Akbar's reign and beyond.
• Provincial Model: Sher Shah's division into Sarkars and Parganas prefigured the later Mughal Suba → Sarkar → Pargana hierarchy.
• Exam Trap: Sher Shah Suri (an Afghan, Sur dynasty) is often mistakenly clubbed with the "Mughals" — he ruled the interregnum (1540–1555) between Humayun's two reigns, not as a Mughal himself.