Conquest and stability

This chapter discusses conquests of Mughal emperors namely, Babur, Humayun and Akbar. The emperor Humayun encountered massive difficulties in his efforts to retain and expand Babur's conquests in India. The source of one of his major problems was another of Babur's legacies. Akbar's changing strategic foci are reflected in the four successive sites, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, and Agra, adopted as royal capitals. Bairam Khan, a dominant member of Humayun's nobility, assumed the role of protector or regent for the young Akbar. A Mughal army under Asaf Khan, an Uzbek noble, invaded the kingdom in 1564. The Rajput queen, Rani Durgavati of the Candela lineage, died commanding her armies in a futile defense. The sieges of Chitor and Ranthambor were spectacular public events. The fall of these great forts demonstrated the reality of Mughal power for every warrior in North India. The Lahore, Agra, Allahabad, Ajmer quadri lateral formed a protective framework for Mughal imperial power.