From obscurity to glory through poetry.

Could Babur have conquered Hindostan without asking for the hand of a Pashtoon wife? This may appear an odd question nary raised nor researched. While history recounts the past yet is beclouded with myriad unanswered interrogatories.

Zahiruddin Babur, crowned ruler of Ferghana in Transoxania at the age of twelve later, upon conquering Hindostan, defeating Ibrahim Lodhi at Panipat in 1526, became the founder of the mighty Mughal empire in India, laying the foundations of a new Indo-Iranian civilisation.

William Erskine, a translator of Babur Nama from Chaghati Turkish into English, describing Babur, writes: 'Upon the whole, if we review with impartiality the history of Asia, we find few princes entitled to rank higher than Babur in genius and accomplishments.'

The noted historian Stanley Lane Pool writes about Babur Nama, Babur's autobiography: 'His autobiography is one of those priceless records which are for all time, and is fit to rank with the confessions of St. Augustine and Rousseau, and the memoirs of Gibbon and Newton. In Asia it stands almost alone.'

In a world where women played scant public roles, quite a few women feature prominently in the history of Babur. Aisan Bugha, his redoubtable grandmother, acted as a virtual regent during Babur's early difficult days when he was constantly threatened by claimants to his throne and ambitions over Samarkand.

Babur, defeated by his enemies, had at last to flee for life and ultimately, aided by a few supporters, in 1504, established himself as ruler of Kabul. Khanzada Begum, Babur's elder sister, played an influential role in family and court matters, forever a royal confidante while Mahim Bagum was the queen consort, being Humayun's mother. Gulbadan, Babur's loving companion-daughter, later wrote the Humayun Nama during the reign of Akbar.

One Pashtoon Yusafzai lady, Bibi Mubarika, scion of chieftains of the tribe, niece of Malik Ahmed - who played such a great role in peacefully settling the tribe after its exodus from Kabul in areas stretching from Bajaur and Swat up to river Indus - however finds scarce mention in Babur's historiography.

Born and bred in pristine natural beauty of Swat, ostensibly in present-day Thana, in the house of Malik Suleman Shah and Shah Mansur, living according to noble values of Pashtoonwalli, honour, fidelity, courage and virtue, she became the seventh and youngest wife of Babur in 1519. In her words:

Mine was no temporal lure

But an Afghan's honour pure

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