Ambitions of an enigmatic king

Aabhas Maldahiyar’s Babur: The Chessboard King, is a gripping, non-fiction, deeply researched sourced from the Persian manuscript of Baburnama vividly captures Babur's early struggles following his father’s tragic demise in AD 1494.

Author and historian Aabhas through his narrative unveils Babur’s moniker, ‘the chessboard king’ portraying his adept navigation through political intricacies and challenges. Largely speaking, this book reliant on primary sources, represents a milestone in Babur's biographical genre, essential for comprehending the ambitions of this enigmatic king.

In the words of Bibek Debroy, Indian economist, “Aabhas questions standard narrations on the life and times of Babur. As we look at Bharatavarsha's past in new ways, this book is a welcome addition to the corpus.”

Basically, this book paints a poignant picture of the founder of the Mughal empire journey. It also explores his retreat to tribal lands after relinquishing hopes of reclaiming Ferghana and his ambition to expand into Hindustan.

According to Vikram Sampath, a popular historian, the book is a meticulously researched, richly footnoted and referenced and written with a narrative flow that makes it interesting for the reader.

A skilled reader of Persian manuscripts, Aabhas offers a distinctive lens to historical narratives. He is a key founding member of the Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research, dedicated to advancing original research based on primary sources in Indian history.