Dear friends! Do you know any fiction book about Babur? “The Story of Babur” by Parvati Sharma is a delightful childrenʼs book on the fascinating childhood of Babur. The book takes us on the wondrous journeys that Babur embarked upon.

Little Babur is a curious child. He is trusting, bright, thoughtful, observant, full of mischief and ever ready for an adventure. Whether it is eating a “nashpati” with the juices flowing down his elbow or eating “anaars” that look like red marbles (Baburʼs love for fruits and gardens is well known), or swimming rivers, climbing trees, travelling to faraway places to explore forests in search of wild animals. Or as an adult embracing the Matchlock gun to conquer the might of Ibrahim Lodiʼs Hindustan – Babur was constantly exploring. When Babur was 12, his father Umair Sheikh, ruler of died. Babur was crowned King. One of the first things he did was conquering Samarkand. How does a 12-year-old lead an army of 200 men to battle? And how do they climb into Samarkand – a kingdom with impossibly high walls? Baburʼs plan is that of a child superhero. He gets 200 men “dressed like the night”, to crawl into the pitch dark with ladders on their backs. Upon reaching Samarkand they climb effortlessly into the kingdom. Babur was known to be a master military strategist.

But what makes The Story of Babur a good childrenʼs book is the subtle lessons one learns about how hard it is to be King. And harder still to be a good one. Because strength and might cannot be what you are all about. “You see, though it is important for a King to be strong, it is even more important for a King to understand what other people need, especially those who are weak or injured or sad,” writes Sharma in the book.

The battle of Panipat is fascinatingly portrayed. The book takes us through how Babur with his 10,000 strong army conquered Ibrahim Lodiʼs 100,000 army by setting traps. In India, Babur isnʼt as interested in the Kohinoor diamond as much as he is about Indiaʼs wild animals, lakes, gardens and fruits. His love for gazing at peacocks, parrots, and for eating mangoes, and tender green coconuts is told through delicious writing. A good read for children and adults.