Babur's Memoirs: Why he wrote in Turki?
Babur wrote his memoirs in his native Turki language. However, Turki was never the official language of the Mughal court; that role was held exclusively by Persian from the time of Akbar onwards.
Primary Reference: NCERT Class XII: Themes in Indian History - Part II
Archived:
Updated:
Exam Year
1993
Evidence Source
Link ↗Given below are two statements, one is labeled Assertion and other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): Babur wrote his memoirs in Turki. Reason (R): Turki was the official language of the Mughal Court.
[UPSC CSE Pre 1993]
Detailed Solution & Historical Context
Concept
Historical records are often written in the author's native tongue, but imperial administrations often adopt a different language for official business. For the Mughals, this led to a unique linguistic dualism.
Authentic Source Evidence
Babur wrote his autobiography, the Tuzuk-i-Baburi (Baburnama), in Chaghatai Turki, which was his mother tongue. However, the official language of the Mughal court and administration was Persian, not Turkish. Persian was adopted because of its sophisticated literary tradition and its status as a common language for the elite across South and Central Asia.
Analytical Breakdown
Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic
"Who translated the Baburnama into Persian for Akbar?"
Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip
"While Babur identified as a Turk culturally, the Mughal state became a Persianate empire administratively."
Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)
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