Editing Babur (section)

=== First Battle of Panipat ===
{{Main|First Battle of Panipat}}
[[File:1526-First Battle of Panipat-Ibrahim Lodhi and Babur.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Mughal artillery and troops in action during the [[Battle of Panipat (1526)]]]]

In November 1525, Babur got news at [[Peshawar]] that Daulat Khan Lodi had switched sides, and Babur drove out Ala-ud-Din. Babur then marched onto Lahore to confront Daulat Khan Lodi, only to see Daulat's army melt away at their approach.<ref name="VDM0" /> Daulat surrendered and was pardoned. Thus within three weeks of crossing the [[Indus River]] Babur had become the master of Punjab.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Babur | title=Bābur, Mughal emperor |access-date=2023-11-19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220132730/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Babur | archive-date=2023-02-20 | url-status=live}}</ref>

Babur marched on to Delhi via [[Sirhind-Fategarh|Sirhind]]. He reached [[Panipat]] on 20 April 1526 and there met Ibrahim Lodi's numerically superior army of about 100,000 soldiers and 100 elephants.<ref name="VDM0" /><ref name="RSCHMI" /> In the battle that began on the following day, Babur used the tactic of ''Tulugma'', encircling Ibrahim Lodi's army and forcing it to face artillery fire directly, as well as frightening its war elephants.<ref name="RSCHMI" /> Ibrahim Lodi died during the battle, thus ending the Lodi dynasty.<ref name="VDM0" />

Babur wrote in his memoirs about his victory:

{{Blockquote|By the grace of the Almighty God, this difficult task was made easy to me and that mighty army, in the space of a half a day was laid in dust.<ref name="VDM0" />}}

After the battle, Babur occupied Delhi, Gwalior and Agra, took the throne of Lodi, and laid the foundation for the eventual rise of Mughal rule in India. However, before he became North India's ruler, he had to fend off challengers, such as Rana Sanga.<ref name="VDM1">{{harvtxt|Mahajan|2007|p=438}}</ref>

Many of Babur's men allegedly wanted to leave India due to its warm climate, but Babur motivated them to stay and expand his empire.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}