Children and Families

The Story of Babur: Prince, Emperor, Sage

Anuradha and Jane Ray

£12.95 / $17.95 Publication: April 2022 176 pages; hb 228 × 168 mm (6.7 × 9 in.) 978 1 78551 3 947

Anuradha writes books for children in English and Nepali. Her works have been translated into many other languages including Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Danish and several local languages in South Africa. Jane Ray has illustrated over sixty children’s books, working with authors such as Michael Rosen, Carol Ann Duffy, Jeanette Winterson, Dianne Hofmeyr and Kevin Crossley-Holland.

Published as part of an extensive programme promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan in collaboration with the Art and Culture Development Foundation of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Reading age: 8–12

Also available in Russian and Uzbek editions, and Braille editions of each language

The Story of Babur: Prince, Emperor, Sage is a lucid and lively retelling of the Baburnama, the first true autobiography in Islamic literature, originally penned by the mighty Central Asian king Babur (1485–1530), the founder of the Mughal Empire. This adaptation for younger readers will introduce them to this classic of world literature and to Babur’s exciting adventures of discovery and conquest: from his native Fergana and the cosmopolitan Samarkand (in modern Uzbekistan) across the glittering cities of Afghanistan and finally on to Hindustan (Northern and Central India).

Samarkand, a Treasure Won andlost

samarkand was my goal, but little did I know it would not be my last destination. When you win a war, it does not necessarily mean you have no enemies. In fact, it could well mean you have earned new enemies. Thus, victory over Samarkand was just the beginning of a series of battles in the days to come.

I will tell you about it in detail as my story unfolds.

For now, let me take you around Samarkand.

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