After his victory at Kabul in 1507, Babur adopted the title of:

In 1507, after consolidating his rule at Kabul, Babur adopted the title of "Padshah" (Badshah), meaning emperor or great king.

Why Babur took this title:

• Before this, the Timurid princes had usually used the title "Mirza", which indicated that they were princes rather than independent sovereigns.
• By adopting the title "Padshah", Babur declared himself an independent and supreme ruler, equal to any other king.
• It also showed that he did not accept any superior authority, such as that of the Uzbek or Persian rulers.

Babur's earlier life:

• He was born in 1483 in Andijan, in the Ferghana valley.
• He was a descendant of Timur through his father, and of Chinggis Khan through his mother.
• He became the ruler of Ferghana at a young age.
• He captured Samarkand, the capital of Timur, three times, but lost it each time.
• He was driven out of Central Asia by the Uzbeks.
• He made Kabul his base.

Titles in Indian history:

• "Sultan": used by the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate and many other Islamic rulers.
• "Padshah" (Badshah): used by the Mughal emperors; the word comes from Persian ("pad" = master, "shah" = king).
• "Shahenshah": "king of kings", used by Persian rulers.
• "Zil-i-Ilahi": "Shadow of God", a title used by Balban and later by some Mughal emperors.
• "Ghazi": a warrior who fights for the faith.

Mughal titles:

• Akbar was called "Badshah"; his religious authority was described in the Mahzar.
• Jahangir took the title "Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Padshah Ghazi".
• Shah Jahan was called "Sahib-i-Qiran-i-Sani" (second lord of the auspicious conjunction).
• The title "Padshah" continued to be used by the Mughals until the end of the dynasty.

Why not the other options?

• ✗"Sultan" was the title of the Delhi Sultans.
• ✗"Shahenshah" was a Persian royal title.
• ✗"Zil-i-Ilahi" was a title used earlier by Balban.