Abstract:

The Hazaras, who are considered among one of the Turkish tribes that have emerged in the region of Afghanistan with the Mongol invasions, have found their place in historical sources and texts ever since the 13th century. Likewise, Hazaras were also mentioned in the Bâburnâma, a memoir penned in Chaghatai Turkic by Babur Shah, one of the most important figures in the history of Islamic states and the founder of the Mughal empire. The Bâburnâma represents the first of its kind, detailing the military activities and events that he lived through, starting with his rise to power at a young age in Fergana to his struggles in Delhi. In addition to being a statesman, Bâbur Shah was a stellar observer and was bestowed with an analytical mind, as seen in the Bâburnâma which included invaluable information regarding the manners and demeanors of Hazaras and where they lived. This work conducts a comparative analysis of the Bâburnâma's Turkish translation by Reşit Rahmet Arat and its English translation by Anette Susannah Beveridge, as well as reviewing the literature regarding the origin and emergence of the Hazaras. There is scant research concerning the tribes referred to in the Bâburnâma and up until today, there has been no consensus on the history of the Hazaras. This work hopes to fill the gap in the literature as it is the first time the Hazaras have been the subject of stand-alone research.

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