Gardening in India continues our popular series with a visit to
some of the most historic and beautiful gardens in the world The
first great Indian Mogul emperor Babur (1483-1530) was descended
from two noted Mongol warriors, Ghengis Kahn and Tamburlaine. He
captured Samarkand at the age of 12, but was soon chased out by
other warring tribes. Searching for a kingdom, Babur captured
Agra and became ruler of an area that included Delhi and Jaipur.
But Babur was not simply a warrior. He was also a poet and a
keen gardener. He wrote in his memoirs: 'Hindustan is a country
of few charms..there are no.. grapes, musk-melons or first-rate
fruits, no ice or cold water.. There are no running waters in
their gardens or residences.' He therefore immediately set about
creating a garden on the banks of the Jumna at Agra. This was
the Ram Bagh, a remnant of which still exists (it is supposedly
being restored). He called it Bagh-I-Gul afshan or 'Flower-
Scattered Garden'. It was the first of many gardens created by
Babur and