Pre-Mughal India was enticingly prosperous, divided and
Exposed. The Muslim conqueror and first Mughal emperor,
Babur, was a descendant of the Mongol ruler Timur, who
Established himself as a regional warlord in Kabul. Babur's
Invasion came by invitation: to intervene in a dynastic struggle
Within the Lodi Sultanate of Delhi. When not consumed with
Internal dissension, Delhi was frequently pitted against the Hindu
Rajput Confederacy. Gujerat was Muslim and for a time it’s strong
Links with the Ottomans insulated it from the Mughals; the
Gujarati sultan annexed neighboring Malwa in 1531. The
Mughals prized wealthy Bengal, describing it as 'paradise of the
Nations. Orissa was ruled by the Hindu Ganga dynasty.
Vijayanagar was also Hindu, its eponymous capital was one of
the largest cities in the world at the time. Their ruler
Krishnadevaraya assisted the Portuguese in their conflict with
Gujarat and Bijapur, enabling their establishment of permanent
Trading posts on India's western seaboard.

Mughal Library