Who used artillery first?

How Babur revolutionized warfare in India with artillery

When we think of early military innovation in India, one name stands out: Babur. Though artillery had already seen use in other parts of the world, it was Babur who first deployed it with real strategic brilliance on Indian soil. A descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, Babur wasn’t just a conqueror—he was a tactician who understood the power of new technology.

In 1526, at the First Battle of Panipat, Babur faced a daunting challenge: Sultan Ibrahim Lodi’s army vastly outnumbered his own. But Babur had something the Delhi Sultanate didn’t count on—mobile field artillery. He didn’t just bring cannons; he integrated them into his battle strategy. Using field guns positioned behind a screen of carts (a tactic inspired by Central Asian warfare), he unleashed devastating firepower that shattered Lodi’s advance.

This wasn’t merely a clash of armies, it was a turning point in Indian military history. The thunder of cannons, a relatively new sound on the subcontinent, signaled the dawn of a new era. Babur’s use of artillery wasn’t just about brute force; it was about precision, timing, and psychological impact. His success at Panipat didn’t just win a battle, it laid the foundation for the Mughal Empire, one of the most powerful dynasties in Indian history.

While artillery had existed in China and the Middle East long before Babur, his effective deployment in open warfare on Indian terrain marked a pivotal shift. He didn’t invent the cannon, but he mastered its use in ways no Indian ruler had before. In doing so, he changed the course of history, one explosive shot at a time.