The Story of a Drunken Mughal: Islam, alcohol, and imperial ambition

Abstract

This paper examines the commonly held notion that Islam forbids alcohol and therefore Muslims do not drink. This statement contains two very significant and commonly repeated assumptions: first, that Islam prohibits all forms of alcohol consumption and second, that Muslims have always adhered unwaveringly to the tenets of their religion. Alcohol prohibition under Islam has never been as clear-cut as is often portrayed, whereas the idea that all Muslims do not drink paints Muslims as exempt from the diversity of approaches to religious restrictions and regulations found in virtually all societies throughout human history. This paper moves beyond the rhetoric of religious prohibition to explore the role of alcohol in Timurid Central Asia during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, focusing specifically on the life and times of Babur, a Timurid prince turned South Asian empire builder. By exploring the contexts of alcohol consumption in Babur’s Central Asia, it is possible to not only understand and explain larger cultural and religious trends, but also to move beyond monolithic portrayals of Islam and Muslims throughout history.